No-Cost Extensions

Federal regulations provide a set of criteria for approving a one-time extension of the expiration date of a federal award for up to twelve months.

The extension may be issued unless one or more of the following conditions apply:

  • The terms and conditions of the award prohibit the extension.
  • The extension requires additional federal funds.
  • The extension involves any change in the approved objectives or scope of the project.

Agencies must approve a no-cost extension longer than twelve months. If the University approves a request for an extension of less than twelve months and the principal investigator subsequently wishes to lengthen that time period to a total of twelve months or longer, agency approval must be sought.

Procedures for Obtaining a No-cost Extension


The Letter of Request: The principal investigator must prepare a letter describing the need for an additional period of time to complete the project objectives. The letter must address programmatic issues and may describe justifiable delays, such as the loss of a skilled technician. The fact that there may be money remaining in the project's account is not sufficient reason for an extension. If the sponsor approval must be sought, the letter should be addressed to the grants officer but sent first to our Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs for an authorizing signature.

The Timing of the Request:
If sponsor approval must be sought, and if the sponsor is a federal agency, requests to extend a project period must be received by the agency at least 10 days before the expiration date of the grant, unless otherwise specified.