Progress Reports and Final Reports

The Narrative Report explains the work accomplished during the previous period or over the course of the entire grant. Each funder has its own requirements regarding the format for the Narrative Report. However, the MN Common Report Form, which is accepted by a number of local funding agencies, provides some general guidelines that can help you craft your narrative report:

Briefly outline the original goals and objectives of the project as stated in your proposal, then explain how you have met these goals and objectives. Then consider the following questions:

• What progress have you made toward your original goals and objectives?
• What activities led to meeting these goals and objectives?
• If applicable, describe the population served or community reached during the grant period. Use numbers and demographics such as race/ethnicity, gender or geographic location.
• Were there any unanticipated results, either positive or negative?
• What did you learn because of this grant?
• Will you make any changes based on these results?
• What are your future plans for sustaining this program or project?
• Are there any other important outcomes as a result of this grant?
• Do you have any plans to share your results or findings? How?

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will work with the Business Office to generate official Financial Reports to submit to the funding agency. Before these are submitted, the Principal Investigator should review the reports against his/her own records and check for any discrepancies.


Remember that the Principal Investigator is responsible for making sure grant money is being spent in a timely and appropriate manner and in accordance with the approved budget. Any proposed changes in the use of funds must be brought to the immediate attention of ORSP and, depending on the nature of the proposed change, may need to be approved by the funding agency prior to implementation. Do not wait until the progress report is due to assess whether you are on track! Keep a copy of the Approved Budget in your files and compare it with your actual expenses to make sure you are on target! In addition, a spreadsheet tracking grant expenses and St. Kate's cost share on a grant (if required) will need to be reconciled with the Business office on a quarterly basis.


Many funding agencies require additional forms to be submitted along with the Progress and Final Reports. Review the Notice of Award carefully to determine whether there are any special reporting requirements.
The timeline for submitting reports varies for each grant, with some funders requiring frequent reporting and others requiring only an annual report. The Principal Investigator should receive information regarding reporting requirements with the Notice of Award. Mark your calendars to allow plenty of time to finalize and submit your report!
In essence, you should start writing your progress report as soon as you receive your Notice of Award! It is helpful to track the work that is being done as you progress, rather than to reconstruct your progress at the end of the grant period. Go back to your proposal, review your stated goals and objectives, and take notes regarding the kinds of information you will need to collect as you work on the grant. Keep all of this information in a file so that you can easily take stock of the progress you have made.

Important information to track or collect might include:

• statistics regarding participants in events or meetings (Keep in mind that depending on the data you collect, you may need to obtain IRB approval!)
• fliers or promotional materials
• notes from meetings
• publications - catalogs, articles, brochures, etc.
• information regarding conferences attended and presentations given
• photos*

* If you take photos of your meetings or events, please submit them to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for possible inclusion in our St. Kate's Research and Grant Showcase. Be sure to collect Photo Release Forms from all those who are included in the photos.