Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
Record Retention Policy for Grant and Proposal Files

Pursuant to section .53 of OMB Circular A-110, Retention and Access Requirements for Records, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) will maintain grant (awarded proposal) files for three years, unless a longer retention period is specified by the sponsor or award agreement. The three-year window begins after the date of acceptance of the final technical/progress report or final payment from the sponsor, whichever comes last. ORSP grant files typically include the grant award agreement, correspondence to and from the sponsor, the proposal, signed routing form(s), original and revised budget, and notes. In general, files for proposals that are submitted and stored electronically—for example, on FastLane or eRA Commons—will not be printed since access is available on-line. ORSP grant files do not include copies of invoices or financial reports, which are maintained by Financial and Accounting Services in accordance with their policies, but for no less than the retention period stipulated by federal guidelines.   

ORSP will retain pending proposal files for up to one year or until the proposal is awarded or declined, whichever is first. If a proposal is still pending after a year, ORSP will contact the Principal Investigator (PI) to determine its status. If the PI believes the proposal will be funded or is not sure of its status, ORSP will maintain the file. All declined proposals will be returned to the PI.