Post-Award Tool Box & Help Desk
Quick Guides
- ESM Purchase Requester Guide
- Expense Reimbursement Voucher Steps
- Honoraria Payment Procedures
- How to Request a Student Participant Stipend
- How to Review Your Budget
- Participant Incentives - Gift Cards
- SaaS Object Code Definitions
- Steps for Food Requests
- Student & Part-Time Hiring
- Understanding Student Participant Support Processing
- University Procurement Contract Rules & Procedures
- Purchasing software or computer equipment guide
PowerPoint Tutorials with Voiceover: Step-by-Step Guides
- Budget Adjuster Role (For Faculty with Research Reinvestment/Discretionary Accounts)
- ESM Requester with Project Accounting Tips
- ESM Video Tutorials & More
- How to Review Your Budget in KeanWise with Project Accounting
- Participant Incentives - Gift Cards
- Participant Support Processing - Student Participant Stipends
- Procurement Guide PowerPoint
- Steps for Food Requests PowerPoint
- Student & Part-Time Hiring
- University Contract Rules & Procedures
Grant-Funded Does Not Mean Approval-Free
Grants fund work—they don’t bypass the university process or policies
All approvals are required first; this means a PO/PBO from ESM is created before any work can begin, including expectations for reimbursement of personal expenditures.
- Prevent a confirming order by understanding university policies. Click HERE for a quick guide.
- Make purchases through ESM. Click HERE for a guide to purchasing and adding vendors to ESM.
What is a confirming order? Why is it a problem? What steps should I take to fix the confirming order?
- Understanding what a confirming order is and how to fix it. Click HERE for guidance.
Professional Service Agreements
Professional Service Agreements (PSA) Guide: Use this PSA Prehire Worksheet to collect the necessary information for creating your agreement. Once completed, send the worksheet to postaward@kean.edu for further guidance.
Required process for engaging consultants:
All Professional Services Agreements (PSAs) must be accompanied by an approved purchase order before the start of any services, regardless of whether the consultant is paid once or in installments.
Avoid Confirming Orders—transactions entered after services have started—require written CFO approval and should be avoided whenever possible to ensure compliance with university procurement policy.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Current Kean employees and Kean Faculty cannot use a PSA to work on a grant.
PSA Signing Authority
PI/PD cannot sign the PSA on behalf of the University. Only the President, CFO, and AVP for Procurement & Business Services may sign contracts involving equipment, materials, supplies, and services. For other types of contracts, additional senior officials may sign.
When a Contract is Required
- Hiring of professional services (regardless of value)
- Purchases over $50,000
- Public works/construction of any value
- Projects under NJ Prevailing Wage Act
Steps for PSA Approval
- Submit the draft to Post-Award and UPBS for legal review (allow 14 days).
- After the legal review, the vendor signs first.
- Ensure the vendor is set up in ESM with the required state documentation.
- Send the executed contract to UPBS for the final university signature.
- Enter requisition in ESM:
☐ Select PO for one-time payment
☐ Select BPO for ongoing or installment payments - Required attachments:
- fully executed PSA
- vendor's W-9 or W-8 (international)
- detailed quote
- ☐ Wait for all approval routing to be completed
- ☐ Once PO or BPO is created, the SERVICES MAY BEGIN
Uniform Guidance for Federal Awards
Budget Revisions
Revision of budget and program plans 2 CFR 200.308
Food Costs and Federal Grants
Federal guidelines (2 CFR Part 200) allow food costs only when directly necessary for program objectives.
- Allowable costs may include: meals or light refreshments at family engagement events, day-long trainings, or after-hours meetings. —if participation is essential to the program.
- Unallowed costs for routine staff meetings, networking/social events, remote meetings, or alcohol.
For details, see:
Federal grants may have additional program-specific rules; contact your program officer for guidance.
Post-Award Help Desk
Requests
- Budget Amendment
- External Grant-Funded Tuition Waiver Request Form
- Gift Card Authorization
- Non-Teaching Contract (Faculty Participant) Request
- Student & Part-Time Hiring
- Student Participant Stipend Request (follow these steps)