Notices of Award are produced in one of two ways: (1) negative confirmation—signature is not required; or (2) positive confirmation—signature is required.
When negative confirmation is acceptable, the “no signature needed” statement will be included with a reminder that the expenditure of funds signifies acceptance of the terms and conditions.
When positive confirmation is required, the “signature required” statement will be included on the Notice of Award. It signals both the investigator and the administrative officer to carefully review the terms and conditions of the award and to sign and return the Notice of Award to the RAS contract officer.
RAS contract administrators determine whether the acceptance of award terms and conditions requires positive or negative confirmation. Generally, unilateral assistance awards from the federal government with standard terms follow the negative confirmation process, while the introduction of non-standard terms in an award generally requires positive confirmation.