At our institution, most balances on cost-reimbursable contracts are returned.
However, we do have a few contracts with corporate sponsors that have come in on
projects associated with our Dept of Energy cooperative agreement.  In those
contracts we have a clause that says any balance will be used to further the
long-term goals of the work, with permission from the sponsor.  Then we call
them and get their permission.  I don't recall any threshold mentioned.  For the
most part, these are clients that we have had a long-term relationship with.

***************************************************
Sally Eckert-Tilotta, PhD, Assistant to the Director
Office of Research and Program Development
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND  58202
email:  xxxxxx@mail.und.nodak.edu
tel:  701-777-2049
fax: 701-777-2504

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