Request New Account (PTA)

An award is a unique source of funding to the university (e.g., sponsored award, gift, designated income, endowment, etc.). Each new award is categorized by type and purpose, assigned an alphabetic code, and further defined by other key attributes that identify the organization and the individuals responsible for the award.

Award Type

The award type reflects the nature of the funding source for a given award. The most common award types are:

• Operating budget
• Expendable gift
• Endowment
• Designated income
• Sponsored research

Refer to Award Types Table for additional details.

Award Purpose

The award purpose reflects the intended use of the funds held in a given award and is used to indicate the university (or legal) level of restriction on the use of the funds. 

For example:

• Instruction and research
• Library
• Student aid
• Property and equipment

Refer to Award Purpose Table for additional details.

Award Number

New awards are assigned a five-character alphabetic code called the award number. Award numbers are organized in ranges based on award types.

For example:

• GAAAA through JYZZZ = Expendable Gift
• PAAAA through VZZZZ = Sponsored Research

Refer to Award Range Table for additional details.

Other Key Award Attributes

Other key pieces of information called attributes must be determined and specified with an award, such as:

• Award owning organization - the organization that has responsibility for administering and managing the award (e.g., approval, reconciliation, and review).
• Award principal owner - the academic individual or position ultimately responsible for oversight of financial activity occurring on the award.
• Award manager - the person or role responsible for performing the administrative functions (e.g., reconciliation and review) for financial activity occurring on the award.
• Start date and end date - the dates the award becomes active and inactive.

A project is a cost-incurring activity with a sufficiently distinct purpose as to require its costs being tracked as a unit (e.g., a specific research project, expenses related to a gift fund, department salary and non-salary operating expenses, a conference). 

Projects may:

• Be interdisciplinary, crossing school and/or department boundaries (e.g., the School of Medicine working with the School of Engineering)
• Span more than one fiscal year
• Be either one-time or ongoing events
• Be funded by one or multiple awards

Projects are classified by project type primarily to indicate whether a project will be capitalized. Refer to Project Types and Descriptions for more information.

Project Number

Each project is identified by a seven-character project number that is automatically assigned. There is no intrinsic logic to project numbers.

Other Key Project Attributes

Other key attributes must be determined and specified with a project, such as:

• Project owning organization - the organization that has responsibility for administering and managing the project (e.g., approval, reconciliation, and review).
• Project principal owner - the person or role ultimately responsible for oversight of financial activity occurring on the project segment of the PTA.
• Project manager - the person or role responsible for performing the administrative functions (e.g., reconciliation and review) for financial activity occurring on the project segment of the PTA.
• Start date and end date - the dates the project becomes active and inactive.

 The attributes of a project may be the same or different than those of the award.

A task is a subdivision of a project used to isolate discrete subactivities related to the project. A project may have one or more associated tasks, which facilitates tracking of expenditures by different organizations, owners, or business purposes. Expenditures or purchases are tracked at the task level, so all projects must have at least one task. Budgets are usually created at the task level.

Task Number

The task number is assigned by the school or department, and can vary in format as defined by the school or department. 

Other Key Task Attributes

Other key attributes must be determined and specified with a task, such as:

• Task owning organization - the organization that has responsibility for administering and managing the task (e.g., approval, reconciliation, and review).
• Task principal owner - the person or role ultimately responsible for oversight of financial activity occurring on the task segment of the PTA.
• Task manager - the person or role responsible for performing the administrative functions (e.g., reconciliation and review) for financial activity occurring on the task segment of the PTA.
• Start date and end date - the dates the task becomes active and inactive.
• Task service type - defines the type of expenditure activity associated with a given task.

The attributes of a task may be the same or different than those of the project. 

For additional information about service types, refer to:

• Service Type Attribute Matrix

Review Administrative Guide Policy 3.1.3: Expenditure Accounts (PTAs) to understand authorized use, approved funding source(s), and other requirements for different types of PTAs. 

Each school and department may structure Project, Task, and Award Attributes differently to meet unique business needs, so understand this before requesting a new PTA. 

Depending upon the nature of the funding and planned use of the money, the PTA request process will vary as indicated in the table below.