Institutional Transfers
When a Principal Investigator (PI) or project moves from one institution to another, transferring an award generally requires:
- Prior approval from the sponsor
- Written approval from the University, documented through a Relinquishing Memo (one per award)
- Written approval and acceptance from the new institution's authorized official(s)
All award transfers begin with the institution the PI is leaving, and it is the PI'sresponsibility to initiate the transfer process.
Before moving to a new institution, the PI must notify:
- The sponsoring agency, and
- The exiting institution’s Office of Sponsored Projects (or equivalent).
Transfer In/Transfer Out
The timeline for institutional transfers can be lengthy. In general:
- The relinquishing institution typically requires up to 90 days after the revised project end date to complete closeout procedures.
- Once closeout is complete, it may take an additional 30-90 days for the award to be formally relinquished and for the new institution to submit a transfer application.
- After submission, it may take another 2-3 months for the sponsor to issue a new award to the receiving institution.
Overall, the full transfer process can take up to one year (and sometimes longer). Because of this, it is essential for the PI to review the requirements early and collaborate closely with both institutions' sponsored projects offices throughout the transition.