Normally, both the Grants and Contracts Office and the principal investigator receive official notification of awards. On those occasions where notification is sent only to the principal investigator, s/he should send a copy of the award letter to the Grants Office so that the assignment of a Davidson College grant account number is not delayed. The grants administrator compares the award letter and budget with the original application to insure that the terms and conditions of the award are agreeable to all parties. On occasion the funding agency will request proposal revisions before funds are committed Requests may be as simple as clarifying the project objectives or may require the reallocation, modification or withdrawal of certain budget line items. Careful thought should be given as to whether a project can be completed with the appropriated funds or if budget reductions will necessitate a reduction in the scope of the project. Faculty members lack authority to make financial commitments on behalf of the College and must involve the grants administrator in any negotiations with the funding agency. Verbal agreements regarding revisions should be followed by a written confirmation and signed by the principal investigator and the grants administrator. Davidson Colleges does not permit principal investigators to incur pre-award costs for any externally funded project.