Grant Connections - June 2016

Wednesday, June 22, 2016
11:00 a.m. – noon
Room 572 of the Bond Life Sciences Center

Agenda

• Hot Topics
• eCompliance – External Investigators. Betty Jo Wilson and Katy Burkett with the Conflict of Interest Office will present on new functionality for external investigators in eCompliance. 
• FDP Expanded Clearinghouse. OSPA will present on the FDP Expanded Clearinghouse Phase I pilot, and what we can expect for Phase II as it relates to issuing subcontracts and participating as a subcontractor on another institution’s award. 

Mark your calendars! Meetings are scheduled for the following dates.

• July 27, 2016 
• August 24, 2016 
• September 28, 2016

Grant Connections Organizational Crew (send your suggestions)

• Liz Bent, Grants & Contracts Administrator, CAFNR 
• Marty Carter, Senior Business Operations Associate, School of Medicine
• Brandi Clements, Grants & Contracts Administrator, College of Education 
• Craig David, Director, OSPA 
• Sheryl Koenig, Grant Proposal Coordinator, Bond Life Sciences Center 
• Brenda Leuenberger, Senior Compliance Manager, OSPA 
• Julia Rodriguez, Grants & Contracts Administrator, Bond Life Sciences Center 
• Jamie Szabo, Senior Compliance Manager, OSPA

Please share this information with anyone else associated with research who you think might be interested in attending.

OSPA Policy and Procedure Updates: Investigator Form | Shared Credit Change Request | Participant Support Costs

MU Grants Community,

Please note the following updates to sponsored projects policies and procedures:

Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI): Alpha-1 Foundation and PCORI
The Investigator Form is revised to add the Alpha-1 Foundation and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) as organizations having adopted the PHS FCOI Regulation. The Sponsored Programs Procedure Guide will be updated soon to reflect the same. Because these organizations have adopted the PHS FCOI Regulation in full, UM and MU COI polices related to PHS FCOI apply without exception. Proposals will not be submitted to these organizations before confirmation that each Investigator has a current Outside Interest Disclosure Form on file.

As a reminder, please be sure to access frequently-used form by way of the OSPA Forms page rather than referring back to a local copy. Investigator Forms currently in process can proceed; we will not refuse the old forms but will ask that you use the new form, dated 08/27/2015, for your next applicable project.

New Form: Shared Credit Change Request
Use the Shared Credit Change Request form to request changes in shared credit on existing awards. Correct shared credit designation ensures accurate Research Incentive Fund (RIF) distribution and reporting of expenditures in the Office of Research Annual Report. The form should be completed, approved by the impacted department chairs and deans, and then submitted to tigerteam@missouri.edu.

Addition to the Sponsored Programs Procedure Guide (SPPG): Participant Support Costs

American Asthma Foundation: PHS FCOI Regulations apply

The American Asthma Foundation (AAF) was identified today as an organization having adopted the current PHS Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) Regulations. The Investigator Form, Sponsored Programs Procedure Guide (SPPG), and other related documents will be revised, re-posted, and announced shortly. In the meantime, for all AAF proposals and awards, please follow the established FCOI processes for PHS funding.

An Investigator Form, along with confirmed current disclosures for all Investigators, is required for all proposal submissions, including for the February 12, 2014, application deadline.

Should you have questions or concerns about impending submissions or the applicability of the Rule, please don’t hesitate to contact me. 

Policy on Fixed Price Agreements and Cost Reimbursable Agreements

Please review the following announcement concerning a policy change effective July 1, 2013. As stated below, the policy is not retroactive and, as such, does not apply to submitted proposals or to anticipated future year funding for awarded multi-year projects. 

Please contact the Tiger Team at tigerteam@missouri.edu or the Truman Team at 882-7560 with questions.

                                                                                                                                               

 

The Conflict of Interest Committee has approved the following policy regarding fixed priced agreements.  All proposals for research agreements and other sponsored activities meeting the criteria below must be in compliance with the policy no later than July 1, 2013.  The policy is not retroactive and will apply to proposals submitted after the end of the fiscal year.

All research agreements and other sponsored activities with companies in which a University employee, a University employee’s spouse, and/or a University employee’s dependent child(ren) has a significant interest must be processed as a cost reimbursable agreement.  A significant interest includes, but is not limited to, an equity interest in the company, a chief operating role with the company, and/or a consulting relationship with the company.  There is a rebuttable presumption that it is an unmanageable conflict of interest to execute fixed price agreements with these companies.  If there are extenuating circumstances in which a fixed price agreement is needed, prior approval must be obtained from the Conflict of Interest Committee.

Clarifications re: NSF Proposal Submission Requirements for FCOI

Please note the following clarifications regarding financial conflict of interest (FCOI) disclosure requirements and procedures for National Science Foundation (NSF) funding.

EXTERNAL INVESTIGATORS

Per the definition of “Investigator” as promulgated in the NSF Conflict of Interest Policies, MU will not require reporting nor manage the conflicts of external Investigators on NSF-funded projects. External Investigators (e.g., non-MU co-PI, non-MU Collaborator) should be listed on the Investigator Form; however, individual disclosures or institutional certifications are not required.

PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS

Preliminary proposals (pre-proposals) utilize the NSF Proposal Cover Sheet and are thus submissions subject to the Proposal Certifications outlined therein. An Investigator Form is required for pre-proposal submissions, and NSF pre-proposals will not be submitted until it is confirmed that all MU Investigators have a current Outside Interest Disclosure Form (OIDF) on file.

The OSPA Sponsored Programs Procedure Guide (SPPG) will be updated to reflect these changes. Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. 

                                                                                                                                                  

Revised Investigator Form

A revised Investigator Form (formerly PHS Investigator Form) is posted to the Office of Research Forms page (Compliance and OSPA sections).

While the purpose of the form has not changed, updates include:

1. Overview and Instructions on page 1, and a “Proposal Submission Requirements” section and additional relevant information on page 2

2. Current list of sponsors for which the form is required, including NSF*

3. Clarification in the Investigator table with regard to EMPLID (for MU Investigators) and Affiliation (for non-MU Investigators)

4. A separate table for non-Investigator Other Significant Contributors (OSC)

Use of the new Investigator Form is effective immediately; however, the PHS Investigator Form is acceptable for proposals in progress.

*The Investigator Form will be updated as additional organizations adopt COI policies. Please be sure to access the Investigator Form via the OSPA Forms page each time rather than referring back to a local copy.