No Cost Extension (NCE) Request

Sponsored projects often benefit from an extension period when progress is delayed or additional scope remains, as the project end date approaches. In research administration, we commonly refer to this as a No-Cost Extension (NCE). NCEs are the most common “prior approval request” that award recipients can request and sponsors can grant. Required information is required across sponsors to complete this request, so OSP created an NCE Request in Kuali Build as a clear communication resource to streamline the process. The eRA Team at OSP built and collaborated on our NCE tool in collaboration with colleges, departments, units, and OSP representatives.

All sponsors need to know how much additional time is requested and for what purpose – which this form covers:

• The new requested end date is necessary. Federal Sponsors will not extend beyond 12 months, but Non-Federal sponsors may vary. Check your award agreement for the allowability and restrictions of a No-Cost Extension.
• The justification is key to stating the reason for the request, such as what impacted the timeline and why more time is necessary. No Cost Extensions are not approved for the purpose of “spending out funds”.
• Some sponsors request an unallocated funds amount, which is the estimated amount of remaining funds at the current award end date. So, you may have to project the next few months’ expenses, e.g., salary, fringe, etc., to reach this estimate.
• The “planned” use of unallocated funds brings all the above together by describing how funds support the extension period.

Check out the OSP Quick Clip on Requesting a No-Cost Extension on the OSP Training page.

Using the NCE Request form can increase efficiency and clarity by capturing the required fields early on and eliminating back-and-forth email communication. Access to the form is available on the OSP website Forms page.

Updated June 10, 2025