Preface

The University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus (University) Sponsored Project Handbook (Handbook) identifies the requirements for proposal development, proposal submission, award acceptance, and award administration for all externally sponsored projects—both federal and non-federal—made to the University.

The Handbook complements University policies governing sponsored projects. University employees administering sponsored projects, including Principal Investigators (PI) and research administrators, are required to comply with all University policies, as well as the procedures and requirements outlined in this Handbook.

The information in this Handbook is intended to provide general guidance on federal requirements; it is not, and cannot be, a comprehensive listing of every award requirement. This Handbook is designed to be a “first stop,” not a “one-stop,” for guidance. It is always the responsibility of the PI and other University employees to comply with the award terms and conditions for each sponsored project, even if specific requirements are not addressed in this Handbook. When sponsor requirements conflict with University policies or procedures, the more restrictive requirement—typically the University policy—must be followed.

University of Colorado Fiscal Policies and Procedures are available on the Fiscal Compliance website. Additional campus-specific policies for CU Denver and CU Anschutz Medical Campus can be found on the Policies and Guidelines website. Other relevant policies and procedures are referenced throughout this Handbook via direct URLs to various University websites.

Throughout this Handbook:

• “The University of Colorado” refers to the University system.
• “The University” refers specifically to the University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus.
• The term award refers to an agreement received by the University, including grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other externally funded agreements.
• The term subagreement refers to an agreement issued by the University to another entity.

This Handbook follows the language conventions of 2 CFR 200 regarding “should” and “must”:

• “Should” indicates a best practice—not a requirement—and is not subject to audit findings.
• “Must” indicates a mandatory requirement.

Since January 2025, the federal government has implemented significant changes to award terms and conditions, often with immediate effect. Information regarding these updates can be found on the following websites:

• University of Colorado Federal Transition Updates
• CU Anschutz Federal Updates
• CU Denver Campus Communications

Due to the frequency of changes at the federal level, the Handbook may not always reflect the most recent agency guidance or judicial rulings. It is the responsibility of all University employees to remain informed of evolving federal requirements and ensure compliance with all applicable policies.

This Handbook becomes effective for all University employees on July 1, 2025.