Subagreements
A subagreement is an agreement issued by Havard University to another organization for the performance of a substantive portion of sponsored project funded by an external grant. Terms and conditions from Harvard’s prime award are typically imposed upon the subrecipient. The subrecipient organization (also called subcontractor or subawardee) must be eligible to receive a financial award from both the prime sponsor and from Harvard. To receive a subaward, the organization must identify an individual to serve as its Principal Investigator, who assumes responsibility for the work conducted at the subrecipient institution.
Subagreements should have a detailed scope of work and a budget that specifies salary, fringe, supplies, and other direct costs, as well as appropriate F&A costs consistent with the subrecipient’s indirect cost rate. The subawardee’s performance is measured against whether the objectives of its approved statement of work are met. Subrecipients should regularly submit invoices that accurately reflect their programmatic progress.
A subrecipient relationship is appropriate when the other entity:
- Performs substantive or significant programmatic/research work aligned with the project's objectives
- Participates creatively in designing and/or conducting the research with independent decision-making authority
- Has an identified principal investigator functioning as a Co-Investigator
- Retains programmatic control and discretion over how its work is carried out
- May retain intellectual property rights, co-author publications, or contribute cost sharing/matching funds
- Is considered "engaged in research" involving human subjects under the Common Rule
See Subrecipient vs. Contractor Guidance for expanded guidance.