The University is responsible and accountable for all government equipment in accordance with the provisions of the sponsored project, including equipment provided under contracts, which may be in the possession and control of a subcontractor. This responsibility is shared by numerous university personnel, and is specifically delegated as follows:

Principal Investigator (PI)/Departmental Administrator:

• Reviews award terms and conditions
• Screens within the department and/or contacts the UFPA to screen university inventories for available equipment before initiating the acquisition process
• Requests prior approval from the sponsoring agency via the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) for the purchase of any project equipment not specified in the award
• Initiates the acquisition of government equipment through University Procurement in a timely manner to minimize use of emergency priorities
• Ensures that general purpose components of special test equipment are identified in a manner to facilitate removal and re-utilization
• Checks the completeness, correctness and condition of received government-furnished property
• Examines property upon arrival to determine quantity received, condition, and transit-related discrepancies
• Acknowledges receipt of government-furnished equipment in the university SAP system
• Notifies the UFPA of receipt of government-furnished property
• Checks received property to ensure it is properly tagged
• Notifies Property Control and the UFPA of any untagged or incorrectly tagged items (see next item)
• Marks all property owned by the Federal Government to indicate federal ownership; for example: Army-“USA”, Navy-“USN”, Air Force-“USAF” and NASA-“NASA”
• Ensures the safe and proper use, maintenance and security of government property
• Notifies Property Control and the UFPA of receipt, movement, loss, damage or destruction of government property
• Maintains lists of government property for his/her projects
• Assumes responsibility for his/her project’s government property in the custody of subcontractors
• Reports quarterly to the UFPA any additions or revisions to his/her project’s government property in the custody of subcontractors
• Performs self-audit of government property at least once a year and reports results to UFPA
• Ensures that stored property is safely and securely stored
• Ensures additional physical security and protection are provided for sensitive items
• Provides special controls and inspections for items in storage that are subject to corrosion, humidity, temperature, etc.
• Ensures that stored government property is segregated from contractor property when required
• Ensures that access to property in storage is limited to authorized personnel
• Ensures that property in storage is properly packaged and preserved when required
• Ensures that government identification is removed from property when title is transferred to the University, or when property is disposed of or scrapped
• Ensures that returnable and reusable containers are properly controlled and accounted for
• Requests transfer of title when appropriate and notifies UFPA of request
• Requests disposition instructions from the federal awarding agency if property is no longer needed and notifies UFPA of request
• Submits interim and closeout reports of government property to government agencies (ORSP and the UFPA may assist in the preparation of reports)

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs:

• Reviews award terms and conditions
• Reviews and approves/disapproves equipment requisitions and determines ownership codes before acquisition by Procurement
• Obtains prior approval from the sponsoring agency when required for the purchase of any project equipment
• Ensures that contractual provisions and requirements related to government property are flowed down to subcontractors
• Assists the PI and the UFPA in preparing interim and closeout reports of government property

University Federal Property Administrator:

• Maintains a complete and current inventory list of each item of federal government property coded as capital equipment
• Ensures that proper supporting documentation exists for procurement of government property
• Confirms that items and quantities requisitioned, purchased or fabricated are reasonable, contractually authorized, based on firm requirements, and are not available from existing stocks
• Conducts yearly inventories of government property coded as capital equipment in each department
• Assists the PI/Departmental Administrator and ORSP in preparing reports of government property

Grant and Contract Accounting:

• Reconciles financial records with property accounting records

Procurement:

• Ensures that equipment requisitions have been reviewed and approved by the Sponsored Programs Accountant before acquisition
• Ensures that government property is correctly and accurately described, categorized, and coded before acquisition
• Procures approved equipment items in compliance with university, state and federal regulations and with any agency-required terms and conditions
• Processes approved orders in a timely and efficient manner
• Monitors orders until received and accepted by the department
• Enters vendor invoice information into the university SAP system (system then reconciles invoices, goods receipts, purchase orders and related documents to ensure accountability for all items, attachments and accessories)
• Cancels and/or amends orders when required
• Controls the generation, distribution, revision and cancellation of purchase orders
• Works with the PI/Departmental Administrator and Grant and Contract Accounting to investigate and document causes of discrepancies in items ordered/shipped/received

Receiving:

• Generates timely and accurate receiving reports that document items and quantities received, condition, shipping data, date received, etc.
• Obtains carrier’s representative signature when shortages or other transit related discrepancies are identified at time of delivery
• Ensures that incoming property is provided adequate protection and storage during the receiving process
• Ensures that misdirected shipments and other discrepant property is adequately segregated and controlled pending receipt of disposition and instructions

Property Control:

• Tags received property on all acquisitions coded as capital equipment