Baylor PI Newsletter - June 29, 2026

Monitor Sponsored Project Spending Anytime with the PI Dashboard

Principal Investigators have 24/7 access to the financial status of their sponsored projects through the PI Dashboard, which provides real-time visibility into each project's financial performance and allows PIs to monitor budget-to-actual spending at a glance. For those who need more detailed information, the dashboard also offers expenses by category, expenses by supplier, and salary distributions charged to the project.

Regularly reviewing your project spending can help you identify potential issues early, support informed decision-making, and ensure your project remains on track throughout the award lifecycle.  If you have questions about the information displayed in the dashboard, contact your Financial Manager (FM).

Tracking Subaward Spending – Multiple Subrecipients

The PI Dashboard offers access to detailed supplier spending information through the Supplier Detail section.  This view provides a breakout of costs incurred by supplier, including subrecipient expenditures. For projects with multiple subrecipients, the dashboard is an especially valuable tool, allowing users to see invoiced costs posted to date as well as remaining encumbered funds for each subrecipient. Regularly reviewing this information can help users monitor subaward spending by subrecipient and support effective financial oversight throughout the life of the award.

Contact Your Financial Manager for the Award Modification Process 

Need to request a No-Cost Extension (NCE), budget revision, or other award modification? Your Financial Manager (FM) should be your first point of contact. While Principal Investigators identify the need for changes to their projects, all formal award modification requests must be reviewed, approved, and submitted through Baylor's authorized institutional channels. Engaging your FM early helps facilitate timely processing, maintain compliance with sponsor requirements, and keep your project on track.

Reiteration of NIH's Definition of a Foreign Component 

Most instances of co-authorship represent a foreign component. The NIH recognizes, however, that certain contributions are so minor that they do not constitute an actual collaboration. For example, the provision of a single reagent might not be a collaboration but could result in co-authorship. In addition, occasionally co-authorship arises through indirect association. In all cases, NIH recipients should report foreign co-authorship to the funding Institute or Center as soon as they are aware of it to determine what steps, if any, need to be taken.

Reference: NOT-OD-26-084: Reminder Definition of Foreign Components

Recipients must pay close attention to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which outlines whether foreign components are permitted. For awards that are issued from NOFOs that do not allow foreign components, publications and other research projects generally should not include foreign co-authors or collaborators. When NIH identifies indicators of potential foreign components that have not been disclosed, the funding Institute or Center may request additional information to confirm that a foreign component exists and will work with the recipient to ensure compliance with the NIH Grants Policy Statement. 

NASA Disclosure Forms

In accordance with Grant Information Circular 26‑02, Research Security Training Requirements, all covered individuals named on NASA grant and cooperative agreement proposals will be required to attest that they have completed research security training prior to proposal submission beginning August 5, 2026. This attestation will be made by signing a certification included in the NASA biographical sketch and current and pending (other) support forms. Please contact your Pre-Award URA for more information. 

Consider an NDA for Collaborations

Faculty researchers are advised to seriously consider a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before engaging in discussions or collaborations with commercial partners and other external entities. This is to protect confidential information and research assets. An NDA would clearly define what information is considered confidential, as well as establish expectations for its proper use and protection. 

Researchers can reach out via CARA Agreements (agreements@baylor.edu) to initiate the NDA process. Establishing these terms early helps prevent misunderstandings and preserves the integrity of academic research while enabling productive collaboration. By putting these safeguards in place, faculty can share ideas more openly while maintaining necessary cur