Commonly Requested Contacts

Research-Related Offices

Colleges and Institutes

Financial Officers work closely with the Budget Executives of the respective colleges, campuses, and/or administrative divisions they serve. Their mission is to provide financial and budgeting services to the assigned administrative area(s), while maintaining prudent fiscal controls through adherence to Penn State policies and procedures.

Each College has an office that coordinates research administration activities related to grants and contracts. This link provides the names and contact information for each of these offices.

Office of the Senior Vice President for Research

OTM is responsible for managing, protecting, and licensing the intellectual property of Penn State faculty, graduate students, and staff at all Penn State locations.  OTM also creates and grows lasting relationships between industry and the Penn State research communities by helping companies identify Penn State faculty members with the expertise to meet their research needs.

The Office of Research Protections ensures that research at Penn State is conducted in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations and guidelines that protect human participants, animals, students, and personnel involved with research.

The Office of Sponsored Programs provides central coordination and oversight of all research awards received by Penn State. The office assists Penn State faculty and staff with the entire proposal process, from proposal preparation to management of the award through the award closeout.

Office of the Corporate Controller

The Pennsylvania State University Office of the Corporate Controller is responsible for receiving and disbursing all funds and maintaining appropriate accounting records for these transactions. The controller is also responsible for establishing, promulgating and enforcing guidelines and controls established for receiving and expending all funds, ensuring that expenditures do not exceed budgeted resources, or budget parameters, and developing necessary programs for protection of the assets of the University and the insurance of these assets. Other duties include preparing the annual Audited Financial Statements of the University and preparing other financial reporting documents.

Cost Analysis is primarily responsible for the preparation, submission and negotiation of Penn State's Facilities and Administrative (F&A) rates and Fringe Benefits Rates.

Property Inventory is responsible for the recording, inventorying and reporting of all capital plant assets of Penn State. This includes land, buildings, improvements other than buildings (infrastructure) and equipment.

The Office of Research Accounting within the Office of the Corporate Controller strives to serve the needs of both the research departments and the sponsoring agencies. Their primary role is to invoice sponsored projects in a timely, efficient, and accurate manner.

The Office of Risk Management within Office of the Corporate Controller provides excellent service which enables the University-wide community to protect revenue and assets. They facilitate good business judgments in the areas of insurance coverage, minimization of liability, and indemnification issues, permitting the efficient use of resources to accomplish the goals of Penn State.

Big Ten Research Universities

Colleges, Units and Institutes