The Sponsor is the organization with which MIT has a direct agreement and from which MIT receives funding and reporting requirements. When the Sponsor receives its funding from a federal agency or other organization, that funding source is called the Prime Sponsor—such as NSF, NIH, or DOE. In these arrangements, funding, terms, and reporting requirements flow from the Prime Sponsor to the Sponsor and then to MIT as a Subawardee.
Important: Always specify the complete funding structure—both Prime Sponsor and Sponsor—in Kuali Coeus (KC) to ensure correct routing. For instance, if the Sponsor is Industrial and listed in KC proposal, but they are receiving funds from a Prime Sponsor such as a Federal Agency (but not entered in KC proposal), the proposal notifies OSATT to begin negotiating an Industrial Agreement. However, if Prime Sponsor is Federal Agency, it really should notify RAS, who will process award.