Closing Your Project

Research projects typically have a defined term, per the agreement for funding. As the end date approaches and passes, there are a number of responsibilities that need to be met to enable efficient closure of the project.

End date approaching

In the months before a project ends, the research team should consider if the project is on track to be completed within the defined project term. This includes expenditure of the research funding and meeting all milestones and reporting requirements.

If your project is incomplete and requires further time to complete the research activity or milestones, or is unlikely to be fully expended on eligible project expenses, please contact Research Services to discuss if the agreement can be varied to extend the project end date or adjust the project requirements.

Closure of project

Once the project end date has passed, a number of administrative processes will take place. Expenditure on the General Ledger code will cease and any unspent funding will be returned or transferred to a Residual Tied Funds code. Once the General Ledger code for the project is empty, it will be closed. Any overspend will need to be reimbursed from other suitable funding sources before the General Ledger code can be deactivated.

Research Services will confirm that all requirements have been completed on the project, and will close the record in the University’s research management and records systems.

Next steps and future projects

When your project ends, you might be looking for new opportunities to further your research and secure new funding. Please reach out to Research Services to discuss any options or ideas you have for new funding opportunities and future projects.