November 2018 Grant Connections Notes

Minutes from the Grant Connections meeting on November 14, 2018 are now available. Please follow the links below to access the materials.

Not able to attend? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a link to the recording of the session: https://missouri.zoom.us/recording/share/aIUze2RocWdTTm6kOwsRx2OM4vTG6H-rcEdlsvHFsMqwIumekTziMw?startTime=1542214966000.

We hope to see everyone at our next meeting on January 23, 2019!

November 2018 Grant Connections Minutes
PS Upgrade PowerPoint
OSPA Open House Flyer

Plenary Sessions for Fall 2018 NSF Grants Conference Offered via Webcast

Experience the Fall 2018 National Science Foundation (NSF) Grants Conference virtually!

The plenary sessions for the upcoming conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on November 8-9, 2018 will be webcast live to the research community.

View the plenary sessions to gain key insights into a wide range of current issues at NSF including: the state of current funding, new and current policies and procedures, and pertinent administrative issues.

Please click here for more information and to register.

Check out the webcast agenda for more information on the sessions that will be covered. 

These sessions will be recorded for on-demand viewing once the conference has concluded.  Presentations will also be available on the conference website. 

If you have any questions, please send an email to: grants_conference@nsf.gov, or call 703.245.7562.

NIH Releases New Peer Review Videos for Applicants

The NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) released “What Happens to your NIH Grant Application” and “Top 10 Peer Review Q&A for NIH Applicants” for applicants, their mentors, and grant management officials.

NSF Develops "The Art and Science of Reviewing Proposals" Video

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is committed to ensuring a fair, competitive, and transparent merit review process. The reviews submitted by external peer reviewers are an important part of the decision-making process and a crucial source of feedback to Principal Investigators. NSF has developed a short reviewer orientation video that provides helpful tips for writing high quality reviews.  

NSF encourages all reviewers to watch the orientation video, “The Art and Science of Reviewing Proposals,” which can be accessed in FastLane through the Panelist Travel and Reimbursement page and the Proposal Review, Ad Hoc Reviewers page. You can also view the video directly at https://tipsforreviewers.nsf.gov. 

There is a link at the end of the video to additional resources, a list of helpful hints, and a short feedback survey. NSF values your feedback and will use the results of the survey improve future reviewer orientation materials.

NSF Revises Award Terms and Conditions

The following sets of NSF Award Terms and Conditions have been revised:

• NSF Agency Specific Requirements to the Research Terms and Conditions (ASR);
• Cooperative Agreement Financial & Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC);
• Cooperative Agreement Modifications and Supplemental Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions for Major Multi-User Research Facility Projects and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers;
• Grant General Conditions (GC-1); and
• Administration of NSF Conference or Group Travel Award Grant Conditions (FL-26). 

Important changes include:

• Revision of the Micro-purchase and Simplified Acquisition Thresholds (Procurement Standards) article to align with Section 806 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2018, as implemented by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-18-18, dated June 20, 2018; and
• Implementation of the “Notification Requirements Regarding Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment, or Sexual Assault” award term and condition.

Each set of terms and conditions is accompanied by a summary of changes made to that document.

• The revised Terms and Conditions will apply to all new NSF awards and funding amendments to existing NSF awards made on or after October 22, 2018. 

Agency Tips for Grant Proposals

Planning to submit a grant proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), or the American Heart Association (AHA)?  These sponsors provide resources to help ensure your grant application makes it successfully through the submission process and into reviewer hands.

NSF:

There are ten reasons NSF may return a proposal without review. See PAPPG Chapter IV.B, Proposals Not Accepted or Returned without Review for the list of reasons.  In addition, NSF currently utilizes automated compliance checking of your grant application such as Section Headings, Allowed Font Types, File Size, Character limits, among others.  The system requires any identified errors to be resolved prior to proceeding with submission.

NIH:

NIH provides a list of Common Application Errors, as well as information on common mistakes in writing grant applications.   Also, a reminder to utilize the How to Apply – Application Guide when preparing your grant proposal. 

AHA:

AHA may administratively withdraw an application from consideration for reasons including eligibility issues or non-compliance with formatting requirements [see Research Funding Application Instructions (p.45)].  They also provide useful Grant Writing Tips with a handy section of Fatal Flaws-A look at Common Errors. These and other resources are located within their complete list of Applicant Help Documents. 

Federal Demonstration Partnership September 2018 Meeting Updates

The University of Missouri-Columbia is a member of the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP). FDP is an association of federal agencies, academic and nonprofit research institutions, and research policy organizations that work together to streamline the administration of federally sponsored research. FDP meets three times a year in which faculty and administrators talk face-to-face with decision-makers from agencies that sponsor and regulate research. Member institutions have an administrative representative and a faculty representative. MU’s representatives are Jamie Szabo, OSPA (Administrative Representative) and Sara Gable, Office of Research Faculty Fellow (Faculty Representative).

Presentation slides from the September 2018 meeting can be found here, including the Federal Agency Updates:

• NIH Update
• NSF Update
• ONR Update
• AFOSR Update
• USDA Update
• USAMRAA Update
• GUIRR Update

Training Grant Workshop - NIH T32

For more information and to register, click here to go to our Eventbrite site.

Grant Connections Meeting - September 26, 2018

The most recent Grant Connections meeting was held on September 26, 2018. Notes from that meeting can be found below. You can also access a recording of the meeting here.

Grant Connections Meeting Notes - September 26, 2018
Common Equipment Issues Presentation

We look forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Wednesday, October 24, in 171 Bond Life Sciences Center.

Grant Connections Meeting Notes: August 22, 2018

Attached below are the notes from August Grant Connections. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on September 26^th!

Grant Connections Meeting Notes: 8/22/18

Subcontract Dashboard Screenshots

OSPA Certificate Series: Effort Verification Reporting (EVR), Cost Transfers, and Payroll Correcting Entries (PCE)

The Effort Verification Reporting (EVR), Cost Transfers, and Payroll Correcting Entries (PCE) Certificate Series session on August 7, 2018, was recorded to provide the MU Grants Community with on-demand training opportunities. To access the recording, please follow this link.

Grant Connections - July 25, 2018

Attached are the slides from the Internal Funding Presentation this week at the July Grant Connections meeting.  We also had a couple Hot Topics discussed, which are listed below. We look forward to seeing you at the next Grant Connections meeting on August 22. 

Hot Topics

• OSPA is continuing to update the SPPG (Sponsored Programs Procedure Guide) both with content review and updated references to University policies. Some recent updates include the addition of a Fee for Service vs. Sponsored Activity topic which OSPA will plan to discuss in detail at a future GC meeting. Also updated was the Cost Share topic which includes related forms - Third Party Cost Share Commitment and Cost Share Commitment Certification. Both are also available on the OSPA Forms page. 
• A reminder - if we are subcontracting with an FDP member institution we do not need to request that they complete the four page Subcontractor Commitment form, but rather we should only ask for the abbreviated one page letter of Subk Letter of Intent.  This is because FDP Participating Organizations have their Institutions information available on the site – so accessing it on the site vs. having staff complete forms should reduce administrative burden.

Presentation

Dr. Sara Gable, Associate Professor & State Extension Specialist, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology and Office of Research Faculty Fellow and Jessica Sowers, OSPA Internal Funding Coordinator presented on Office of Research Internal Funding. 

Questions –  internalfunding@missouri.edu   |  Website  https://research.missouri.edu/internal/

Registration for Fall Certificate Series Sessions Open

The OSPA Certificate Series for Specialized Grants Training is designed to enhance your technical expertise in sponsored programs administration - offering Pre-Award, Post-Award, and Regulatory training sessions.  Information on the Certificate Series is found here. 

Whether you are new to grants or want a refresher on a specific topic, there is something for everyone.  Our training team has been hard at work preparing for these upcoming Fall classes and they are now available for registration.  If you have questions or need other assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact Nathan Winters or Brenda Leuenberger.

Tuesday, August 7, 2018
8:30 – 10:30 AM
Tate Hall, Room 215 

Effort Verification Reporting (EVR), Cost Transfers, and Payroll Correcting Entries (PCE)
Utilizing case studies, review EVR, PCE, and cost transfer examples and their application to sponsored projects. Discuss compliance requirements for each of these activities. Identify common issues and risks of noncompliance.

Wednesday, September 12, 2018
8:30 – 10:30 AM
Memorial Union – Stotler Lounge III

Subawards and Consulting Agreements
Utilizing case studies, analyze the difference between subrecipients/subawards and vendors/consulting agreements as they pertain to sponsored projects. Discuss the subaward process throughout in the award cycle, from the documentation needed before a subrecipient can be named in a proposal submitted to a sponsor to closing out the subaward. Discuss the consulting agreement process throughout the award cycle, from issuing the consulting agreement to receipt of deliverables and payment.

Tuesday, September 25, 2018
8:30 – 10:30 AM
Memorial Union – Stotler Lounge III

Salary Cap, EVR and Effort Tracking
Provide an overview of salary and effort issues above and beyond the general EVR, Cost Transfers, and PCEs session, discussing concepts such as the DHHS salary cap implications and monitoring, effort commitments, and tracking effort. Discuss roles and responsibilities of OSPA, DRA, and PI. Note: This advanced course is not required to complete the Post-Award Track and earn your certificate of completion.

Wednesday, October 3, 2018
8:30 – 10:30 AM
Memorial Union – Stotler Lounge III

Federal Contracts
Differentiate between a grant and a federal contract. Associate varying compliance requirements with pre- and post-award processes. Define and examine Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses and other requirements specific to federal contracts. This session is not required to receive the Post-Award certificate.

Tuesday, October 9, 2018
8:30 – 10:30 AM
Memorial Union – Stotler Lounge III

Cost Sharing
Define cost sharing and the different types, including mandatory, voluntary committed, and voluntary uncommitted. Understand compliance requirements related to cost sharing. Discuss third-party and unallowable cost share and the related impacts on facilities and administrative (F&A) cost recovery. Utilizing case studies, identify different types of cost sharing, discuss proper documentation and reporting, and examine issues of noncompliance.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018
8:30 – 10:30 AM
Memorial Union – Stotler Lounge III

Closeout of Award
Identify the processes and compliance requirements for closing an award. Discuss special consideration including records retention, disposition of equipment, intellectual property and invention disclosure, and fixed price transfers. Utilizing case studies, explore examples and discuss impacts of noncompliance.

Wednesday, November 7, 2018
8:30 – 10:30 AM
Memorial Union South – Room S203

Audit
Discuss the requirements and purpose of a Single Audit including an overview of the Compliance Supplement. Review the University’s Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) and discuss its importance in the Single Audit. Discuss the University of Missouri’s current and past Single Audit issues and other Office of Inspector General findings. In addition to the Single Audit, discuss the various purposes of external, internal, and agency audits and review examples. Understand the roles of the University of Missouri Controller’s Office, Office of Sponsored Programs Administration, and the Principal Investigator/Department in audits. Note: This is an Intermediate/Advanced-level course.

New Topics Added to Sponsored Programs Procedure Guide

Our Sponsored Programs Procedure Guide (SPPG) provides a convenient location for guidance on topics related to the routine or often complex procedures which impact our MU grants community.   From Cost Transfers to F & A Recovery and Participant Support Costs to the Fly America Act, the SPPG is here for you. 

Two new Topics have been added recently to the SPPG:

Fee for Service or Sponsored Activity
How do I know the difference? How do I submit a contract for processing and signature? OSPA has answers! See our Sponsored Programs Procedure Guide (SPPG) for the latest resource on how to make the determination on how your revenue generating activities are classified, how to properly account for funds, and how to process contracts for your activities.

Safeguarding Covered Defense Information, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Cyber Incident Reporting
Read about the important procedures impacting the ability of the University to accept federal defense contracts subject to Defense Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.204-7012.

Bayh-Dole Act Updates

OSPA has partnered with UM System Human Resources, the Office of the General Counsel, and the Office of Technology Management and Industry Relations to implement a process for ensuring compliance with the changes to the Bayh-Dole Act for current and newly hired employees who are working on federal grants. Changes to this regulation are a result of the 2011 Supreme Court Case Stanford v. Roche. See our May 18, 2018, blog post for information on our efforts to date. OSPA will continue to keep the MU Grants Community apprised of new developments that impact our investigators and staff.

Welcome to OSPA Today

The Office of Sponsored Programs Administration is excited to announce the release of OSPA Today, our new quarterly newsletter. This publication will serve as an additional outlet to share information and updates affecting the University grants community. Whether it is upcoming deadlines, policy and procedure updates, a shared best practice, or training and development opportunities, our goal is for this newsletter to serve as an additional resource for you to learn about and disseminate the latest grants information we can offer.

In this edition you’ll find:

• Recent updates to the Sponsored Programs Procedure Guide (SPPG), including Fee for Service vs. Sponsored Activity—how to determine the appropriate accounting of funds
• An update on the Bayh-Dole Act. 

These and other articles are posted on the OSPA Blog. If you have feedback or topics you would like to see discussed in the newsletter, please feel free to send those to muresearchospa@missouri.edu.

Our goal at OSPA is to provide the university grants community with the highest level of customer service. We hope OSPA Today enhances the communication you receive from our office and will be a valuable addition to your grants toolbox.

Craig David

Director
Office of Sponsored Programs Administration

Updated PRIME Program Guidelines Effective July 1, 2018

An updated version of MU’s Prime [Program for Research Infrastructure and Matching Expenses] Program  Guidelines, effective July 1, 2018, have been placed on the MU Office of Research, Graduate Studies, and Economic Development website - located here.  You can find information about this program, as well as information related to other MU and UM System Internal Funding programs, under the Funding Tab. 

As always, if you have questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.

Grant Fact Sheet Updated - Non-Federal Fringe Benefit Rates

A new Grant Fact Sheet dated 6/7/18 has been placed on the OSPA Website here.

The following change was made:

• The non-federal fringe benefit rates were updated for FY19 and the inflationary rates for the out-years.

As always, let us know if you have questions or we can assist in any way!

Grant Fact Sheet Updates: Tuition and Fees, Medical Insurance Subsidy, and More

A new Grant Fact Sheet dated 5/29/18 has been placed on the OSPA website here.

The following changes have been made: 

The Fringe Benefits Rates section was updated to include some historical rates to serve as a resource for post-award fiscal administrators:

The Tuition and Fees section has been updated with rates effective beginning Fall 2018: 

And, the Medical Insurance Subsidy has been updated:

As always, please feel free to let us know if you have questions or need additional assistance.

May 2018 Grant Connections Meeting Notes

Linked below are the notes and slides from the May Grant Connections Meeting. We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting on June 27, 2018. 

Meeting Notes
Bayh-Dole Updates Presentation

Changes to the PSRS RE: Bayh-Dole Regulations

Effective 5/14/18, the Bayh-Dole Act has been amended to include new regulations. Bayh-Dole is legislation dealing with inventions and related patents arising from federal government-funded research. One change that impacts the University system-wide is the requirement to have a written agreement in which employees assign rights in inventions made under the federal award to the University. The written agreement should be executed prior to working on a federal project. This requirement protects inventors, the University, and the federal government. As such, we have worked with System to modify the ePSRS Electronic Approval page and PDF to now read as follows:

The above language was crafted based on guidance from our Office of General Counsel and would put us into compliance for those employees who are required to sign the PSRS. We are working with the other UM campuses and System to enact new procedures to ensure complete compliance moving forward, and will communicate those changes as they are finalized.

Please note there are no new substantive obligations being incurred by having the PI and key personnel sign off on this form, as CRR 100.020 already requires employees to assign inventions made within the general scope of their duties to the University. The change is a confirmatory assignment of inventions employees are already contractually obligated to assign to the University, and this practice protects employees from inadvertently giving away their rights to inventions.

April 2018 Grant Connections Notes

Notes from the Grant Connections Meeting on April 25, 2018, can be found here. You can also access the Conflict of Interest presentation as well as the Research.gov handout.

We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 23, in the Bond Life Sciences Center, Room 171.

Seats Remain for Certificate Series Grants Training! Join us for Allowability and Management of the Award

As we wrap up grants training for the spring, please see information below on the remaining courses offered in May, as well as some comments from earlier attendees.  To register for these courses, please visit: https://ospa-training.orcsdev.missouri.edu/

Wed, May 02, 2018
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Memorial Union - Stotler Lounge III

Allowability

Review cost principles per the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance). Utilizing case studies, differentiate between allowable and unallowable costs and identify instances of noncompliance. Discuss when sponsor guidelines may be more or less restrictive and when an unlike circumstance may be justified.

“The case studies provided were helpful”

                                          

“ The PI Quick Guide and Reference Guide for Allowable Costs provided during training is very helpful”

                         

“I enjoyed the discussion about exceptions that may apply”

Thu, May 10, 2018
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Memorial Union - Stotler Lounge III

Management of Award

Explore concepts related to management of an award. Review the Budget Variance #2 and Income Statement #2 reports and how to use them to monitor sponsored activities. Describe what information to look for and the questions a Principal Investigator (PI) should ask as part of the expenditure review process. Discuss management and monitoring of various sponsor requirements effective upon acceptance of an award, including but not limited to financial conflict of interest, responsible conduct of research, and public access obligations. Discuss management and monitoring of certain other terms and conditions, including but not limited to those concerning publication rights and ownership of equipment. Understand the difference between cost reimbursable and fixed price agreements. Understand processes for budget changes, interim reporting, invoicing, no cost time extensions, and sponsor notifications.

“Instructor insight and Q & A was very helpful – their expertise and examples were helpful”

                                                                               

“I found the willingness of the training staff to answer questions most helpful”

“The speakers all had equally important issues/answers that made the session very easy to follow”

Communication Workshop - Increasing Citations, Gaining Collaborators and Growing Support for your Research

Please see the attached invitation from the Connector and share with faculty, staff and researchers as appropriate:

Updated Grant Fact Sheet - 4/20/18

An updated Grant Fact Sheet dated 4/20/2018 has been placed on the OSPA website and can be found here.

The following sections have been updated to reflect an update of the F&A/Fringe Benefit Rate Agreement dated 3/19/2018:

And the federal fringe benefit rates were updated accordingly:

(Note: non-federal rates are not yet available and will be updated when finalized.) 

Grant Connections - February & March 2018

Here are the notes and handouts from our February and March Grant Connections meetings. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on Wednesday, April 25th.

February 2018:

• Human Subjects Research Protections Program (HRPP) at MU by Lori Wilcox, IRB. Presentation can be found here.
• Issuing Payment to Research Subjects—summary of the process by Jennifer Walker, Accounting Services. Information can be found here: https://www.umsystem.edu/oei/sharedservices/apss/nonpo_vouchers/research_subject_payments.
• Hot Topic: USDA Records Disposal Freeze. MU (along with many other institutions) received notice that we’re to retain all documents (paper and electronic) related to USDA grants until the freeze is cancelled. Please see the information linked here from NIFA (disseminated by COGR). If you have questions, please contact your Postaward Team in OSPA.

March 2018:

• Tips for how to monitor pending OneCard, T&E, and Requisition approvals. Demonstration by Amber Neely, Division of Animal Sciences, CAFNR. Refer to the screenshots linked below for how to navigate the PeopleSoft panels to ensure all transactions are approved by the appropriate personnel in a timely manner.
• Approving Expense Reports and Requisitions
• Approving Expense Reports
• Checking Pending Approvals
• Presentation by Hannah Clampitt and Jamie Szabo from OSPA on Participant Support Costs. PowerPoint slides and guidance from NSF are attached.
• Hot Topic: FY17 Single Audit can be found here. There were no findings for FY17. 

Update to Grant Fact Sheet - 4/5/18

An updated Grant Fact Sheet dated 4/05/2018 has been placed on the OSPA website here.

The following section has been updated to reflect the Institutional Minimum Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant stipends for Academic Year 2018-2019.

Guidance on Salary Limitation for Grants and Cooperative Agreements FY 2018 (NOT-OD-18-137) Office of the Director, NIH

Guidance on Salary Limitation for Grants and Cooperative Agreements FY 2018 (NOT-OD-18-137) Office of the Director, NIH

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, restricts the amount of direct salary to Executive Level II of the Federal Executive pay scale. The Office of Personnel Management has recently released new salary levels for the Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 7, 2018, the salary limitation for Executive Level II is $189,600.

For awards issued in those years that were restricted to Executive Level II (see Salary Cap Summary, FY 1990 – FY 2017) including competing awards already issued in FY2018, if adequate funds are available in active awards, and if the salary cap increase is consistent with the institutional base salary, grantees may rebudget to accommodate the current Executive Level II salary level. However, no additional funds will be provided to these grant awards.

Once the Department of Health and Human Services Appropriation for FY 2018 is enacted, NIH will publish the annual Notice of legislative mandates to provide information on any statutory provisions that limit the use of NIH grant funds in FY 2018.

As in years past, since the effective date of the increased salary cap is in the middle of a month (January 7th for 2018), the monthly January cap is prorated to $15,758.06, see the table below for a summary:

Grant Connections - January 2018

Please find below the notes and materials from the January Grant Connections meeting. Mark your calendars for the next meeting planned for February 28, 2018.

• Grant Connections Meeting Notes 1-25-18
• Federal Grant Funding and Appropriation Determination
• NSF Significant Changes and Clarifications to the PAPPG
• Presentation from Grant Connections Meeting

Grant Fact Sheet Updated 1-17-18

MU Grants Community,

An updated version of the Grant Fact Sheet, dated 1/17/2018 is available on the OSPA website.

Please note updates to the following areas:

Updated alternative authorized signers:

Updated SAM expiration date:

Updated Automobile Travel reimbursement rate:

In addition, references to UM System Policies have been updated where applicable.  Should you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.