Background 

In order to provide the research community with better coordinated service from Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) and Sponsored Projects Finance (SPF), we are introducing Version 2.0 of an easy-to-use web form called Sponsored Projects Assistance & Response Center (SPARC), which you can now use to submit pre-award and post-award inquiries to SPA and SPF.

In this release in addition to inquiries, you can submit action item request to SPA, including request for:

1.       Advance Account Set up

2.       Rebudgeting

3.       Pre-award spending

4.       Subawards

SPARC captures information that will allow us to route, respond to and resolve your inquiry and request in a timely and efficient manner.  Upon submission, your inquiry will be routed to the appropriate SPA or SPF representative.  SPARC will immediately provide you with an e-mail confirmation of receipt of your inquiry that includes a unique tracking number.  Our goal is to respond to your inquiry as quickly as possible.  While this functionality is available to all, we understand the need for the need for direct contact with your SPA point of contact.  SPA plans on providing a comprehensive offering of services to the community using this mechanism in the near future.  

When to Contact SPA vs. SPF?

We encourage you to contact SPA/SPF by using the SPARC web form.  A representative will respond as soon as possible.  Here's a simple breakout of responsibilities between SPA and SPF:

• Proposal development and submissions: SPA

• Award set-up: SPA

• Award/account changes: SPA

• Sub-award set-up and modification: on such matters please contact the Subaward Team at  For CUMC: Subawards-cumc@columbia.edu ; and for Morningside: Subawards-ms@columbia.edu 

• Expense transactions issues, account reconciliations and account closing: SPF

• Financial compliance: SPF