No-Cost Extensions

A no-cost extension of the expiration date of an awarded project can be requested if:

• you have submitted a proposal to continue the project but have not yet been awarded the continuation and need time to bridge the gap, or
• you need additional time to finish experiments essential to the project.
  

Researchers should request a no-cost extension 2-4 weeks before the grant expires by sending a letter or an email to the appropriate ORA associate director. However, if you are requesting a second extension on an NSF contract or grant, NSF requires that a request be submitted via FastLane at least 45 days before the end of the first extension, so you will need to get your information to ORA before the 45 days.

The request for a no-cost extension should include:

1. The name of the funding agency
   
2. The name, title and address of the grant specialist at the funding agency
3. The complete award number assigned by the funding agency
4. The name of the principal investigator
5. A statement requesting a no-cost extension from the project end date to the expected new end date, the amount of additional time requested (maximum of 1 year), and the reason for the request. You should explain the scientific need for experiments that have not yet been done.

Please note: Except for NIH and USDA, all first-time requests for a no-cost extension must be submitted to ORA on the Rebudget/No-Cost Extension Approval Form. For NIH and USDA, an email to the ORA associate director, stating the information for items 1-5 above, will suffice. ORA will then forward the information to NIH via eRA Commons (using ORA's expanded authority) or to USDA by sending a PDF of the email with ORA's signature, respectively.

Federal Government Agencies

First Request for No-Cost Extension: Under Expanded Authorities, the grantee (Tufts University) may extend, one time only and without additional funds, the final budget end date by up to 12 months beyond the project's original expiration date as shown on the notice of award (NOA). Tufts University, through an ORA associate director, will notify the funding agency of the extension 10 days before the project's stated expiration date. Participating federal agencies are:

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
  
• Office of Naval Research (ONR)
  
• US Department of Energy (DOE)
  
• US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  
• Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)
  
• Army Research Office (ARO)
  
• Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (AMRMC)
  
• National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
  
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Not all programs under these agencies are subject to this rule advantage. For clarification on these exceptions, please contact your ORA associate director.

Subsequent Requests for No-Cost Extensions: All requests beyond the first should arrive at the Tufts Office of Research Administration 2-4 weeks prior to the end of the first extension. (Note: NSF requires that a request be submitted via FastLane at least 45 days before the end of the first extension.) Subsequent requests for a no-cost extension must take the form of a letter addressed to the funding agency's program official (with a notation to send a copy to the funding agency's grant specialist) and contain all information requested in the 5-point list above plus the principal investigator's signature. The ORA associate director will co-sign the request and send it to the funding agency.