Common EPA Grant Related Terms, Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Definitions

 To help both new applicants and seasoned recipients, EPA has provided a listing of common acronyms and abbreviations as well as definitions used in the grants community. This list is not exhaustive, and we recommend entities who may have questions on other grants related terms visit the Grants.gov terminology webpage as well as the listing of definitions and terms on the 2 CFR 200 Definitions webpage.

On this page:

• Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Common Terms and Definitions

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Common Terms and Definitions

This section defines select key terms that are relevant to grant management at EPA. This list of definitions is not exhaustive, and additional definitions can be found in Title 2 of the U. S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200 (2 CFR 200), Definitions as well as visiting Grants.Gov’ s Grant Terminology webpage.

Allowable Costs: Expenses that are allowable, allocable, and reasonable by the EPA to achieve project goals

Amendment: Any document used to effect modifications to grants and cooperative agreements. Amendments include, but are not limited to, extensions, supplements, augmentations, and administrative corrections. 

Applicant: An applicant is any entity that submits to EPA a proposal for a grant or cooperative agreement. 

Application: A formal request submitted to EPA in response to a federal notice of funding opportunity. 

Award: An “award” or “Federal award” is defined as the federal financial assistance, meaning grant or cooperative agreement, that a recipient receives directly from EPA or indirectly as a subrecipient 

Budget Narrative: Documentation provided by the entity that outlines the justification for all proposed project costs by (personnel, fringe, travel, equipment, supplies, and indirect costs) and linking them directly to project goals 

Closeout: The Process by which the Federal agency or pass-through entity determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required work of the Federal award have been completed and takes actions as described in 2 CFR 200.344. 

Contract: Defined as a legal instrument by which a grant or cooperative agreement recipient or subrecipient conducts a procurement transaction under a federal award. Characteristics indicative of a procurement relationship between a grant or cooperative agreement recipient and a contractor are present when the contractor: 

• Provides the goods and services within its normal business operations;
• Provides similar goods or services to many different purchasers; 
• Provides goods or services that are ancillary to the operation of the federal program;

Cooperative Agreement: A legal instrument of financial assistance between a federal agency and a recipient or between a pass-through entity and a subrecipient, which provides substantial involvement from the Federal agency in carrying out the activities within the Federal award. 

Cost Sharing: The portion of project or program costs not paid by federal funds or contributions (unless authorized by federal statute). This term includes matching, which refers to required levels of cost share that must be provided. 

Direct Costs: Expenses that can be easily and specifically traced with a particular project or activity within the federal award such as salaries, project-specific materials, travel, and specialized equipment

Draw Down: A commonly used term for requests by recipients for EPA payments under 2 CFR 200.305 to cover incurred eligible and allowable costs.

Federal Award Date: Federal award date means the date when the authorized official of EPA signed (physically or digitally) the Federal award. 

Federal Financial Assistance: Assistance that recipients or subrecipients receive or administer in the form of grants; cooperative agreements; non-cash contributions or donations of property; direct appropriations; food commodities; and other financial assistance as defined in 2 CFR 200.1. 

Fringe Benefits: Defined as allowances and services employers provide to their employees as compensation in addition to regular salaries and wages, which can include but are not limited to, the costs of leave, employee insurance, pensions, and unemployment benefits

Grant: A legal instrument of financial assistance between a federal agency and a recipient or between a pass-through entity and a subrecipient, with the principal purpose of which is to transfer anything of value to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of the United States. 

Grant Specialist: Plans oversight reviews and activities of recipient’s management of assistance agreements which includes providing administrative support.   

Indirect Costs: 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. 

Micro-Purchase: An individual procurement transaction for supplies or services, the aggregate amount of which does not exceed the micro-purchase threshold. 

Modified Total Direct Cost: All direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $50,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). This does exclude equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs, and the portions of each subaward in excess of $50,000.

Notice of Funding Opportunity: The formal announcement of the availability of Federal funding through a financial assistance program from a Federal agency. 

Pass-Through-Entity: A recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward to a subrecipient (including lower tier subrecipients) to carry out part of a Federal program. 

Period of Performance: The time interval between the start and end date of a Federal award, which may include one or more budget periods. 

Prior Approval: The written approval obtained in advance by an authorized official of a Federal agency or pass-through entity of certain costs or programmatic decisions. 

Project Officer: An EPA official who monitors all activities and the recipient’s progress on the project; reviews progress reports to ensure the recipient is performing the work as agreed and approved in the application; provides technical assistance to the recipient; responds to questions or concerns raised by the Grant Specialist (GS), serves as the focal point for programmatic and technical issues; ensures completion of EPA’s programmatic Terms and Conditions if supported as a cooperative agreement; and maintains all documentation. 

Recipient: An entity that receives a Federal award directly from a Federal agency to carry out an activity under a Federal program. This does not include subrecipients or individuals that are participants or beneficiaries of the award. 

Performance Report: A summary of accomplishment and challenges during a reporting period. 

Subrecipient: An entity that receives a subaward from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a Federal award. 

Terms and Conditions: When the recipient receives the grant agreement it becomes a legally binding document outlining the requirements of the grant through Terms and Conditions (T&Cs). Grant recipients are responsible for complying with these T&Cs. EPA has three sets of T&Cs which include General, Administrative, and Programmatic