Carry-forward is availability to move unspent funds from previous budget period(s) into the next budget period, within the overall project period. Sponsors often provide threshold amounts for carry-forward funds that, when exceeded, require prior approval. PIs should work with their Local Research Administrator (LRA), who will work with the Central Pre-Award to determine if there is a need for a formal carry-forward request to the sponsor.

When Sponsor Prior Approval is Required

If prior sponsor approval is required for the carry-forward of funds, the LRA/PI will work with Central Post-Award to determine information such as the dollar amount and breakdown between direct and indirect costs of the request. They will then provide the information to Pre-Award with a programmatic justification for the request. Using this information, Pre-Award will request to carry-forward funds from the sponsor in the amount provided by Post-Award and, when approved, route a copy of the carry-forward request along with the sponsor approval to Post-Award for processing in PeopleSoft.