Skip to content

Office of Sponsored Projects

U Research

Main Navigation

Skip Menu

Resources

Relinquishing Memorandum

Purpose

This memorandum documents internal approval for the relinquishment and transfer of a sponsored award when a Principal Investigator (PI) leaves the University of Utah. Obtaining approvals is the first step to formally relinquishing awards and transferring them.

Approval of this memorandum authorizes the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) to evaluate and pursue a relinquishment request. Final approval of any transfer remains subject to sponsor review and approval. Certain circumstances may require additional institutional review and may affect the timing or approval of a transfer request.

It is the responsibility of the departing PI to contact their Department Chair and department administrator as soon as they know they will be leaving the University.

Early consultation with OSP is required when a transfer may intersect with an ongoing or recent investigation or misconduct of any kind, including but not limited to professional misconduct or research misconduct, or other matter that could require sponsor notification.

Read more about the outgoing transfer process here.

Before You Begin
  • Discuss plans with your Department Chair.
  • Contact OSP before making commitments to the receiving institution.
  • Confirm sponsor eligibility and transfer requirements.
  • Review equipment, compliance protocol, reporting, and subaward impacts.
  • Consult OSP at research-conduct@osp.utah.edu if any personnel or compliance matters may affect the transfer.

Relinquishing memo

Instructions for Completing a Relinquishing Memorandum

Before you begin

  1. Contact your Department Chair, department administrator, and the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) as soon as you become aware of a potential transfer. Early consultation helps determine whether relinquishment, retention, or another arrangement is most appropriate.
  2. Discuss transfer plans with OSP and the sponsor before communicating commitments to new recipient institution. Depending on the sponsor’s requirements and future project needs, relinquishment may not be the preferred option. The awarding agency must also approve all award transfers.

Compliance and Personnel Review

Certain sponsors may require institutional review, disclosure, or notification when a proposed award transfer involves ongoing or recently concluded investigations, findings, administrative actions, or other compliance matters involving the Principal Investigator or senior/key personnel.

Departments should consult appropriate University offices when they become aware of circumstances that may affect sponsor requirements, including but not limited to:

  • Research misconduct matters
  • Professional misconduct matters
  • Harassment, discrimination, bullying, retaliation, or hostile work environment concerns
  • Export control restrictions
  • Debarment, suspension, or other sponsor eligibility concerns

The existence of such matters does not necessarily prevent a transfer, but additional review may be required. 

Required Actions

  1. Copy and paste this template memorandum
  2. Complete all sections of this memorandum
  3. Obtain signatures from:
    1. The Principal Investigator (PI)
    2. The Department Chair
    3. Any other required departmental/unit approvers
  4. Submit the appropriate eAward modification transaction to:
    1. Terminate the project(s)
    2. Change the PI, if applicable
    3. Adjust project dates and budgets
    4. Document any additional award modifications required to facilitate the transfer.
  5. Attach the fully executed memorandum to all related eAward transactions as documentation of departmental and sponsor approval.
    • Complete only one memo per award
  6. If subawards are affected by the transfer, submit any required Subaward Modification requests separately.

Financial and Administrative Responsibilities

Prior to relinquishment, the PI and department are responsible for:

  • Reviewing project expenditures and projected balances
  • Identifying any unobligated funds expected to transfer to the recipient institution
  • Ensuring all personnel charges are moved off the project by the requested termination date
  • Coordinating with Grants and Contracts Accounting (GCA) regarding final financial reporting and all close-out related activity

The department is responsible for monitoring expenditures throughout the transition period and resolving any financial discrepancies that arise during project closeout.

Equipment and Compliance Considerations

If equipment, research materials, animals, data, human subject protocols, inventions, or other regulated resources are involved, consult the appropriate University office early in the process to ensure all transfer and closeout requirements are satisfied.

 

 

 Why isn't this a downloadable Word form anymore?

The form has been moved to an accessible web format to improve accessibility. Users should copy the content into a Word document, complete the necessary information, and upload the signed document in corresponding eAward transactions.

Relinquishing Memorandum

 

Date: 

To: [Chair Name, Department Name]

From: [PI Name, Department Name]

 

Reason for Relinquishing Request:  __________________________________________________
(i.e. I have accepted a position within the Department of __________________________at the institution listed below with an effective start date of ________________. My effective end date at the University of Utah will be ____________________)

NEW INSTITUTION ELIGIBILITY:

  1. Has the PI verified that the new institution is eligible for this award? [  ] YES [   ] NO

  2. Has the PI verified that the new institution has the facilities and resources needed to carry out the work of the award? [  ] YES [   ] NO
    Depending on the sponsor, an acknowledgment of acceptance from the new institution may be required.

New Institution:
New Award Recipient/Institution Name:
New Recipient/Institution UEI:
Mailing Address:
City, State, Zip:

New Authorized Official/Point of Contact:
New Admin Contact:
New Admin Contact Email:
New Admin Contact Phone:

AWARD INFORMATION:

I wish to transfer the following award to the institution listed above:

Sponsor: 
Award No:
Project Title:
UU DSS/Proposal ID No.:
Project No./s:
Total Budget:
Expenditures to Date:

  1. Are companion projects involved? [  ] Yes [  ] No
  2. Are subawards involved? [  ] Yes [  ] No
  3. Does this project involve cost-share? [  ] Yes [  ] No
    • If Yes, have cost share commitments been met? [  ] Yes [  ] No

Transfer Compliance Review:

Is the PI, or any senior/key personnel associated with the award, currently the subject of, or recently involved in, an investigation, finding, administrative action, or institutional review related to harassment, bullying, retaliation, hostile work environment concerns, professional misconduct, research misconduct, or other compliance matters that may affect sponsor requirements or award administration?  

[   ] YES [   ] NO  

If Yes, OSP will coordinate with the appropriate institutional offices to determine whether sponsor-specific disclosures or approvals are required prior to relinquishment or transfer.

  1. I estimate that the project and any related companion projects and subcontracts should end on the following date: _______________   
    (60-90 days prior to PI end date is recommended. Personnel appointed to this project should be transferred off the project by the requested end date.)
    The PI and the Department shall initiate change of end date/s via award modification and subaward modifications in eAward.

  2. I estimate that $___________ will remain unexpended as of the requested termination date above.
    This amount, or the revised actual amount remaining, will be relinquished to the sponsor for transfer to the new institution.
    The PI and the Department shall be diligent in monitoring expenses during this transition.

  3. Will any portion of this project need to be subcontracted back to UU by the new institution to fund graduate students completing degrees, or to cover work that will not be transferred? [  ] YES [   ] NO

    If Yes, I estimate that $__________ will be subcontracted back to the University of Utah, for the following reasons: 

  4. Will any portion of this project remain at the UU? [  ] YES [   ] NO

    If Yes, I estimate that $___________ will remain at the University of Utah, for the following reasons: 

    If Yes, please name the proposed substitute PI and administrative department: 

EQUIPMENT

Will any equipment be transferred to the new institution? [  ] YES [   ] NO

If Yes, please identify the items of equipment to be transferred that were purchased with funds from this award:

Item description:
Tag No.:
Serial No.:
Account No.:
Date Purchased:

For all equipment transfers, contact Property Accounting to discuss the specific items of equipment to be transferred.

INVENTIONS

Have any inventions been disclosed under this award, or does the award involve use of patented material or material made available to the UU under a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA/DTA):  [   ] YES [   ] NO 

If the Technology Licensing Office negotiated and signed the agreement, contact TLO directly to discuss.

COMPLIANCE

Does the transferring project include any of the following:

[   ] YES [   ] NO              Human Subjects Research
If yes, contact the IRB office to close out the protocol.

If the transfer involves biological materials, research media, or the like, the PI should review the information on Material Transfer Agreements and request arrangements.

[   ] YES [   ] NO              Animal Research
If Yes, please contact IACUC to discuss updating your protocol and arrange animal transfers

[   ] YES [   ] NO              Biohazardous Material/Recombinant DNA
If Yes, contact the Environmental Health and Safety for assistance with disposal/transfer of materials

[   ] YES [   ] NO              Radioactive Materials
If Yes, contact the Radiation Safety Office for assistance with disposal/transfer of materials

SPONSOR NOTIFICATION

Has the PI notified the Program Officer (PO)/technical officer and grants officer/manager and discussed plans to transfer? [  ] YES [   ] NO

If Yes, please provide any relevant details:

CONCURRENCE:

 

___________________________________________                                    ____________________________

Signature of Principal Investigator                                                                        Date

____________________________________________

Name of Principal Investigator

DEPARTMENT APPROVALS:

With the signature of the Department Chair, the department acknowledges that they do not wish to nominate a substitute principal investigator for the full amount of the award and have no objection to the University of Utah relinquishing this award and approving the equipment disposal as proposed herein.

The Administering Department has confirmed that all necessary reporting has been or will be provided by the exiting PI before the award is relinquished and there will be no delinquent reporting issues.

The Department accepts full responsibility for any over-expenditures resulting from overestimating the balance of the grant to be relinquished.

Required Disclosure: Some sponsors require disclosure of certain investigations, findings, or institutional actions involving harassment, bullying, retaliation, hostile work environment concerns, professional misconduct, research misconduct, or related compliance matters that may affect award administration or transfer requests. 

The Department certifies that it has consulted with the appropriate institutional offices regarding whether the proposed transfer involves any ongoing, pending, unresolved, or recently concluded investigation involving harassment, bullying, retaliation, hostile working conditions, research misconduct, or other professional misconduct concerning the PI or any senior/key personnel named on the award.

If the department becomes aware of any circumstance that may require consultation, additional institutional review, sponsor notification, or consultation with OSP, please contact research-conduct@osp.utah.edu.

________________________________________________________                                    ____________________________

Signature of Department Chair/Unit Head                                                                                       Date

________________________________________________________

Print Name of Department Chair/Unit Head

 

Departmental approval of this memorandum does not guarantee sponsor approval of a transfer. Transfer approvals may be delayed, denied, or conditioned upon compliance reviews and resolution of any issues identified by the sponsor.

Last Updated: 10/22/26