GMAS Overview and Terms

Project

A project is an overarching sponsored research initiative that includes:

gmas_overview_and_terms_1_project_aka_program.jpg
  • Specific Line of Research
  • Defined Period of time
  • Expected amount of funidng
  • One responsible Principal Investigator (PI), Tub & Org
  • One direct sponsor

Segment

A segment is a way of dividing a project. A segment represents one competing period of a project, and one fund value in Harvard's chart of accounts. Each segment within a project includes:

  • same responsible PI, Tub & Org
  • Same sponsor
  • Specific scope of work
  • Defined period of time
  • Expected amount of funding
  • Terms & Conditions specified in the award notice

Request

A request is a proposal for funding, or a proposed change to an active segment. Request types in GMAS include:

gmas_overview_and_terms_2_request_aka_proposal.jpg
  • Initial
  • Continuation
  • Supplement
  • Competing Renewal
  • Cost Sharing
  • International Collaboration and Activities
  • Pre-Award expenditures
  • Carryforward
  • No-cost extension
  • Equipment re-budget
  • Re-budget restriction
  • Subagreement at no additional cost
  • IFI at no additional cost
  • Termination
  • Change PI
  • Change Tub/Org
  • New Account
  • At-Risk Account

Notice
gmas_overview_and_terms_3_notice_aka_awardl.jpg

Sponsor notices represent award documents received from the sponsor - the Notice of Grant Award (NGA)

Segment Revision

A segment revision is a mechanism to edit elements of a segment as one large action in GMAS. Segment revisions are used to obligate dates and dollars awarded by a sponsor, active accounts, award no-cost extension. etc. Segment revisions generate an action memo, and they are initiated based on:

  • A sponsor notice
  • An internal request
  • An administrative change

Document Repository

The document repository is a mechanism for uploading documents into GMAS. For example, a sponsor notice record in GMAS has a repository into which a copy of the award document received from the sponsor is stored. Within a document repository, users can upload files, a mark files as "read-only". Look for repositories in the following places:

  • Segment Homepage
  • Request Homepage
  • Notice Homepage
  • Financial Deliverable
  • Subagreement
  • Approvals
  • Person profile
  • Organization Profile
  • User documents

Action Memo

An action Memo is the official university communication regarding a sponsored award notice accepted by the university. The award terms and conditions, dates and dollars, and accounts activated for the award are included. The Action Memo is also used to communicate authorized internal requests and administrative changes. An Action Memo is automatically generated each time a segment revision is committed.

Allocated

The term allocated refers to funds obligated by the sponsor that have been associated to a particular accounts for sending purposes.

Anticipated

The terms refers to expected funds and time awarded to the project, if all criteria between the sponsor and recipient are met.

Approvals

In order to conduct sponsored research, GMAS maintains 17 types of approvals, trainings as well as certifications for requests, projects, or individuals. Types of approvals include:

  • Additional Staff and/or space
  • Administrative Salaries*
  • Animals
  • Bio-hazards/rDNA
  • Cost sharing*
  • Outside Activity and Interest Reporting
  • International Collaboration and Activities*
  • Disclosure Confirmation for Conflict of Interest*
  • Human Subjects Training
  • IRB Approval
  • Federal Debarment - Subrecipients
  • Federal Debarment - Training Grant Trainees
  • Participation Agreement*
  • PI Appointment Termination
  • Human Embryonic Stem Cells
  • UDO/President's Reserve/Coordinated Prospect List
  • Use of Harvard's Name

* on-line form

Fund

A fund is a six-digit segment of the Chart of Accounts that identifies the source of funding. It represents one competing award period, and cannot be shared across segments.

Obligated

This term refers to funds and time authorized by the sponsor.

Notification

Notifications are sent as a result of certain actions taken by a user in GMAS, and notify the recipient that some type of action may be required on their part.

Portfolio

A Portfolio is a listing, per person, of the project segments on which that GMAS user plays a role(s). The portfolio listing is automatically generated based on project team assignments.

Reminder

A reminder is a type of GMAS notification that is associated with an incomplete To-Do.

Subagreement

A subagreement caputures an arrangement between Harvard University and another institution where there is the acquisition of services or products that Harvardwill pay for via the sponsored project funds.

To-Do's

To-Do's are an automatically generated list of actions to be completed in GMAS by a particular user. They are automatically removed when the action is completed. Associated with to-do's, reminders are generated by GMAS to inform users of upcoming to-do's that need to be completed.

See also: