In my experience, a sponsored research agreement/grant can have upsides for the faculty member as well as the funder. It provides some assurance to the PI that they will be able to spend the dollars on the project even during periods of uncertainty for the institution. Institutions can (and do) put “holds” on spending from PI gift accounts. These holds can restrict a PI’s ability to make a new hire supported by the gift, for example. It is not so easy to put such “holds” on grant accounts, where there is an agreement that specifies deliverables, like progress reporting, including financial reporting on how the dollars are being spent. If you are funding a project that you and the PI want to complete in a certain amount of time and with a certain budget, a sponsored research agreement can be one way to help the PI achieve that goal.
Cristi
Program Director, Medical Research
Circle of Service Foundation