Research Performance Progress Report RPPR Update

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• Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR)
  Update
• Update to the Federal Demonstration Partnership
• May 24th, 2007

Jean Feldman National Science Foundation Chair,
RPPR Working Group
2
Background

• This RPPR proposal is an initiative of the
  Research Business Models (RBM) Subcommittee of
  the Committee on Science (CoS), a Committee of
  the National Science and Technology Council
  (NSTC)
• Objective of this initiative is to establish a
  uniform format for reporting performance on
  Federally-funded research projects
• This proposed policy addresses progress reports
  only
• The Subcommittee will consider a format for final
  reports once the progress report format has been
  issued
• The RBM Subcommittee reviewed the formats
  currently used by Federal agencies for reporting
  performance on research grants and decided to use
  the National Science Foundations (NSF) reporting
  categories as a starting point for designing a
  standard format

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Overview

• Each of the categories in the RPPR is a separate
  reporting component
• Federal agencies will direct their grant
  recipients to report on the mandatory categories
  and may direct them to also report on the
  optional categories, as appropriate
• Agencies will utilize the standard instructions
  that have been developed, but may provide
  additional program-specific instructions
  necessary to clarify a requirement for a
  particular program
• Agencies also may develop additional agency- or
  program-specific reporting categories and
  instructions however, OMB approval is required

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Additional Information

• Research Performance Progress Report Format
  Content
• Cover Page Data Elements
• Mandatory Categories
• Accomplishments What was done? What was
  learned?
• Changes/Problems/Special Reporting Requirements1
• Optional Categories
• Products/Outcomes What has the project produced?
• Participants Who has been involved?
• Impact What is the impact of the project? How
  has it contributed?

1The decision regarding whether the
Changes/Problems/Special Reporting Requirements
category should be mandatory or optional has not
yet been finalized. The RPPR Working Group is
particularly interested in receiving feedback
from the community on this aspect of the
proposed format.
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Current Status

• Working Group reconvened and considered every
  comment received as part of the webcast comment
  process.
• Comments received from
• Panelists during webcast
• COGR
• NSF OIG
• An individual institution
• Revisions were made to the draft based on
  comments received. Changes include
• Terminology and definitional changes
• Editing to clarify a particular aspect of the
  format
• Changes/Problems/Special Reporting Requirements
  will very likely move to the Optional Category
• RPPR format is currently being reviewed by OSTP
  and OMB

6

• Federal Financial Report (FFR)
• Update
• Update to the Federal
• Demonstration Partnership
• May 24th, 2007
• Michael Nelson
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
  US Department of Commerce

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Background

• On April 8, 2003, OMB announced in the Federal
  Register its intent to establish a new Federal
  Financial Report (FFR)
• In establishing that report, OMB sought to
  consolidate the current Financial Status Report
  (SF-269 and SF-269A) with the Federal Cash
  Transactions Report (SF-272 and SF-272A)
• The April 8, 2003, announcement in the Federal
  Register generated more than 200 comments from
  Federal agencies and a wide range of recipients
  including institutions of higher education and
  associations representing academic institutions
• Comments collected from the April 8, 2003 Federal
  Register announcement were considered by the
  Grants Policy Committee Post Award Work Group in
  the development of the final version of the FFR

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Overview

• Federal Financial Report (FFR) is the proposed
  format for government wide financial reporting
• FFR consolidates elements of the four financial
  reporting forms currently in use
• the Federal Cash Transactions Report (SF 272 and
  272A)
• and the Financial Status Report (SF 269 and 269A)
• FFR standardizes reporting information by
  providing a pool of data elements from which
  agencies can choose to use for reporting purposes

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Additional Information

• For single award reporting, federal agencies may
  require both cash management information on lines
  10(a) through 10(c) and financial status
  information lines 10(d) through 10(q)
• The submission of interim FFRs will be on a
  quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, as
  directed by the federal agency. A final FFR shall
  be submitted at the completion of the award
  agreement
• The following reporting period end dates shall be
  used for interim reports 3/31, 6/30, 9/30, or
  12/31. For final FFRs, the reporting period end
  date shall be the end date of the project or
  grant period

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Additional Information (cont.)

• Quarterly and semi-annual interim reports shall
  be submitted no later than 30 days after the end
  of each reporting period. Annual reports shall be
  submitted no later than 90 days after the end of
  each reporting period and final reports shall be
  submitted no later than 90 days after the project
  or grant period end date.

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Current Status

• The FFRs use as a pilot by the Payment
  Management System revealed no underlying show
  stoppers for the report
• The FFR was presented at a March 8, 2007 Federal
  Grant Streamlining Initiative Webcast
• Questions from the webcast were generally ones of
  clarification no modifications to the form were
  made
• The form has been simplified as much as possible
• Information Technology input has not revealed any
  major issues for use of the report
• Currently, the FFR is at OMB for preparation for
  Federal Register Notification