Module 6: Grant and Contract Administration

1.2 Managing the research grant

1.2.7 Project reports

Meeting project reporting expectations

Project reports are important documents that detail how your project is travelling. The funding agreement will set out what type of information is required and how often reports are to be submitted. You need to be aware that failure to provide reports may prejudice your chances of re-applying to the funding body in the future.

Preparing a report requires you to think back over the reporting period, and, unless you have kept good project records, it will be a difficult task to complete. Gathering together the information you need will be made easier if you follow this simple advice:

• When you read the funding agreement/conditions of award, make a checklist of the reporting requirements.
• Most funding agencies place report forms on their web sites. Look at the report form and add any additional requirements to your checklist.
• Use an electronic calendar to record the reporting dates, and set up a reminder in the calendar.
• Continually up-date your results and keep them accessible so that they are readily available.
• Keep a record of community engagement and media activities, since these can often be reported against several grants.

Types of reports

Progress reports

The frequency with which progress reports are to be provided will be specified in the funding agreement. The first-named CI/PI should plan for these events by keeping project records up-to-date. The progress report provides an opportunity for the researcher to show what has been achieved in the previous reporting period, to document any publications arising from the project, and to set goals for the balance of the project. Sometimes researchers might run into problems that delay the progress of the project, or the research may develop in ways unforeseen at the commencement of the project. Anything that is affecting your project should be covered in your progress report, and when problems arise they should be discussed with your Research Office and with the funding body. Changes to the budget, the project, or personnel are not dealt with in a progress report, but should be requested separately through your Research Office.

Milestone reports

Milestone reports, like progress reports, provide information on the progress of the project. If your project is subject to the submission of milestone reports, this will be stated in the funding agreement and you will be expected to meet specified targets within specified timelines. Milestone reporting requirements are usually presented in the form of a schedule of reporting dates and payment dates. The submission and approval of a scheduled milestone report is required before the next payment of research funds is made to the institution. It is important, therefore, to familiarise yourself with the internal administrative procedures that match milestone reporting to the generation of invoices for payment. Failure to do so leads to cash-flow issues and possible frustration. Milestone reports may require both a progress report and a financial statement for the reporting period.

Final reports

Final reports are prepared and submitted at the conclusion of a research project. The due date for submission may be anything up to 12 months after the project has been completed, allowing the researcher to report on all research outcomes. Usually the report will ask you to describe the original aims of the proposal and report on results, including publications, patents, and any possible commercialisation of the research.

Additional Activities

For examples of various reports, log on to:

• The ARC web site: http://www.arc.gov.au/applicants/reported_requirements.htm. This is the URL for their Reporting Requirements page. You need to scroll down the page and click on “Prepare and submit a Progress Report”. On the new page, scroll down to “Linkage Projects” in order to open an rtf version of the report form for that scheme. (The checklist you create for this type of grant would be longer and more detailed than for the ISL grant above.)
• The Ian Potter Foundation: http://foundation.ianpotter.org.au/how_to_apply.html includes its reporting requirements in the Conditions of Award. Click on “Grant Conditions” under the “How to Apply” section. This report also requires a detailed income and expenditure report.

Activity: Checklist for project reports

Use a current grant as your source of information. Read the associated funding agreement/conditions of award and (if available) the pro-forma report form to create a checklist of reporting dates and requirements.

Here is a basic format that you can adapt to fit your particular grant:

Progress/Milestone/Final Report for [name of project]
Activity to be reported	Due date	Progress/Outcomes	Who needs to sign off on the report?	Date submitted

Think about how this checklist might be incorporated into your overall project management plan.