Budget Monitoring

Regular Monitoring of Project Expenses

As part of their financial responsibility, Principal Investigators (PIs)  are expected to review each award in their portfolio every month.  The review includes:

• Confirming the availability of funds to support the completion of the project and avoid overspending

• Ensuring that expenditures have been incurred within the appropriate project period and within the approved budget categories, consistent with applicable terms and policies

• Confirming that expenditures are allowable, reasonable, and allocable to the project

• Confirming  compliance with applicable laws, regulations, sponsor requirements and PSU policies

• Verifying that corrections have been made in a timely manner

Monthly Sponsored Projects Expenditure Snapshots

Principal Investigators (PIs) receive project expenditure snapshot spreadsheets via email on approximately the 11th of each month for all of their active sponsored projects. Included in the snapshots is the following information:

Tab 1 – Budget and Expense Summary (project period): A summary of budget and expenditure activity from project inception to the end of last month.

Tab 2 - Monthly Expenditure Summary Trend by Cost Type (project period): A summary of all expenses paid to date by type of expense. Use this data for recent monthly spending trends

Tab 3 - Monthly Personnel Detail by Employee (project period): A detailed report of personnel expenses paid to date

Tab 4 – Non-payroll Expenditure Detail (last 12 months): A listing of non-payroll expenses paid* during the previous 12 months with the most recent expenses at the top.

NOTE: The snapshots do not represent a complete accounting of project costs. They are limited to data that is stored in PSU’s financial and human resources information systems. 

The snapshot(s) include:

• Expenses that have been paid

• Salary and benefits encumbrances only for the current fiscal year for positions greater than .5 FTE and Graduate Assistant appointments

• Subaward encumbrances

• Personal Services Contract encumbrances

• Some large purchases processed through CAPs that require a Purchase Order

The snapshot(s) do not include:

• Any personnel and non-personnel expenses requested/ordered but not yet paid

• Salary and benefits encumbrances beyond the current fiscal year including employee appointments anticipated in future years such as Graduate Assistants

• Salary and benefits encumbrances for employees paid on wage agreement, hourly part-time appointments (temporary classified or adjunct), hourly students

• Indirect [aka F&A] Costs encumbrances

Contact your assigned SPA Departmental Research Administrator immediately if you identify expenses that should NOT have been charged to a project or if you notice that a charge is missing. For SPA staff contact information by unit, click here. 

The Banner Financial Information System (FIS) and Human Resource Information System (HRIS)  contain the official records of the institution and where all expenditures must be recorded.  To obtain access to Banner FIS and HRIS, go to Banweb, navigate to the 'System Access' tab, and complete an 'OAM Access Request'