October 4, 2016
Grant Connections | September 2016 Notes
Notes from the September Grant Connections meeting are included below. Thank you to all who attended. We hope to see you at the next meeting on Wednesday, October 26th.
September 27, 2016
Grant Connections - September 2016
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
11:00 a.m. – noon
Room 572 of the Bond Life Sciences Center
Agenda
11:00 a.m. – noon
Room 572 of the Bond Life Sciences Center
Agenda
- Hot Topics
- FDP Update: Jamie Szabo and Brenda Leuenberger attended FDP 9/21-9/23 and will share updates with the group
- Awards Dashboard: OSPA Preaward will do a demonstration of the new Awards Dashboard
- Sponsor Spotlight: OSPA Preaward will present on American Heart Association and US Department of Education
- Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Send your suggestions for future topics and questions to this group.
Please share with anyone else associated with research who you think might be interested in attending.
- Liz Bent, Grants & Contracts Administrator, CAFNR
- Marty Carter, Senior Business Operations Associate, School of Medicine
- Craig David, Director, OSPA
- Sheryl Koenig, Grant Proposal Manager, 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 with anyone else associated with research who you think might be interested in attending.
September 19, 2016
Keeping up with the FLSA Final Rule - Impact on Grants - Update as of 09/17/2016
MU Grants Community,
As we are nearing the effective date (December 1) for the FLSA final overtime rule, below is a summary of what we know at this time:
How NSF will handle new regulations (please see NSF FLSA FAQs):
How NIH will handle new regulations:
How the University is handling new regulations:
Guidance from OSPA on how to handle the regulations moving forward:
As we are nearing the effective date (December 1) for the FLSA final overtime rule, below is a summary of what we know at this time:
How NSF will handle new regulations (please see NSF FLSA FAQs):
- NSF released a FAQ on 8/10 describing the rules and how they would impact current and future awards. NSF awards typically allow for rebudgeting without sponsor approval, provided the rebudgeting action does not change the scope of the project.
- NSF will not be unilaterally supplementing awards with additional funds; however, if you determine rebudgeting would result in a change of scope or that supplemental funding is needed to comply with the new regulations, we are encouraged to contact your NSF Program Officer to discuss the issue. We cannot guarantee there will be funds available, but there are specific policies that address requesting supplemental funding, and we would be happy to walk you through this process should you desire to do so.
- Released on 8/10, NIH has provided us with updated FY2017 stipend levels for postdoctoral trainees and fellows on NRSA awards. These stipend levels are in line with the new FLSA regulations. This guidance does not address how NIH will handle postdocs working on non-NRSA awards, particularly as it relates to supplemental funding to cover this extra expense for institutions. In a blog posted 8/30, the NIH’s Deputy Director indicated the NIH would be releasing more guidance and FAQs in the coming months. Please note that the typical rules for rebudgeting NIH awards are similar to those of the NSF; we would typically be able to rebudget to account for the new FLSA guidelines without sponsor approval, provided it did not change the scope of work. We have not received any indication that additional funds would be available to NIH awardees.
- The University’s overview, FAQs and timelines as it relates to the new FLSA regulations can be found here. Although there is no official guidance online that we are aware of, we have been told there is no fund at MU to cover the salary increases, and those increases will need to come from grant, department or divisional funds. Postdocs and other salaried employees who were under the new FLSA salary floor will receive their salary increases on 12/1/16.
- Effective immediately when filling out proposals, OSPA would encourage PIs to budget postdocs at the new floor of $47,476 plus the correct fringe rate regardless of their current salary. If you have concerns about current awards and how to make up the budget shortfall caused by the new regulations, please don’t hesitate to contact your OSPA pre-award/post-award liaison directly and we can discuss your options for potentially requesting additional funds from the sponsor, if available.
September 7, 2016
Grant Connections | August 2016 Notes
Notes from the August Grant Connections meeting are included below. Thank you to all who attended. We hope to see you at the next meeting on Wednesday, September 28th.
August 18, 2016
FDP Expanded Clearinghouse Pilot Project starts Today - Thursday, August 18, 2016
The FDP Expanded Clearinghouse Pilot Project – of which MU is a Cohort 2 participant – is LIVE as of today, Thursday, August 18th. Notes from the topic discussion at the June Grant Connection Meeting are included below. Additionally included as attachments to this email are (1) screen shot step by step instructions and (2) our letters of intent for use with FDP Pilot institutions. These letters have been added to the OSPA Forms page.
Our participation in the Pilot Project requests that (1) when we are the Prime applicant we first look to the clearinghouse site to see if our subrecipient institutions participate in the Pilot as well - if so, we will not ask them to complete our subrecipient commitment form – instead gathering their institutional data from the clearinghouse site; and (2) when we are the Subrecipient to a participating institution we should not be asked to complete their subrecipient commitment forms – but should redirect them to the clearinghouse site for our institution’s information.
Should you encounter participant institutions that are not acknowledging or aware of their participation in the pilot project, the clearinghouse has provided some suggested language for use as appropriate:
SAMPLE PUSH-BACK LANGUAGE
I am writing to let you know that the University of Missouri is a pilot participant in the FDP Expanded Clearinghouse. It is my understanding that your organization is also a pilot participant. As a part of the pilot, both our organizations have agreed that effective August 18, 2016 we will not send or require completion of a subrecipient commitment forms, but will instead use our profile that is posted on-line at the FDP Expanded Clearinghouse site (http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/fdp/PGA_171219). Please use my profile to obtain the information you need. Thank you.
Thank you for your support of this important initiative.
FAQs on NSF's Implementation of the Department of Labor's FLSA Final Overtime Rule
MU Grants Community,
Please see the FAQ information below from the NSF Policy Office regarding the implementation of the FLSA final rule.
***
Dear Colleagues:
The Department of Labor recently announced the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) final over time rule. The FLSA final overtime rule automatically extends overtime pay protections to millions of workers and could impact some personnel on NSF grants, including postdoctoral researchers. The National Science Foundation continues to acknowledge the important role of postdoctoral researchers on NSF-funded projects, and, in general, NSF postdoctoral programs already include a stipend or salary in excess of the new minimum established by the FLSA final overtime rule.
Since the announcement of the new rule, NSF has received many questions on how this rule will affect NSF-funded projects. NSF has created a set of Frequently Asked Questions in order to address these questions. The FAQs are posted on the NSF Policy Office website at http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/faqs/flsa_faqs.pdf.
We encourage you to share this information with your colleagues. Please direct any additional policy-related questions not addressed in the FAQs to policy@nsf.gov.
Regards,
Jean
Please see the FAQ information below from the NSF Policy Office regarding the implementation of the FLSA final rule.
***
Dear Colleagues:
The Department of Labor recently announced the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) final over time rule. The FLSA final overtime rule automatically extends overtime pay protections to millions of workers and could impact some personnel on NSF grants, including postdoctoral researchers. The National Science Foundation continues to acknowledge the important role of postdoctoral researchers on NSF-funded projects, and, in general, NSF postdoctoral programs already include a stipend or salary in excess of the new minimum established by the FLSA final overtime rule.
Since the announcement of the new rule, NSF has received many questions on how this rule will affect NSF-funded projects. NSF has created a set of Frequently Asked Questions in order to address these questions. The FAQs are posted on the NSF Policy Office website at http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/faqs/flsa_faqs.pdf.
We encourage you to share this information with your colleagues. Please direct any additional policy-related questions not addressed in the FAQs to policy@nsf.gov.
Regards,
Jean
Jean Feldman
Head, Policy Office
Division of Institution & Award Support (DIAS)
Office of Budget, Finance and Award Management
Head, Policy Office
Division of Institution & Award Support (DIAS)
Office of Budget, Finance and Award Management
August 8, 2016
Grant Connections | July 2016 Notes
Notes from the July Grant Connections meeting are included below. Thank you to all who attended. We hope to see you at the next meeting on Wednesday, August 24.
August 1, 2016
New Process for Resetting FastLane/Research.gov Passwords
MU Grants Community,
On Monday, August 1, NSF will implement a more convenient and secure process for resetting NSF passwords. NSF awardees and proposers will no longer be able to reach out to Sponsored Projects Offices (SPO) to reset their passwords on both FastLane and Research.gov; instead, they can reset their own password. Please note that this implementation was rescheduled from Monday, July 25, due to a power outage which caused all servers to shut down.
To reset passwords, awardees and proposers can go to www.research.gov and click “Log In,” then “Forgot Password.” After entering their NSF ID and clicking, “Send Temporary Password,” they will be able to reset their passwords using the temporary password sent to their email address on file.
Passwords must be between 8 and 20 characters and use three of the four categories below:
On Monday, August 1, NSF will implement a more convenient and secure process for resetting NSF passwords. NSF awardees and proposers will no longer be able to reach out to Sponsored Projects Offices (SPO) to reset their passwords on both FastLane and Research.gov; instead, they can reset their own password. Please note that this implementation was rescheduled from Monday, July 25, due to a power outage which caused all servers to shut down.
To reset passwords, awardees and proposers can go to www.research.gov and click “Log In,” then “Forgot Password.” After entering their NSF ID and clicking, “Send Temporary Password,” they will be able to reset their passwords using the temporary password sent to their email address on file.
Passwords must be between 8 and 20 characters and use three of the four categories below:
- Upper-case letter
- Lower-case letter
- Number
- One of these special characters # & % ! @ ( )
July 25, 2016
Grant Connections - July 2016
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
11:00 a.m. – noon
Room 572 of the Bond Life Sciences Center
Agenda
Mark your calendars! Meetings are scheduled for the following dates:
Grant Connections Organizational Crew (send your suggestions for future topics and questions to this group):
11:00 a.m. – noon
Room 572 of the Bond Life Sciences Center
Agenda
- Hot Topics
- Fair Labor Standards Act: How will the university implement? What will be the impact on our research? See attached handout for more information. Guest Speakers:
Leona Rubin, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Graduate Studies, MU
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Graduate Education, UM System
Bonnie Gregg
Senior Human Resources Manager, MU HRS
Mark your calendars! Meetings are scheduled for the following dates:
- Wednesday, August 24, 2016
- Wednesday, September 28, 2016
- Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Grant Connections Organizational Crew (send your suggestions for future topics and questions to this group):
- Liz Bent, Grants & Contracts Administrator, CAFNR
- Marty Carter, Senior Business Operations Associate, School of Medicine
- Craig David, Director, OSPA
- Sheryl Koenig, Grant Proposal Manager, 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
July 21, 2016
Registration Now Open! 2016 OSPA Certificate Series for Specialized Grants Training
MU Grants Community,
After a bit of a summer break, the OSPA Certificate Series is back and courses through October are now open for registration! Continuing the Post-Award Track Training, the sessions below are now available, including a special session on Salary Cap, EVR, and Effort Tracking. View full details and register here: https://apps.orcs.missouri.edu/ospa_training/courses.
Seats remain for…
Effort Verification Reporting (EVR), Cost Transfers, and Payroll Correcting Entries (PCE)
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Memorial Union, N222-223 JB
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.
Subawards and Consulting Agreements
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Memorial Union, Stotler Lounge I
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.
Now open…
NEW: Salary Cap, EVR, and Effort Tracking (Advanced)
Thursday, August 25, 2016
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Memorial Union, Stotler Lounge I
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.
After a bit of a summer break, the OSPA Certificate Series is back and courses through October are now open for registration! Continuing the Post-Award Track Training, the sessions below are now available, including a special session on Salary Cap, EVR, and Effort Tracking. View full details and register here: https://apps.orcs.missouri.edu/ospa_training/courses.
Seats remain for…
Effort Verification Reporting (EVR), Cost Transfers, and Payroll Correcting Entries (PCE)
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Memorial Union, N222-223 JB
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.
Subawards and Consulting Agreements
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Memorial Union, Stotler Lounge I
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.
Now open…
NEW: Salary Cap, EVR, and Effort Tracking (Advanced)
Thursday, August 25, 2016
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Memorial Union, Stotler Lounge I
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.
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