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The University of Texas at Arlington Office of Research and Office of Accounting and Business Services Brown Bag Training Session Four: Gifts versus Grants. Gifts vs. Sponsored Projects: Overview. Gifts vs. Sponsored Projects Definitions Sponsored Project Indicators Gift Indicators
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The University of Texas at Arlington Office of Research and Office of Accounting and Business Services Brown Bag Training Session Four: Gifts versus Grants
Gifts vs. Sponsored Projects: Overview • Gifts vs. Sponsored Projects Definitions • Sponsored Project Indicators • Gift Indicators • Research Gifts • Account Management
Gifts vs. Sponsored Projects: Definitions • A sponsored project (grant, contract, cooperative agreement) is: • Externally funded activity with a statement of work or set of objectives that provides a basis for sponsor expectations • Enforceable by law • Subject to revocation for cause • A sponsor and recipient exchange of items that have economic value (including knowledge, IP)
Gifts vs. Sponsored Projects: Definitions • A gift or donation is: • A voluntary and irrevocable transfer of money, services or property (e.g., equipment, personnel time and skill, etc.) • Without any expectation of or receipt of goods or services from the recipient • Without performance requirements either written or oral
Gifts vs. Sponsored Projects: • Gifts are handled through the Office of Development (30-accounts) • Grants are handled through the Office of Research (26-accounts) • Any gift determined to be a sponsored project will need to follow the policies and procedures of the Office of Research and the UT System Regents Rules and Regulations
Sponsored Project Indicators: Sponsor • Determined a sponsored project if the sponsor: • Is a government entity (Federal, State, or Local) or includes governmental flow-thru funds • Awarded funds through a competitive bid process or in answer to an RFP (Request for Proposal) • Requires the signature of an authorized University Official and/or the PI • Issued a contract, cooperative agreement, consortium agreement, subgrant, subcontract, or purchase order • Identifies or assigns a technical monitor • Funds a project for a specific scope of work, product, service or other deliverable
Sponsored Project Indicators: Terms and Conditions • Determined a sponsored project if the Terms and Conditions: • Impose publication restrictions • Require conveyance of rights to tangible (equipment) or intangible property • Require an audit of facilities or other University resources • Stipulate compliance with federal or state regulations, unallowable costs, subcontracting, insurance, warranties, indemnification, proprietary or confidential information, modifications, terminations, penalties, or applicable law
Sponsored Project Indicators: Financial Restrictions • Determined a sponsored project if financial restrictions include: • How funds are to be used or include a line item budget • A start or end date on the use of funds • Facilities and Administration Costs (Indirect) • The return of unexpended funds for any reason • Invoicing or detailed financial reports • Funding based on cost reimbursement contingent upon programmatic and fiscal reporting
Sponsored Project Indicators: Special or Other Considerations • The following issues also require special consideration in determining external funding as either a gift or sponsored project: • Funds used as matching or cost sharing towards a sponsored project • Funds for activity involving humans subjects, animals, radiation hazards, biohazards or R-DNA • The PI has a potential financial conflict of interest with the sponsor • Funds are used to generate program income for a sponsored project
Gift Indicators: • Gifts may require minimal reporting to the sponsor in the form of a general statement of how funds are used • Gifts may be limited towards general use in a specific department, lab, or research area • Gifts may include: endowments, construction projects (renovation or equipment), or general student financial assistance (fellowships or scholarships) • External funds may be determined to be a gift if there are no sponsored project indicators
Research Gifts: Overview • During FY 02, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) issued a memorandum on reporting research expenditures among Texas Public Universities • The memorandum defined “research” and established standards for reporting research expenditures • The total amount of research expenditures our University has in a fiscal year partially effects funding allocations our University Receives from the Texas Legislature in the following fiscal year • It is imperative our University properly classifies research expenditures
Research Gifts: Procedure • The Offices of Research (OR), Development (OD) and Accounting and Business Services (OABS) developed a procedure to properly classify research gifts in accordance with the accounting standards in the THECB memorandum • Research Gift Procedure: • Any gifts that may be for research, OD sends to OR for review and deposits the check into a holding account • If OR determines to be research, OR sends the PI a Research Gift Certification Statement • If OR does not determine to be research, OD follows normal procedure • If the PI signs the certification statement, OABS creates a research gift account and transfers the deposit into the research gift account
Research Gifts: Requirements • Cash Gifts designated for “research” or utilized for research purposes, may be classified/coded as Research Expenditures if they meet the following requirements: • Over 50% of expenditures will be for “research” as defined by the THECB memorandum • The PI, or authorizer of the account signs a Research Gift Account Certification Statement (attached)
Research Gifts: Other Key Points • Gifts determined to be Research: • Are still GIFTS, not Grants • Are NOT managed by the Office of Research • The office of Research only assists the PI in the research determination for completion of the Research Certification Statement • Are NOT subject to F&A (indirect) costs • Research Gift Accounts only exist in order to properly classify the University’s research expenditures in accordance with the THECB memorandum
Account Management: Overview • Grant Accounts (26-Accounts) • Research Gift Accounts (30-7XXX-XX) • Gift Accounts (30-account)
Account Management: Grant Account (26-accounts) • Supported by the Office of Research • Managed using award criteria and related regulations • Will have definite beginning and ending dates • Funds MAY NOT be comingled
Account Management: Research Gift Account (30-7XXX-XX) • Initiated through the Office of Research • Supported by the Office of Accounting and Business Services • Requires a Research Gift Account Certification Statement • Managed using University Policies and Procedures • Must comply with donor intent • May include many deposits from multiple donors as long as they are for research
Account Management: Gift Account (30-account) • Supported by the Office of Accounting and Business Services • Managed using University Policies and Procedures • Must comply with donor intent • Deposits made to general gift funds may be made to the same account, as long as there is a similar purpose
Brown Bag Training Session Five • Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) • Thursday February 27th, 2003