(Please also refer to the Basic Definitions included in the Annual Guidelines for the Submission of Data to the ERC Program Database)

Accrual accounting: The process of recording an expense when it occurs, rather than when it is paid.

AD: Administrative Director

A21: Circular A21 (from the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget) defines which costs are allowable as charges to contracts and grants.

CASB: Cost Accounting Standards Board, details federal guidelines for allowable costs to federal grants and contracts.

Cooperative Agreement (NSF): Type of award that may be used when the project being supported requires substantial agency involvement during the project performance period.

Co-PI: Co-Principal Investigator

Cost Sharing: Financial contribution by the grantee. More common to research grants; a form of matching.

EEO/AA: Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action

ERC: Engineering Research Center

Facilities & Administrative Costs (also known as "overhead" or "indirect costs").

Fellowship: An award made directly to an individual in support of specific educational pursuits; not an employee. (Traineeships differ; check award conditions on training grants for service and/or pay-back requirements.)

Fixed-Price Contract: A contract providing for a set lump sum payment upon satisfactory performance of the terms of the contract.

FTE: Full-time equivalent (e.g., two half-time employees represent one FTE).

Fund Accounting: The accounting system used by the federal government and some universities to identify revenues and expenses according to the source of funds. Separate records are kept for assets donated to an organization and restricted by donors to certain specific purposes or use.

GPG: NSF Grant Proposal Guide

Grant: Type of award under which NSF agrees to provide a specific level of support for an initial specified period of time, with a statement of intent to provide additional support of the project for additional periods provided funds are available and the results achieved warrant further support.

ERC Program Database of Indicators Activity and Performance: Repository of annual activity and performance data collected from each ERC annually. The database produces a series of tables and graphs that must be included in each center's annual report..

In-Kind contribution: A service or item donated in lieu of dollars.

Matching Funds: Financial contribution by the university required by a granting agency as a condition for receiving a contract, grant, or award. Matching funds are used to meet the grantee's cost sharing obligation.

NACUBO: A professional organization.

National Association of College and University Business Officers

2501 M Street, N.W. Suite 400

Washington D.C. 20037

(202) 861-2500

http://www.nacubo.org

NCURA: A professional organization.

National Council of University Research Administrators

One Dupont Circle, N.W., Suite 220

Washington , D.C. 20036

phone: (202) 466-3894

http://www.ncura.edu

PI: Principal investigator on a sponsored grant.

RFP: Request for Proposals

RFQ: Request for Quotations

Sub-contract: An agreement or secondary contract in which a third party agrees to perform some of the activities defined in a primary proposal; agreed upon at the time of submission but not consummated until after the award has been made to the organization submitting the primary proposal.

Technology Transfer: The transfer of intellectual property between the ERC and the private sector.

Testbed: Experimental proof of concept, technology demonstration, pre-prototype.

Thrust Area: Major research focus area(s) of the ERC.

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