Financial Stewardship of Sponsored Project Funds

1
Financial Stewardship of Sponsored Project Funds

• Presented by the Office for Sponsored Programs
• Cindy Hope - Director
• Tammy Hudson - Assistant Director

2
Goals

• Promote good stewardship of sponsored project
  funds
• Promote understanding of Research
  Administration at UA

3
Office for Research

• Office of the Vice President
• ? Dr. Joe Benson Interim Vice President for
  Research
• gt Office for Sponsored Programs
• gt Research Compliance
• gt Technology Transfer
• gt AIME (Alabama Institute for Manufacturing
  Excellence)
• gt CAF (Central Analytical Facility)

4
Office for Research

• Office for Sponsored Programs
• ? Cindy Hope, Director
• 1) Office for Sponsored Programs (Pre-Award
  Administration)
• ? Lauren Wilson, Senior Associate Director
• ? Carol Hollyhand, Associate Director
• 2) Contract and Grant Accounting
• ? Tammy Hudson, Associate Director
• 3) Cost Accounting and Analysis
• ? Linda Clemmons, Cost Analyst
• Staff listings at
• http//osp.ua.edu/site/osp_staff_listings.html h
  ttp//osp.ua.edu/cga_staff_listings.html

5
Roles Responsibilities (cont.)

• NOTE Only an authorized official for the
  University can legally bind the University. A PI
  is not a legally binding official authorized by
  the University Board of Trustees!

6
Roles Responsibilities (cont.)

• PIs Responsibilities
• ? Provide Good Sound Research or Programmatic
  Results
• ? Provide Overall Project Management
• gt Manage all project activities to ensure
  compliance with Federal, State,
  University and sponsor laws, rules, regulations
  and policies
• gt Manage the project budget (Balance the
  books, monitor spending rate)
• gt Request Amendments/Modifications through
  OSP
• gt Authorize financial transactions of the
  project
• gt Certify Time Effort
• gt Submit technical/progress reports
• gt The Federal Government places the
  primary responsibility for managing a federally
  sponsored project with the PI.
• Now Available! Report of Budget, Expenditures,
  Encumbrances and Available Balance by PI by Grant

7
Agreement Types - Source

• Federal
• ? There are 26 Federal grant-making agencies
  and over 1000
• individual grant programs
• (http//www.grants.gov/aboutgrants/grants.jsp)
• Federal Pass-Through
• ? Federal requirements apply even though the
  funds provided to the University are flowing
  through a non-federal entity
• Private
• State
• Local

During fiscal year 2007-2008, approximately 77
of the Universitys 31 million in sponsored
research expenditures originated with the Federal
Government.
8
Agreement Types Legal Form

• Contracts -- Procurement
• ? Outline specific goals and requirements
• ? For goods/services to be provided to the
  sponsor by the University
• ? Procurement relationship
• ? VERY RESTRICTIVE can have high demands,
  procurement and property clauses, e-Verify, etc.
  (FAR)
• Grants -- Assistance
• ? For transfer of money, property or services to
  the recipient
• ? To provide support to accomplish a public
  purpose of support
• ? Anticipates no substantial programmatic
  involvement of the sponsor
• Cooperative Agreements -- Assistance
• ? Similar to a grant
• ? Substantial sponsor involvement

9
Agreement Types Legal Form (cont.)

• Gifts
• ? Unilateral transfer of funds by a donor
  without restrictions
• ? Allow the recipient significant freedom
  to manage the project and determine how the
  assets will be utilized
• ? Do not require deliverables or detailed
  reports
• ? Do not require regulatory oversight
  (animal care, human subjects, bio-safety)
• ? Do not require separate accounting
  procedures or detailed financial reports
• ? Administrated by Office of University
  Advancement

10
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial

• Federal
• ? Office of Management Budget (OMB)
  Circulars
• ? Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)
• State
• ? State law (e.g. bid law), Opinions of State
  Examiner
• University
• ? Generally conform to Federal, and always to
  State, guidelines
• ? Usually more specific and may be more
  restrictive

11
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal

• Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars
• http//www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/
• ? A-21, Cost Principles for Educational
  Institutions
• ? A-110, Uniform Administrative Requirements
  for Grants and Other
• Agreements with Institutions
  of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other
• Nonprofit Organizations
• ? A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments
  and Nonprofit Organizations
• Federal Agency and Program Rules (examples)
• ? NIH Grants Policy Statement
• http//grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003
  /index.htm
• ? NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures
  Guide
• http//www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?od
  s_keypapp

12
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal

• Federal Acquisition Regulations (FARs)
• ? Regulations applicable to federal
  procurement actions
• gt For UA, applicable to contracts
• gt A good website for searching the
  FAR
• http//www.acqnet.gov/far/
• The FAR System is Established for the
  codification and publication of uniform policies
  and procedures for acquisition by all executive
  agencies. FAR .101

13
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial
Federal Order of Precedence
Award Special Conditions Program Rules Agency
Rules OMB Circulars and/or FAR
14
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal (cont.)

• OMB Circular A-21
• ? Establishes the principles for determining
  costs applicable to grants, contracts and other
  agreements with educational institutions
• ? Prescribes methods for calculating,
  negotiating and charging Facilities
  Administrative (FA) cost rates (indirect or
  overhead rates)
• ? Includes four cost accounting standards
• gt Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

15
Regulations, Policies Procedures - Financial -
Federal - OMB A-21 (cont.)

• Factors affecting allowability of costs
• ? Reasonable
• gt Prudent person test
• gt Necessary for the performance of the
  project
• gt Consistent with established
  University practices
• ? Allocable
• gt Benefits the project
• gt Chargeable in accordance with the
  relative benefit received
• Proportional benefit
• gt Costs of one project may not be
  shifted to another
• gt Be careful of equipment purchased
  near the end of a grant/contract
• Document, document, document!
• Enough detail to support the charge
• Explanation of how the expense benefited the
  project

16
Regulations, Policies Procedures - Financial
Federal Consistent Treatment

• Consistent treatment
• gt Consistency in estimating,
  accumulating and reporting
• From proposing to charging to
  reporting
• AUDIT RISK!!!
• Fixed-Price - Payment is not subject to
  adjustment based on cost incurred. Billing(s)
  are not based on actual expenditures
• ? Residual funds revert to the University
  
• gt Beware of falsification in
  proposing/estimating costs
• gt 25 residual may indicate
• Change in scope
• Shift of expenses to department
  or other sponsored agreements
• gt Not an excuse for inconsistent
  accounting practices!!!

17
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-21 (cont.)

• Factors affecting allowability (cont.)
• ? Consistency in allocating costs incurred
  for the same purpose
• ? All costs incurred for the same purpose,
  in like circumstances, are either direct costs
  only or FA costs only with respect to final cost
  objectives. (OMB A-21, C.11.a.)
• gt Direct Costs
• Identifiable and assignable to
  a specific project or activity
• Support the projects purpose
  and activity
• Included in award budget or
  sponsor approval for re-budgeting
• gt FA Costs
• Cannot be clearly identified or
  allocated to an individual project
• Not identified readily to a
  specific program or activity

18
Examples

• Direct Costs
• ? Non-administrative Salaries, Wages, Fringe
  Benefits, such as
• gt Principal Investigator gt Faculty
• gt Research Assistant gt Scientist
  
• gt Technician gt Post
  Doc.
• ? Animals and Animal Care Per Diems
• ? Consultants
• ? Equipment (Technical Scientific)
• ? Maintenance/Repair - Scientific Equipment
• ? Page Charges/Reprints/Reference Materials
• ? Freight/Other Transportation
• gt UPS gt FedEx gt Priority Mail
• ? Rental of Space / Equipment (Non-UA owned)
• ? Service/Recharge Center Charges
• ? Subcontracts
• ? Materials Supplies
• gt Chemicals (Lab) gt Gases gt Radioisotopes
  
• ? Telephone Charges - Long Distance

• Indirect Costs
• ?Administrative and Clerical Salaries, Wages,
  Fringe Benefits, such as
• gt Fiscal Officer
  gt Accountant
• gt Department Administrator gt
  Secretary
• gt Administrative Staff officer gt
  Staff Asst.
• ? Computer Hardware (General Purpose)
• ? Dues Memberships
• ? Equipment (General Purpose)
• gt Copier gt Office Furniture
• ? Maintenance/Repair - General Purpose Eqmt.
• ? Meals Refreshments
• ? Printing
• ? Postage
• ? Subscriptions
• ? Office Supplies
• gt pens gt pencils gt transparencies
  gt binders
• gt paper, tablets gt staples gt files,
  folders
• gt computer software (general)

CAS 502, Interpretation (c) - proposal costs are
indirect unless pursuant to a specific
requirement of an existing sponsored agreement
19
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-21 (cont.)

• WHY? Research Rate Simplified FA
  Calculation
• Numerator Expenses
• Allocations to Research from
• Library
• Building Depreciation
• Operation Maintenance (Utilities)
• General Administration (Payroll)
• Department Administration (Dean, Business
  Mgr.)
• Sponsored Projects Administration
  FA Rate
• Denominator Expenses
• MTDC of
• Sponsored Research Agreements
• University Research
• Cost Sharing/Matching on Research Agreements

20
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-21 (cont.)

• Consistent Treatment (cont.)
• ? Exception for salaries of administrative or
  clerical staff ONLY allowed for major project
  (F.6.b.(2))
• gt Major project examples/guidance A-21
  Exhibit C
• ? Office supplies, postage, local telephone
  costs, and memberships shall normally be treated
  as FA costs Exceptions ONLY for different
  purpose or circumstances (CAS 502)
• ? ALL exceptions need University approval
  and must meet the following
• gt Cost are explicitly budgeted, with
  justification
• gt Direct Charge Justification Form
  http//osp.ua.edu/justification.doc

21
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-21 (cont.)

• Consistent Treatment (cont.)
• Auditors will expect documentation AND to find
  that there are REALLY exceptional circumstances
• The fact that a cost requested in a budget is
  awarded, as requested, does not ensure a
  determination of allowability. The organization
  is responsible for presenting costs consistently
  and must not include costs associated with their
  FA rate as direct costs. -- NIH Grants Policy
  Statement

22
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-21 (cont.)

• Factors affecting allowablity (cont.)
• ? Unallowable costs are not eligible for
  Federal reimbursement
• either directly or indirectly
• ? Unallowable Activities
• Fundraising Alumni Activities
• Lobbying
  Public Relations
• ? Unallowable Transactions
• Alcoholic Beverages
  Advertising
• Fines Penalties
  Entertainment
• ? Directly associated costs of unallowable
  activities and transactions are also
  unallowable

23
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-21 (cont.)

• Unallowable Costs (cont.)
• ? OMB A-21, J., General provisions for
  selected item of cost
• Some items needing special attention
• (Allowability depends on the facts and
  circumstances.)
• gt Equipment (J.18. Equip and other cap exp.)
• gt Meetings (J.32. Meetings and Conferences)
• gt Tuition (J.45. Scholarship and student aid
  costs)
• UA policy, Tuition, Stipends and Other
  Student Payments at
• http//osp.ua.edu/policy_procedures.html
• gt Travel (J.53. Travel costs)
• UA policy is applicable
• Allocability is a typical audit question
  (particularly 100)
• Fly America Act

24
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-21 (cont.)

• Time Effort (TE) Reporting
• ? Methodology for documenting salary
  distribution
• gt Must reasonably reflect the activity
  for which the employee is
• compensated by the University
• gt All individuals who work on a sponsored
  project are subject to TE
• requirements
• gt PIs effort must be certified by the PI
• gt Most research projects should have some
  level of committed faculty effort
• January 5, 2001 OMB
  Memorandum
• Minimum PI Effort, http//osp.ua.edu/Minimum_a
  llowable.html
• gt Extra (Supplemental) Compensation
  (OMB A-21, J.10.d)
• May not exceed 100 base salary without
  special permission from the agency
• http//osp.ua.edu/Extra20Compensation.doc

25
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-21 (cont.)

• Time Effort (TE) Reporting
• ? Intense Federal audit scrutiny in this
  area
• gt Salaries and wages represent the
  largest portion of sponsored project
  expenditures
• gt New focus on ensuring commitments are
  met
• gt Issues with 100 salary charged to
  sponsored projects, even in summer
• e.g. new proposal submissions
• ? Web based Effort Reporting System
• http//osp.ua.edu/effortreporting.html
• gt Instructions for using system
• gt UA Effort Reporting Policies and
  Procedures (including Effort Reporting
  Fundamentals)

26
Regulations, Policies Procedures - Financial -
Federal - OMB A-21 (cont.)

• Facilities Administrative (FA) Cost Rate
• ? UAs Current Federally Negotiated Rates
• gt http//osp.ua.edu/FandAdocument.pdf
• ? Negotiated rates assume a Modified Total
  Direct Cost (MTDC) Base
• gt Calculated on a subset of direct costs,
  normally excluding equipment,
• tuition, the portion of subcontract
  costs in excess of 25,000
• ? On or Off-campus
• gt http//osp.ua.edu/On_OffCampusRateApplicati
  on.doc

FA costs are real costs of carrying out
sponsored project activities. UA must fund these
costs from other sources when not recovered from
sponsors (i.e., full negotiated rate not charged).
27
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal (cont.)

• OMB Circular A-110
• ? Sets forth standards for obtaining
  consistency and uniformity among Federal
  agencies in the administration of grants to and
  agreements with institutions of higher education
• ? Requires Financial and Program Management
  
• gt Financial Management
• gt Property Standards
• gt Procurement Standards
• gt Records and Reports
• gt Pre-award and Closeout Procedures

28
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-110 (cont.)

• Cost Sharing
• ? The portion of project or program costs not
  funded by the sponsor
• ? UA Cost Sharing Policies, Procedures and
  Instructions at http//osp.ua.edu/policy_procedu
  res.html
• ? 2 types of cost sharing
• gt Mandatory
• gt Voluntary - Committed and Uncommitted
• Committed is treated exactly
  like Mandatory
• gt To count toward commitment, must be
  clearly defined and directly allocated to a
  specific sponsored project
• gt Voluntary Uncommitted cost share
• Defined January 5, 2001 OMB
  Memorandum
• gt Not typically allowed to use Federal
  funds to meet commitment

29
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-110 (cont.)

• Program Income
• ? Gross income earned by the recipient while
• the project is active
• gt Directly generated by a sponsored
  activity/as a result of the award (e.g.
  fees charged to conference participants)
• ? Treated in one of three ways - (Depending on
  policy, sponsor type, and/or terms and
  conditions of award)
• gt Additive
• Increases the amount available to accomplish
  program objectives
• gt Deductive
• Deducted from the financial commitment of
  the sponsor
• gt Matching
• Used to finance the non-federal share of the
  project

30
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-110 (cont.)

• Program Income (cont.)
• ? If not deducted from the sponsors
  obligation, must be used to further eligible
  project or program objectives
• ? Accounted for in accordance with Federal
  and sponsor agreement (separate Fund in Banner)
• ? A-110, .22 (g), Payment (Cash Management)
• gt Program Income must be spent before the
  federal funds
• ? Income earned after the program ends is not
  reportable

31
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-110 (cont.)

• Revision of Budget and Program Plans
• ? Sponsor approval for substantial deviations
  (Subpart C, .25)
• gt Research General Terms and Conditions (1/25/08
  Federal Register)
• The recipient must obtain the prior written
  approval of the Federal awarding
• agency before making any of the following
  project changes
• 1) Change in scope or objectives
  (even if no budget revision)
• 2) Absence (gt 3 months or 25
  reduction in effort) or change of PI
• 3) Need for additional federal funds
  (clearly no Federal liability)
• 4) Transfer of a significant part of
  the research (e.g. subagreement)
• Not all agencies have implemented! Those that
  do can supplement the core set with agency
  specific, program specific, or award specific
  administrative requirements.
• gt For example, NSF incorporated effective 7/1/08
  on all new grants and funding increments BUT,
  added a prior approval requirement for
  reallocation of funds budgeted for participant
  or trainee support costs

32
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-110 (cont.)

• Revision of Budget and Program Plans (cont.)
• ? Understanding the Effects of Re-budgeting
• gt Re-budgeting between exempt direct cost
  and non-exempt direct costs
• Re-budgeting to exempt costs
  (e.g. equipment) from non-exempt (e.g.
  salaries) results in a reduction to FA cost line
  which can be re-budgeted
• Re-budgeting from exempt costs
  to non-exempt costs, requires budget
  change to provide for additional FA cost
• ? UA Best Practices Budget Procedures for
  Grants and Contracts, found at
  http//osp.ua.edu/Proposal_administration.html

33
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-110 (cont.)

• Property Standards
• Set forth uniform standards governing
  management and disposition of property furnished
  by the Federal Government whose cost was charged
  to a project supported by a Federal award. OMB
  A-110, .30
• ? UAs Equipment Threshold (5,000 effective
  10/01/05)
• ? UAs policy to ensure allocability does not
  allow for purchase of
• equipment in the last 60 days of the
  project without documented
• support for allocablity (i.e. it will be
  questioned)
• ? Property Control Policy Procedure Manual
• gt http//financialaffairs.ua.edu/admin/lss/pi
  m/index.html

34
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-110 (cont.)

• Procurement Standards
• Set forth standards for use by recipients in
  establishing procedures for the procurement of
  supplies and other expendable property,
  equipment, real property and other services with
  Federal funds. OMB A-110, .40
• ? All purchases must be made in accordance
  with University's
• policies and procedures and must also
  comply with funding
• agency guidelines and be consistent
  with the award budget
• gt Basic requirements are geared
  towards competition
• gt Contract provisions (e.g. Debarment
  and Suspension)
• gt UA PP http//financialaccounting.ua
  .edu/accts-payable/
• ? Approval signature authority
• gt Written UA policy coming soon!

35
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal - OMB A-110 (cont.)

• Reports and Records - Set forth the procedures
  for monitoring and reporting on the recipient's
  financial and program performance and the
  necessary standard reporting forms. They also
  set forth record retention requirements. OMB
  A-110, .50
• ? Monitoring and reporting program
  performance (see .51)
• ? Financial reporting
• gt Completed and submitted by CG
  Accounting (not dept!)
• ? Retention and access requirements for
  records
• gt UA retains official records centrally
• Sponsor can hold up ALL of the agencys funding
  to UA for lack of above including
  Technical/Progress report!

36
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal (cont.)

• OMB Circular A-133
• ? Establishes the audit requirements for
  federally sponsored awards
• ? Defines prime recipient responsibilities
  for monitoring subrecipients
• gt Subrecipient or Vendor?
• Subrecipient versus Vendor Checklist at
  http//osp.ua.edu/internalforms.html
• Effect on budget! Also, Vendor
  (Professional) vs Employee
• Budget plus Extra Compensation issues
• gt Roles and responsibilities
• Subrecipient Monitoring Policy at
  http//osp.ua.edu/policy_procedures.html
• gt Fed Audit - Univ. Maryland Baltimore Co
  Subawardee Findings
• Develop a fiscal monitoring plan and
• Review cost sharing supporting documentation

37
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal Other Issues

• ? Cost Transfers
• gt What is the problem?
• A cost is originally charged to an account
  and is, therefore, certified for
  allowability, allocability, consistency, direct
  benefit, etc.
• A cost transfer invalidates that original
  certification
• gt What makes the problem bigger?
• Transfers that clear a deficit off a project
• Salary transfers after certification
• Inadequate explanation/justification (e.g.,
  to correct error)
• Late (How far behind are we on account
  review/reconciliation?)

38
Regulations, Policies Procedures- Financial -
Federal Other Issues

• ? Cost Transfers
• gt Late (continued)
• HSS Grant Policy Statement re Cost Transfers
• Generally unallowable but may be necessary to
  correct error, Permissible cost transfers should
  be made promptly after the error occurs but no
  later than 90 days following occurrence unless a
  longer period is approved in advance by the GMO.
  
• gt UA requires that all cost transfers be
  accomplished in a timely manner and be supported
  by documentation that fully explains how the
  error occurred and a certification of the
  correctness of the new charge
• UA Policy and link to Cost Transfer Request
  form http//osp.ua.edu/Cost20Transfer
  20Policy20r2.doc

39
Regulations, Policies Procedures

• And Finally, Close-out!
• ? Need for timeliness
• gt Start while the grant is still active
• gt Is it really time to closeout? Extension
  should be requested well in advance of
  end-date
• ? Best Practices
• gt Communicate throughout the life of the project
• gt Review project expenses throughout life of the
  project

40
Best Practices

• Get it right from the beginning
• ? Budget Procedures for Grants and
  Contracts
• gt Budget development, management procedures and
  best practices in one, comprehensive document
• gt Written with PI, Departmental Administrator,
  Grant Specialist and Grant Accountant in mind
• gt Found on OSPs Proposal Development web page
• http//osp.ua.edu/Proposal_administration.html

41

• Thank You!
• Office for Research
• Office for Sponsored Programs
• 348-5152
• http//osp.ua.edu/
• Cindy Hope, 348-8119, chope_at_fa.ua.edu
• Tammy Hudson, 348-8117, thudson_at_fa.ua.edu
• Contract and Grant Accounting, Staff Listing
• http//osp.ua.edu/cga_staff_listings.html