3,500 overdue closeouts. Every one a potential audit finding.
Post-award management is where compliance risk accumulates. Closeouts that don't get done. Effort certifications that don't get signed. Cost transfers that sit in email queues. The Emory case — 3,500 overdue closeouts resolved through RPA and orchestration — is not an outlier. It's what happens when manual processes can't scale with award volume.
3,500+ awards overdue for closeout is common at mid-sized research institutions — each one a potential audit finding
Effort certification reminders are sent manually, tracked in spreadsheets, and frequently missed by faculty
Cost transfer requests require 4–6 manual approvals with no automated routing or documentation trail
Subaward monitoring depends on individual grant managers checking in manually — no systematic oversight
No-cost extension deadlines are tracked in email and calendars, with no automated escalation when action is needed
The Emory model, scaled for your institution.
Overdue closeouts eliminated
Emory reference case via RPA + orchestration
Effort certification completion rate
Without manual follow-up by staff
Cost transfer processing time reduction
Via automated routing and documentation
Subaward compliance rate
With systematic automated monitoring
Six automation modules for the full post-award lifecycle.
Closeout Tracking & Automation
Automated closeout pipeline that identifies awards approaching end date, generates closeout checklists, routes final reports to PIs, and escalates overdue items. The Emory model: RPA + orchestration eliminated 3,500 overdue closeouts.
Huron/CERES · Banner Finance · eRA Commons
Effort Certification Automation
Automated effort certification workflow with tiered reminders at 30/14/7/3/1 days before deadline. Automatic escalation to department chairs when faculty don't certify. Completion tracking dashboard for sponsored programs staff.
Huron · Banner HR · M365
Cost Transfer Workflow
Automated routing for cost transfer requests with built-in justification templates, 90-day rule checking, and approval chain management. Complete audit trail generated automatically for every transfer.
Huron · Banner Finance · Workflow engine
Subaward Monitoring
Automated subaward monitoring that tracks deliverable deadlines, payment milestones, and reporting requirements. Automatic alerts when subawardee reports are overdue. Risk-based monitoring intensity adjustment.
Huron · SAM.gov · Federal Audit Clearinghouse
No-Cost Extension Management
Automated identification of awards eligible for no-cost extension, routing of NCE requests, and tracking of sponsor approval status. Alerts generated when NCE deadlines approach without action.
Huron/CERES · Sponsor portals · M365
Financial Reporting Automation
Automated compilation of financial status reports, budget vs. actual analysis, and sponsor-required financial reports. Data pulled directly from Banner Finance and Huron to eliminate manual spreadsheet compilation.
Huron · Banner Finance · Reporting tools
Related Research Services
Let's clear your closeout backlog.
30 minutes is enough to identify your highest-risk post-award automation opportunity and give you a clear picture of what's possible with your existing Huron and Banner systems.