Department Administrator Session #21

1. Department Administrator Session #21 February 27, 2017

2. Agenda • Project Updates • Delegation of Authority Database • Automate Indirect Costs • Tri-Agency Updates • 50% of Award Amount at end of Project • Research Administration Roles & Responsibilities Document • ECS Changes • Travel Per Diems • Direction for justification • What to do when a researcher leaves the University • GPR Accounts • Invoicing • Use of GP accounts • Bad Debts … how are they treated • March 31st • CARA National • Salary Challenges • Next Session

3. Project Updates – Delegation of Authority • Have you been using the new Delegation of Authority database and how has it been working? • https://apps.admin.uoguelph.ca/

4. Project Updates – Automate Indirect Costs • The Automate Indirect Costs project has been in production since January • Some questions: • Why are indirect costs calculated over the budgeted amount? • Indirect costs are based on the direct costs so if the direct costs are greater than the budgeted amount than the indirect costs will be greater than the budgeted amount. Once the direct costs are adjusted, the indirect costs will correct itself • What happens if RSSA fees are less than the original budget? • If a researcher utilizes less RSSA fees than originally anticipated then the researcher should provide an explanation to RFS that we can attach to the file and the indirect costs will be maxed at the original budget amount.

5. Tri-Agency Update 50% of Award Amount at end of Project • If a Tri-Agency award has spent less than 50% of the total research award then the Tri-Agency will ask for the return of 100% of the funding • The surplus balance is not available to be transferred to the General Research Fund

6. Research Administration Roles & Responsibilities • As a requirement of the Tri-Agencies, we have finalized a document of Roles & Responsibilities for those involved with Research Administration. • This document can be found at the following link: https://www.uoguelph.ca/finance/departments-services/research-finance/university-guelph-roles-and-responsibilities-those-involved • This link is attached to each account set up • This document was approved by all of the College Associate Dean’s of Research

7. Changes with Expense Claim System • Per direction of the Ontario government and the Broader Public Sector, travel per diems are now allowed in Ontario. • As a result, the University of Guelph has modified the ECS system to allow travel per diems • A question was raised about situations when a per diem is not accepted. • I am not aware of any sponsor that has articulated that travel per diems are NOT allowed • Some sponsors (eg. AAFC) are quite specific about travel directive and what constitutes a trip and travel rules apply vs. mileage to a research site. • More direction was provided on the Tri-Agency form to allow the researcher to justify the expense and its connection to the approved research award • This is intended to reduce the questions that RFS need to ask of researchers when completing Tri-Agency financial reports

8. What to do when a researcher leaves the University • Advise Office of Research and RFS that a researcher is leaving. • Is the Researcher going to receive Adjunct or Emeritus status at UofG? • If yes, not too much is required. • If no, then we need to go through portfolio of accounts and act based on the sponsor • For Tri-Agency awards, there is a formal process that Tri-Agency guides us through • A financial report and anticipated commitments will be submitted to Tri-Agency • For Other government awards, we need to work with the Office of Research and communicate with the sponsor to determine if the award will transfer to another researcher at UofG or if the award will end. • For Industry awards, we need to work with the Office of Research and the industry partner to understand if the award will continue to be held at UofG, end at UofG or will it follow the researcher • For GPR accounts, these balances are to be cleared back to the department

9. GPR Accounts • Invoicing from a GPR Account • Funds can be deposited into a research account when the following criteria are met: • The amount is less than $5K • The funding does not require financial reporting • The funding does not attract indirect costs • The researcher does not intend to match these funds to leverage any additional research awards • Use of GPR accounts • GPR accounts are research accounts so the expenses and funding must relate to research activity • The accounts are expected to be kept in good standing • If there are delays for a research account being set up, the GPR account is the best account to incur an expense until the new research award is in place • Year end, the GPR accounts with a deficit greater than $10K are transferred to the department

10. Bad Debts … how are they treated • If there is a bad debt, the balance will be resolved by the researcher, department, college administrator and ADR • Identify the issue early • Resolve them in a timely manner • RFS should be communicating with researcher and department administrator if an invoice is not being paid

11. March 31st • Reminder that March 31st is approaching so please process as many of the transactions as possible so they are posted to the account by the end of the month. • Special notice for: • AAFC • Tri-Agencies • CFI • CRC • Other Government awards

12. CARA National 2017 • Examples of salary issues/challenges that would make for a good example in a case study • PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXAMPLES WITH ME

13. Next Session • Suggested Topics • OCE Talent Edge • Grad. Studies • Post Doc process • Human Resources • Compliance with National Joint Council Travel Directive • FRS Training • Please send me questions you may have about FRS (for eg. How do I …) • Object Code Hierarchy by sponsor • Next Session Date • May/June 2017 • General Discussion • Improvements to FRS • Including OMAFRA Projects in My Grants Tracker format • Identifying how much of Award Amount is left to spend • Money to be received from sponsor • Exchange rates • This is noted and I will look into these in the future.