Sponsored Projects Accounting (SPA) is responsible for all post-award billing. SPA will conduct billing in accordance with the awarded agreement’s terms and conditions.

Billing Types

Cost-reimbursable

Cost-reimbursable awards are billed based on actual cost incurred by the award within a specified period. Cost-reimbursable awards can be set up with the following billing frequencies:

  • Monthly
  • Quarterly
  • Semi-annually
  • Annually
  • Drawdown (expense incurred until the day before billing)
  • Milestones schedule (MS)

Fixed-price/rate

Fixed-price/rate awards are billed based on a predetermined amount that relates to specific performance or deliverable as outlined in the award. Fixed-price/rate award can be set up with the following billing frequencies:

  • Predetermined schedule (PS)
  • Milestone schedule (MS)

Department Responsibilities

Direct the following documentation and any inquiries to the Award Contract Owner listed in your Workday Award (AWD).

Milestone schedule invoices

  • SPA must receive confirmation from the principal investigator (PI)/authorized designee confirming that the deliverable/task is complete.
  • Effective Monday, March 7, 2022, Workday will distribute the Milestone Award Task Notifications that are linked to the Award/Grant record. This is the replacement for the milestone email notices in Kuali. The notification will be sent to the Principal Investigator (Grant) and Grant Manager(s) of the Master Award Line via email and in the Notification box (bell icon) in Workday. Although both PI (Grant) and Grant Manager(s) will receive the notice, only the PI (Grant) is required to take action.
  • The notifications will include detailed instructions on how to take action according to your milestone status:
  • Once confirmed, SPA will proceed with either updating the Award Task dates or complete and submit the invoice.

Additional documentation

  • Certain awards may require further documentation, such as the time sheets, effort, and technical reports, etc.
  • Department must submit any required documentation on a timely manner before SPA can submit the invoice.

Payment received

If your department receives a payment for reduction of expenditure, then please deposit the check via Ad Hoc Bank Transaction directly to the Grant (GR) Worktag and into the Bank Account “BOA-1429”.

If your department receives a payment from the sponsor, you must forward the payment to SPA along with a copy of the invoice, if applicable and available. If the payment pertains to multiple PPGG (grant and non-grant PPG), it also needs to be forwarded to SPA so the portion belonging to a grant can be processed under Customer Payment and the portion belonging to a non-grant PPG can be processed under Ad Hoc Bank Transaction (AHBT). For the AHBT portion, SPA will need the following information: Ledger, Cost Center, Fund, Function, and Spend/Revenue Category.

To locate a payment, check with the sponsor to determine whether the payment was sent to the general wire or the SPA wire.

  • General wire – contact Bank Reconciliations
  • SPA wire – contact SPA

Invoice templates

If you receive invoicing templates from your sponsor, you must provide them to SPA. If no template is provided, SPA will use the university’s default template.

The university’s invoice template includes the following major spending categories:

  • Salary
  • Fringe benefit
  • Professional services/consultants
  • Subcontract
  • Student aid/fellowship – stipends
  • Student aid/fellowship – tuition and fees
  • Materials and supplies
  • Facilities/utilities
  • Lease
  • In/outpatient care
  • Equipment
  • Travel
  • Vacation
  • Indirect costs

In Workday Financials, the university’s invoice template will have the following object classes (also known as cost categories):

  • Personnel subject to Fringe Benefits
  • Personnel not subject to Fringe Benefits
  • Fringe Benefits
  • GRA TA Health Benefits
  • Professional Services
  • Subcontracts/Subawards
  • Student Aid & Stipends
  • Tuition Aid
  • Tuition Assistance Benefits
  • Materials and Supplies
  • Leases
  • Off Campus Utilities
  • In/Out Patient Care
  • Equipment
  • Fabrication
  • Domestic Travel
  • International Travel
  • Other Direct Cost related to Temporary services, allowable recruitment expenses, etc.
  • Other Direct Cost related to Common, Computing, Facilities, and Vacation
  • Facilities and Administrative (F&A or Indirect Costs)
  • Fixed Contract Fees

General University Billing Information

Billing record for Sponsor Invoices

Workday Financials will track billing records for awards and allows the PI and departments’ Grant roles to view the billing history.

Tax information

For tax information, such as W-9, 501 (c)(3) IRS determination letter and employer identification number (EIN), contact the Office of Comptroller.

Bank verification letters

For bank verification letters, contact the USC Treasury.

General institutional information

For codes, such as automated clearing house (ACH), Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS), Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), electronic transfer and related university information, refer to the Department of Contracts and Grants website.