Research Administration & Finance

1. Research Administration & Finance New Faculty Event, October 21, 2013 Ivar Strand Angelo Chrisomalis Richard Scammell

2. Research Administration and Finance Mission Statement • To provide excellence in service and administration for the proposal and award activities of approved sponsored grants, contracts and other agreements on behalf of Rensselaer.

3. RA&F Pre-Award Responsibilities • Proposal Development and Submission • Award Negotiation • Award Acceptance • Award Establishment • Award Management (non-financial) • Subcontract Issuance • Sub recipient Monitoring • Manage non-financial sponsored audits

4. RA&F Post Award Responsibilities • Award Management (financial) • Prepare and submit financial reports • Bill and collect from sponsors • Perform Letter of Credit draws • Monitor receivables • Administer Labor Verification process • Manage financial audits of sponsored awards • Develop and negotiate Rensselaer’s Fringe Benefit and Facilities and Administrative rates

5. RA&F Pre-Award Compliance Role • Ensure that: • Proposal routing document (“Proposal Information Form”, or “PIF”) is completed and signed http://www.rpi.edu/dept/finance/docs/research/ProjectInformationForm.pdf • Conflicts of Interests are declared and managed http://www.rpi.edu/dept/finance/docs/research/COIQuestionnaire.pdf • Human and animal subject reviews and protocols are completed • Publication, Intellectual Property and Export Control issues conform to RPI policies • Cost Sharing is properly documented and supported

6. RA&F Post Award Compliance Role • Ensure that: • Award budgets are not exceeded • Expenses are allowable, incurred within the award period and within budget constraints • Proposed expense transfers are allowable and timely • Cost sharing, and project deliverables (reports, etc.) are provided as required • Effort is certified in a timely and accurate manner • Financial audits are clear of adverse findings

7. PI Proposal Responsibilities • Scope of Work – all technical components • Budget Development and/or Input • Create “Proposal Routing Form” • Obtain internal cost sharing commitments

8. PI Proposal Responsibilities • Budget Development and/or Input • Level of effort (minimum 1% generally required) • Graduate students • Equipment needs • Travel expectations • Supplies and Materials • Collaborative efforts

9. Current Rates (FY 2013) Facility and Administrative (F&A) Rates: Research – On Campus 60.20% Research - Off Campus 26.00% Training – On Campus 32.00% Training – Off Campus 26.00% F&A rates are based on Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC). MTDC, as defined in Federal OMB Circular A-21, consists of all salaries and wages, fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, sub grants and subcontracts up to the first $25,000 of each sub grant or subcontract (regardless of the period covered by the sub grant or subcontract). Equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care and tuition remission, rental costs, scholarships, and fellowships as well as the portion of each sub grant and subcontract in excess of $25,000 is excluded from the MTDC. Employee Benefits 38.75%

10. Minimum Requirements for Research Administration & Finance to Review and Submit Proposals • Five (5) working days prior to sponsor imposed deadline: • Completed Project Information Sheet • Preliminary Cost Estimate or budget • Final budget from all collaborators • Sponsor Announcement or Request for Proposal • Any Sponsor Terms and Conditions, if available • Cost Sharing details and approvals • Project Summary • Three (3) working days prior to sponsor imposed deadline: • Complete proposal package, including: • Final budget • Final copy of proposal text, and copies of all appendices in sufficient number to comply with sponsor guidelines • For collaborative proposals, we need collaborator materials (final approved budgets on required sponsor forms, letters of support, bios, C&P, etc.) at this time.

11. Sponsored Research Contract Negotiation Issues • Publication Restrictions • Intellectual Property Ownership • Intellectual Property Licensing provisions • Liability and Indemnification • Export Controls

13. PI Project Responsibilities • Monitor all technical aspects of the project • Submit all progress reports to sponsoring agency • Expenditures oversight • Allowable, within the award period, within any budget restrictions • Cost sharing • Certify labor • Minimize cost transfers

14. PI Project Responsibilities • Award Closeout • Certify final statement of expenditures • Certify final labor verification statements • Submit Final Technical Report • Maintain all data in accordance with record retention policies

15. Post Award Hot Buttons • Cost Transfers • Time and Effort (Labor Verification) Reports • Cost Allocation Methodology • Technical Reports • Purchasing office supplies, hiring administrative staff • Fly America Act • No cost extensions • Adherence to sponsor expenditure restrictions • Subcontractor monitoring • Key personnel changes

16. Research Finance Staff

17. 1. Cost Transfers* • Late transfers (more than 30 days) • Transfers at the end of a project to use up the fund balance • Transfers between federal projects • Improper authorization • Not reconciled to accounting records • Lack of clear, specific, detailed explanations • Transferring-out account is in deficit • Transferring-in account has a surplus and is ending • Salary transfers where effort was previously certified as correct * Taken from “lessons learned” on Yale’s $7.6 million cost transfer and effort reporting audit disallowance in 2009.

18. 2. Time and Effort Reporting • Performed three times a year • Labor Verification Forms must be: • Timely • Accurate • Signed by the individual or person with “suitable means of verification”.

19. 3. Cost Allocation Methodology Direct Costs: • Must be specifically identified with a particular project • Must be allocable, or charged in proportion to their benefit to a project; • Must be allowable (i.e., entertainment may not be charged to a Federal grant under any circumstances); • Must be reasonable, reflecting the conservative actions of a “prudent person”; • Should be charged correctly the first time to avoid cost transfers; and • Must conform to any limitations or exclusions in the award agreement.

20. 4. Technical Reports • Comply with all reporting requirements • Submit them on time

21. 5. Office Supplies, Administrative Salaries • Office supplies that are normally used in the general administrative support of a project may not be included in the budget or charged to the award. • Local telephone rentals used to conduct routine business of the project may not be included in the budget. • Cell phone and pager expenses are usually considered “local telephone costs” and may not be included in the budget if they are used to conduct routine business of the project. • Salaries of administrative and clerical staff are normally considered as part of the F&A rate and therefore unallowable as a direct cost.

22. 5. Office Supplies, Administrative Salaries (Continued) • General‐purpose computers—especially laptops—can be used to support a variety of activities and are rarely dedicated to one specific purpose. As a result, general‐purpose computers and laptops are typically F&A costs and are seldom proposed in budgets or directly charged to awards. • Aforementioned normally only allowable on "Major Projects” • defined as a project that requires an extensive amount of administrative or clerical support, which is significantly greater than the routine level of such services provided by academic departments (e.g., program project grants, large center awards, clinical translational science awards).

23. 6. Fly America Act • Requires that foreign air travel funded with Federal dollars be performed on U.S. flag air carriers. • U.S. flag air carrier service is also defined as service provided under a code share agreement with a foreign air carrier. • You must use a U.S. flag air carrier on every portion of the route where it provides service unless you qualify for a waiver. • Certain exceptions apply; however, increased cost is not a basis for a waiver.

24. 7. No Cost Extensions • The request should contain: • The length of time for which the extension is being requested. • A justification for the extension request. • A brief statement as to the progress and work remaining to be completed. • Unobligated funds currently remaining on the scheduled expiration date. • Not allowed just to spend down project balance • Don’t incur costs unrelated to original award

25. 8. Sponsor Expenditure Restrictions • Refer to Notice of Grant Award, Contract, and/or “Blue” sheet (PDN) from RA&F • Discuss proposed changes with your program officer • Official requests must be in writing, endorsed by RA&F and sent to grant/contracting officer • Program officers typically cannot approve changes to award terms and conditions

26. 9. Subcontractor Monitoring • During the term of the sub award, the principal investigator is responsible for monitoring the activities of sub recipients to ensure that Federal awards are being used for their authorized purpose and that performance goals are achieved • The PI (or departmental designee) is required to review and approve all invoices, technical and financial reports.

27. 10. Key Personnel Changes • Changes in key personnel • Significant changes in PI effort, often defined as: • the absence of the PI from a project for more than 3 months and/or • a reduction in effort of 25% or more.

28. Summary • Review monthly financial reports • Work closely with your department/center business manager • Use bridge fund mechanism • Adjust expenditures and commitments promptly • Review and sign Labor Verification Reports promptly – adjust as necessary

29. Resources • Guide to Sponsored Programs - http://www.rpi.edu/dept/finance/docs/research/Guide_to_Sponsored_Programs.pdf • Unallowable Non Reimbursable Expenses - http://www.rpi.edu/dept/finance/docs/research/UnallowableNonReimbursableExpenses.pdf • Direct charging - http://www.rpi.edu/dept/finance/docs/research/DirectCharging.pdf • Labor Verification Policy - http://www.rpi.edu/dept/finance/docs/research/LaborVerificationPolicyandProcedures.pdf

30. Research Administration & Finance Leadership Contact Information • Ivar Strand, Assistant Vice President, Research Administration: strani@rpi.edu; phone: 2161; West Hall, 4th floor • Angelo Chrisomalis, Director, Research Finance: chrisa2@rpi.edu , phone: 6924; West Hall. 3rd floor • Richard Scammell, Director, Research Administration: scammr@rpi.edu, phone: 6177; West Hall, 4th floor • Website: http://www.rpi.edu/research/index.html