You are here

Direct vs. Prime Sponsor

    • A Direct sponsor is the entity from which U-M directly receives project funding.  All sponsored projects have at least one direct sponsor.
    • A Prime sponsor is the entity with the original source of the project funds, if it's not the Direct sponsor. Often the Prime sponsor is indicated as the "Subcontract" or "SubK" as shown in the example below.
      • Ex: Health and Human Services, Department of-National Institutes of Health-Subcontracts  895800

    Tip: In the eResearch Proposal Management (eRPM) system, there are assigned sponsor codes for U.S. Federal Entities, which differ if Direct or Prime.

    A rule of thumb is to follow the direct sponsor unless there's a prime. With a University, though, follow the Prime.