Last updated January 22, 2021
Glossary and Acronyms (Department of Energy (DOE), 2021)
Acquisition cost Acquisition cost means the cost of the asset including the cost to ready the asset for its intended use. Acquisition cost for equipment, for example, means the net invoice price of the equipment, including the cost of any modifications, attachments, accessories, or auxiliary apparatus necessary to make it usable for the purpose for which it is acquired. Acquisition costs for software includes those development costs capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Ancillary charges, such as taxes, duty, protective in transit insurance, freight, and installation may be included in or excluded from the acquisition cost in accordance with the non-Federal entity’s regular accounting practices.
Administrative requirements Administrative requirements means the general business management practices that are common to the administration of all grants, such as financial accountability, reporting, equipment management, and retention of records.
Advance payment Advance payment means a payment that a Federal awarding agency or passthrough entity makes by any appropriate payment mechanism, including a predetermined payment schedule, before the non-Federal entity disburses the funds for program purposes.
Allocation Allocation means the process of assigning a cost, or a group of costs, to one or more cost objective(s), in reasonable proportion to the benefit provided or other equitable relationship. The process may entail assigning a cost(s) directly to a final cost objective or through one or more intermediate cost objectives.
Allocability Allocability means the principle which requires that an expense or service charged must directly benefit and be necessary for the performance of the project; when multiple projects are benefited reasonable proportions must be able to be assigned. See 2 CFR 200.405.
Allowable cost Allowable cost means a cost incurred by a recipient that is: (1) reasonable for the performance of the award; (2) allocable; (3) in conformance with any limitations or exclusions set forth in the Federal cost principles applicable to the organization incurring the cost or in the award documents as to the type or amount of cost; (4) consistent with regulations, policies, and procedures of the recipient that are applied uniformly to both federally supported and other activities of the organization; (5) accorded consistent treatment as a direct or indirect cost; (6) determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; and (7) not included as a cost in any other federally supported award (unless specifically authorized by statute). See 2 CFR 200.403.
Application Application means a request for financial support of a project or activity submitted to DOE on specified forms and in accordance with DOE instructions. Also known as a proposal.
Appropriation Act Appropriation act means the statute that provides the authority for Federal agencies to incur obligations to and make payments out of the U.S. treasury for specified purposes.
Approved budget The approved budget for the Federal award summarizes the financial aspects of the project or program as approved during the Federal award process. It may include either the Federal and non-Federal share or only the Federal share, depending upon Federal awarding agency requirements. It must be related to performance for program evaluation purposes whenever appropriate. See 2 CFR 200.308(a).
Assurance Assurance means a certification by an applicant, normally included with the application or State plan, indicating that the entity is in compliance with, or that it will abide by, a particular requirement if awarded a Federal grant.
Authorized organizational representative
Authorized organizational representative means the individual, named by the applicant organization, who is authorized to act for the applicant and to assume the obligations imposed by the Federal laws, regulations, requirements, and conditions that apply to grant applications or grant awards.
Award Award means the provision of funds by DOE, based on an approved application and budget or progress report, to an organizational entity or an individual to carry out a project or activity.
Award documents Award documents means the entirety of the documents describing the legal relationship between DOE and an awardee or recipient. The award documents include an Assistance Agreement and other documents which may be incorporated by reference or as attachments to the Assistance Agreement. The award documents are the official, legally binding document, signed (or the electronic equivalent of signature) by a contracting officer that:
- notifies the recipient of the award of a grant;
- contains or references all the terms and conditions of the grant and Federal funding limits and obligations; and,
- provides the documentary basis for recording the obligation of Federal funds in the DOE accounting system.
Bayh-Dole Act Bayh-Doyle Act means a law which encourages universities and researchers to develop their inventions into marketable products; formal citation is Section 6 of the Patent and Trademark Amendment of 1980, Pub. L 96-517 as amended.
Budget Budget means the financial plan for the project or program that the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity approves during the Federal award process or in subsequent amendments to the Federal award. It may include the Federal and non-Federal share or only the Federal share, as determined by the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity.
Budget period Budget period means the intervals of time (usually 12 months each) into which a project period is divided for budgetary and funding purposes.
Business officer Business officer means the financial official of the grantee who has primary fiscal responsibility for the grant. Also known as authorized organizational representative.
Capital assets Capital assets means tangible or intangible assets used in operations having a useful life of more than one year which are capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Capital assets include:
- Land, buildings (facilities), equipment, and intellectual property (including software) whether acquired by purchase, construction, manufacture, lease-purchase, exchange, or through capital leases; and
- Additions, improvements, modifications, replacements, rearrangements, reinstallations, renovations or alterations to capital assets that materially increase their value or useful life (not ordinary repairs and maintenance).
Carryover Carryover means unobligated Federal funds remaining at the end of any budget period that may be carried forward to another budget period to cover allowable costs of that budget period (whether as an offset or additional authorization). Obligated, but unliquidated, funds are not considered carryover.
Change in scope Change in scope means an activity whereby the objectives or specific aims identified in the approved grant application are significantly changed by the grantee after award. Contracting officer prior approval is required for a change in scope to be allowable under an award.
Closeout Closeout means the process by which a Federal awarding agency determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required work under an award have been completed by the grantee and the Federal awarding agency.
Competitive segment Competitive segment means the initial project period recommended for support or each extension of a project period resulting from a renewal award.
Conference (domestic or international)
Conference (domestic or international) means a symposium, seminar, workshop, or any other organized and formal meeting, whether conducted face-to-face or via the Internet, where individuals assemble (or meet virtually) to exchange information and views or explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge, whether or not a published report results from such meeting.
Consortium or sub-award agreement
Consortium or sub-award agreement means a formalized agreement whereby a research project is carried out by the grantee and one or more other organizations that are separate legal entities. Under the agreement, the grantee must perform a substantive role in the conduct of the planned research and not merely serve as a conduit of funds to another party or parties. These agreements typically involve a specific level of effort from the consortium organization’s PD/PI and a categorical breakdown of costs, such as personnel, supplies, and other allowable expenses, including F&A costs. The relationship between the recipient and the collaborating organizations is considered a subaward relationship.
Consultant Consultant means an individual who provides professional advice or services for a fee, but not as an employee of the engaging party. To prevent apparent or actual conflicts of interest, grantees and consultants must establish written guidelines indicating the conditions of payment of consulting fees. Consultants also include firms that provide professional advice or services. See 2 CFR 200.459.
Continuation application/award
Continuation application/award means a financial assistance request (in the form of an application or progress report) or resulting award for a subsequent budget period within a previously approved project period for which a recipient does not have to compete with other applicants.
Contract Contract means a legal instrument by which a non-Federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award. The term as used in this part does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-Federal entity considers it a contract, when the substance of the
transaction meets the definition of a Federal award or sub-award (see 2 CFR 200.1 Subaward).
Contractor Contractor means an entity that receives a contract as defined in 2 CFR 200.1 Contract.
Contracting (or Grants Management) officer
Contracting (or Grants Management) officer means a DOE official responsible for the business management aspects of grants and cooperative agreements, including review, negotiation, award, and administration, and for the interpretation of grants administration policies and provisions. COs and GMOs are delegated the authority to obligate DOE to the expenditure of funds and permit changes to approved projects on behalf of DOE.
Contract (or Grants Management) specialist
Contract (or Grants Management) specialist means a DOE staff member who works with a contract or grants management officer and is assigned the day-today management of a portfolio of grants and/or cooperative agreements. These activities include, but are not limited to, evaluating grant applications for administrative content and compliance with statutes, regulations, and guidelines; negotiating grants; providing consultation and technical assistance to grantees; and administering grants after award.
Cooperative agreement Cooperative agreement means a type of financial assistance used when there will be substantial Federal scientific or programmatic involvement. Substantial involvement means that, after award, scientific or program staff will assist, guide, coordinate, or participate in project activities.
Cost principles Cost principles means the government-wide principles, 2 CFR 200 Subpart E (or, in the case of commercial organizations, the Federal Acquisition
Regulation [48 CFR 31], or, in the case of hospitals, see Appendix IX to Part 200—Hospital Cost Principles, Appendix E, “Principles For Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts with Hospitals”), on allowability and unallowability of costs under federally sponsored agreements.
Cost sharing or matching Cost sharing or matching means the portion of project costs not paid by Federal funds (unless otherwise authorized by Federal statute). See also 2 CFR 200.306 Cost sharing or matching.
Deadline Deadline means the published date and/or time that a grant application is to be submitted to the funding agency.
Debarment and suspension Debarment and suspension means the actions taken by a debarring official in accordance with OMB guidance at 2 CFR 180, “Non-procurement Debarment and Suspension,” to exclude a person or organization from participating in grants and other non-procurement awards government-wide. If debarred or suspended, the person or organization may not receive financial assistance (under a grant, cooperative agreement, or sub-award, or contract under a grant) for a specified period of time. Debarments and suspensions carried out
pursuant to 2 CFR 376 are distinct from post-award suspension action by an awarding agency. See 2 CFR 901 for DOE implementation.
Direct costs Direct costs means costs that can be identified specifically with a particular sponsored project, an instructional activity, or any other institutional activity, or that can be directly assigned to such activities relatively easily with a high degree of accuracy. See 2 CFR 200.413.
Disallowed costs Disallowed costs means those charges to a Federal award that the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity determines to be unallowable, in accordance with the applicable Federal statutes, regulations, or the terms and
conditions of the Federal award.
Domestic organization Domestic organization means a public (including a State or other governmental agency) or private non-profit or for-profit organization that is
located in the United States or its territories, is subject to U.S. laws, and assumes legal and financial accountability for awarded funds and for the performance of the grant-supported activities.
DUNS number DUNS number means a nine-digit number established and assigned by Dun and Bradstreet to uniquely identify a business entity.
Effort Effort means the amount of time, usually expressed as a percentage of the total, which a faculty member or other employee spends on a sponsored project. No one is allowed to spend more than 100% total commitment on all academic activities, including grant-sponsored research, university-sponsored research, teaching, administration, advising and other contracted duties. Effort is indicated on the budget in units of person-months.
Equipment Equipment means tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the non-Federal entity for financial statement purposes, or $5,000. See also 2 CFR 200.1 Capital assets, Computing devices, General purpose equipment, Information technology systems, Special purpose equipment, and Supplies.
Expanded authorities Expanded authorities means authorization to grantees under certain research grant mechanisms which waives the requirement for prior agency approval for specified actions related to awards. Example: 90-day pre-award spending authority, no cost extensions for up to one additional year, and automatic carryover of unobligated funds from one budget period to the next. The
expanded authorities are now contained in the standard terms and conditions for most research grants.
Expiration date Expiration date means generally, the date signifying the end of the current project period, after which the grantee is not authorized to obligate grant funds.
Facilities and administrative costs
Facilities and administrative costs means costs that are incurred by a grantee for common or joint objectives and that, therefore, cannot be identified specifically with a particular project or program. These costs also are known as indirect costs.
Federal financial report Federal financial report means submitted on Standard Form (SF) 425, to indicate the status of awarded funds for the period covered. Frequency of reporting is specified in the Reporting Checklist provided as part of the award documents.
Financial assistance Financial assistance means transfer by DOE of money or property to an eligible entity to support or stimulate a public purpose authorized by statute.
Financial status report Financial status report means see Federal Financial Report.
Foreign travel Foreign travel is meant to include travel outside of North America (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) and U.S. territories and possessions (Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands. A trip is considered foreign travel for all legs of the itinerary if the traveler does not return to his or her post prior to departure for a foreign destination. Costs for foreign travel may be restricted by the language of a Funding Opportunity Announcement.
Funding opportunity announcement (FOA)
Funding opportunity announcement (FOA) means A publicly available document by which a Federal Agency makes known its intentions to award discretionary grants or cooperative agreements, usually as a result of competition for funds. Funding opportunity announcements may be known as program announcements, requests for applications, notices of funding availability, solicitations, or other names depending on the Agency and type of program. Funding opportunity announcements can be found at www.Grants.gov. An FOA may also be known as a solicitation.
Grant agreement Grant agreement means a legal instrument of financial assistance between a Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and a non-Federal entity that, consistent with 31 USC 6302, 6304:
- Is used to enter into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer anything of value from the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity to the non-Federal entity to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of the United States (see 31 USC 6101(3)); and not to acquire property or services for the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity’s direct benefit or use;
- Is distinguished from a cooperative agreement in that it does not provide for substantial involvement between the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and the non-Federal entity in carrying out the activity contemplated by the Federal award.
- Does not include an agreement that provides only:
(1) Direct United States Government cash assistance to an individual; (2) A subsidy;
(3) A loan;
(4) A loan guarantee; or
(5) Insurance.
Grant-supported project or activity
Grant-supported project or activity means those activities specified or described in a grant application or in a subsequent submission that are approved by DOE for funding, regardless of whether Federal funding constitutes all or only a portion of the financial support necessary to carry them out.
Grantee Grantee means the organization or individual awarded a grant or cooperative agreement by DOE that is responsible and accountable for the use of the funds provided and for the performance of the grant-supported project or activity.
The grantee is the entire legal entity even if a particular component is designated in award documents. The grantee is legally responsible and accountable to DOE for the performance and financial aspects of the grant supported project or activity. Also known as awardee or recipient.
Grants.gov Grants.gov (https://www.Grants.gov/) has been designated by the Office of Management and Budget as the single access point for all grant programs offered by 26 Federal grant-making agencies. It provides a single interface for agencies to announce their grant opportunities and for all applicants to find and apply for those opportunities.
Indirect costs (facilities & administrative)
Indirect (F&A) costs means those costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. To facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost objectives served, it may be necessary to establish a number of pools of indirect (F&A) costs. Indirect (F&A) cost pools must be distributed to benefitted cost objectives on bases that will produce an equitable result in consideration of relative benefits derived.
Institutional base salary Institutional base salary means the annual compensation paid by an organization for an employee’s appointment, whether that individual’s time is spent on research, teaching, patient care, or other activities. Base salary excludes any income that an individual may be permitted to earn outside of duties for the applicant/grantee organization. Base salary may not be increased as a result of replacing organizational salary funds with grant funds.
Matching or cost sharing Matching or cost sharing means the value of third-party in-kind contributions and the portion of the costs of a federally assisted project or program not borne by the Federal government. Matching or cost sharing may be required by statute or program regulation. Costs used to satisfy matching or cost-sharing requirements are subject to the same policies governing allowability as other costs under the approved budget.
Merit (or peer) review Merit (or peer) review means the process that involves the consistent application of standards and procedures that produce fair, equitable, and objective examinations of applications based on an evaluation of scientific or technical merit or other relevant aspects of the application. The review is performed by experts (reviewers) in the field of endeavor for which support is requested. Merit review is intended to provide guidance and to the DOE individuals responsible for making award decisions.
Monitoring Monitoring means a process whereby the programmatic and business management performance aspects of a grant are assessed by reviewing information gathered from various required reports, audits, site visits, and other sources.
NEPA NEPA means the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Public Law 91-190, as amended. NEPA requires Federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of proposed major Federal actions prior to making decisions.
No-cost extension No-cost extension means an extension of time to a project period and/or budget period to complete the work of the grant under that period, without additional Federal funds or competition.
Non-Federal share Non-Federal share means when cost sharing or matching is required as a condition of an award, the portion of allowable project/program costs not borne by the Federal government.
Obligations Obligations when used in connection with a non-Federal entity’s utilization of funds under a Federal award, obligations means orders placed for property and services, contracts and sub-awards made, and similar transactions during a given period that require payment by the non-Federal entity during the same or a future period.
OMB circulars OMB circulars means government-wide guidance issued to Heads of Federal agencies by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Other significant contributors Other significant contributors means individuals who have committed to contribute to the scientific development or execution of the project, but are not committing any specified measurable effort (i.e., person months) to the project.
These individuals are typically presented at “effort of zero person months” or “as needed.” Individuals with measurable effort may not be listed as Other Significant Contributors (OSCs). Consultants should be included if they meet this definition.
Program participant Program participants are the recipients of service or training provided at a workshop, conference, seminar, symposium or other short-term instructional or information-sharing activity funded by an external grant or award, or the training beneficiaries of the project or program funded by an external grant or award. A participant is not involved in providing any deliverable to the grantee or a third party or would not be terminated or replaced for failure to perform.
Participant support costs Participant support costs means direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences, or training projects.
Person months Person months is the metric for expressing the effort (amount of time) PD/PI(s), faculty and other senior/key personnel devote to a specific project.
The effort is based on the type of appointment of the individual with the organization; e.g., calendar year, academic year, and/or summer term; and the organization’s definition of such. For instance, some institutions define the academic year as a 9-month appointment while others define it as a 10-month appointment.
Pre-application or preproposal
Pre-application or pre-proposal means a brief outline or narrative of proposed work and sometimes budget, for informal review by a sponsor to determine whether an application should be submitted. Three predominant reasons for requiring submission of a preliminary pre-application are:
- Reduce the applicant’s unnecessary effort in proposal preparation when the chance of success is very small. This is particularly true of exploratory initiatives where the community senses that a major new direction is being identified, or competitions that will result in a small number of actual awards.
- Increase the overall quality of the submission.
- Distill the number of applications that will be submitted to the agency and the number of anticipated reviewers needed to review.
Pre-award costs Pre-award costs means any cost incurred prior to the beginning date of the project period or the initial budget period of a competitive segment (under a multi-year award), in anticipation of the award and at the applicant’s own risk, for otherwise allowable costs.
Prior approval Prior approval means written approval from the designated contracting officer.
Program Director/ Principal Investigator
Program Director/ Principal Investigator means the individual(s) designated by the applicant organization to have the appropriate level of authority and responsibility to direct the project or program to be supported by the award.
The applicant organization may designate multiple individuals as program directors/principal investigators (PD/PIs) who share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. When multiple PD/PIs are named, each is responsible and accountable to the applicant organization, or as appropriate, to a collaborating organization for the proper conduct of the project or program including the submission of all required reports. The presence of more than one PD/PI on an application or award diminishes neither the responsibility nor the accountability of any individual PD/PI.
Program income Program income means gross income earned by the non-Federal entity that is directly generated by a supported activity or earned as a result of the Federal award during the period of performance except as provided in 2 CFR 200.307 paragraph (f). (See 2 CFR 200.1 Period of performance.) Program income includes but is not limited to income from fees for services performed, the use or rental or real or personal property acquired under Federal awards, the sale of commodities or items fabricated under a Federal award, license fees and royalties on patents and copyrights, and principal and interest on loans made with Federal award funds. Interest earned on advances of Federal funds is not program income. Except as otherwise provided in Federal statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of the Federal award, program income does not include rebates, credits, discounts, and interest earned on any of them. See also 2 CFR 200.407 Prior written approval (prior approval). See also 35 USC 200- 212 “Disposition of Rights in Educational Awards” for inventions made under Federal awards.
Program Manager Program Manager means the DOE official responsible for the programmatic, scientific, and/or technical aspects of a grant. The same role is filled by Program Directors, Program Officers, or Project Directors at other Federal agencies.
Progress report Progress report means periodic, frequently annual, report submitted by the grantee and used by DOE to assess progress and to determine whether to provide funding for the budget period subsequent to that covered by the report.
Project/performance site Project/ performance site means location(s) of where the work described in the research plan will be conducted.
Project period Project period means the total time for which Federal support of a project has been programmatically approved as shown in the award documents; however, it does not constitute a commitment by the Federal government to fund the entire period. The total award period comprises the initial competitive segment, any subsequent competitive segments resulting from a renewal award(s), and extensions.
Proposal See application.
Re-budgeting Re-budgeting means reallocation of funds available for spending between approved budget categories to allow best use of funds to accomplish the project goals.
Recipient Recipient means the organizational entity or individual receiving a grant or cooperative agreement.
Renewal application Renewal application means an application requesting additional funding for a period subsequent to that provided by a current award. Renewal applications compete for funds with all other peer reviewed applications and must be developed as fully as though the applicant is applying for the first time.
Research Research is defined as a systematic study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge or understanding of the subject studied. See 2 CFR 200.1 Research and Development (R&D).
Research misconduct Research misconduct means fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results, but does not include honest error or differences of opinion. See 10 CFR 733.
SAM.gov SAM.gov is the System for Award Management (SAM) a consolidated service that includes Entity Registration, Assistance Listings, and other services for making, managing, and receiving Federal awards.
Scope of work Scope of work means the aims, objectives, and purposes of a grant; as well as the methodology, approach, analyses or other activities; and the tools, technologies, and timeframes needed to meet the grant’s objectives. This includes the research or training plan included with the original grant application, along with any approved modifications.
Senior/Key Personnel Senior/Key personnel means the PD/PI and other individuals who contribute to the scientific development or execution of a project in a substantive, measurable way, whether or not they receive salaries or compensation under the grant. Typically, these individuals have doctoral or other professional degrees, although individuals at the masters or baccalaureate level may be considered senior/key personnel if their involvement meets this definition.
Consultants and those with a postdoctoral role also may be considered senior/key personnel if they meet this definition. “Zero percent” effort or “as needed” is not an acceptable level of involvement for Senior/Key Personnel.
Significant re-budgeting Significant re-budgeting means a threshold that is reached when expenditures in a single direct cost budget category deviate (increase or decrease) from the categorical commitment level established for the budget period by more than 25 percent of the total costs awarded. Significant re-budgeting is one indicator of change in scope.
Small business concern Small business concern means a business that meets the regulatory and size requirements established by the SBA at 13 CFR part 121.
Solicitation See Funding Opportunity Announcement.
Subaward Subaward means a legal instrument by which a recipient provides funds (or property in lieu of funds) to an eligible subrecipient (or a lower-tier transaction) to perform a substantive portion of the grant-supported program or project. The term includes such financial assistance when provided by any legal agreement (even if the agreement is called a contract) but does not include any form of assistance which is excluded from the definition of a grant, including the recipient’s procurement of property or services needed to carry out the project or program. The term includes consortium agreements.
Subrecipient Subrecipient means a non-Federal entity that receives a subaward from a passthrough entity to carry out part of a Federal program; but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such program. A sub-recipient may also be a recipient of other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency.
Supplement Supplement means a request for an increase in support during a current budget period for expansion of the project’s scope or to meet increased costs unforeseen at the time of the new or renewal application. A supplement may increase support for future years in addition to the current year. Supplements require applications and are subject to administrative and merit review.
Terms and conditions of award
Terms and conditions of award means all legal requirements imposed on a grant by DOE, whether based on statute, regulation, policy, or other document referenced in the grant award, or specified by the grant award document itself.
The award documents may include both standard and special conditions that are considered necessary to attain the grant’s objectives, facilitate post-award administration of the grant, conserve grant funds, or otherwise protect the Federal government’s interests.
Unallowable costs Unallowable costs means costs that cannot be charged, directly or indirectly, to Federal awards because the costs are prohibited by law, regulation (including applicable cost principles), or the terms and conditions of award.
Costs that are not allowable, allocable, or reasonable are unallowable.
Unliquidated obligation Unliquidated obligations means, for financial reports prepared on a cash basis, obligations incurred by the non-Federal entity that have not been paid (liquidated). For reports prepared on an accrual expenditure basis, these are obligations incurred by the non-Federal entity for which an expenditure has not been recorded.
Unobligated balance Unobligated balance means the amount of funds under a Federal award that the non-Federal entity has not obligated. The amount is computed by subtracting the cumulative amount of the non-Federal entity’s unliquidated obligations and expenditures of funds under the Federal award from the cumulative amount of the funds that the Federal awarding agency or passthrough entity authorized the non-Federal entity to obligate.
Validate In the context of the data management plan requirements, validate means to support, corroborate, verify, or otherwise determine the legitimacy of the research findings. Validation of research findings could be accomplished by reproducing the original experiment or analyses, comparing and contrasting the results against those of a new experiment or analyses, or by some other means.
Source
Deparment of Energy (DOE). (2021). Glossary and Acronyms. Energy.Gov. https://www.energy.gov/ia/international-energy-commitments-iec/glossary-and-acronyms