ORSP Research Updates

May 20th, 201510:30 am

IOP Auditorium

Topics Covered

• Tuition Remission Change – Velma Stamp• NIH Notices & Reminders• Vendor vs. Sub-award/Importance• General Research Admin. Updates

Tuition Remission for Ph.D. StudentsPolicy and Procedure Changes

• What is Tuition Remission?– Tuition paid in lieu of salary

Highlights of the Policy

• Policy is applicable to graduate students in all colleges

• Student must be employed as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA)

• Teaching Assistants and Student Assistants are not engaged directly in research activities therefore, not eligible for Tuition Remission (may be eligible for educational assistance or scholarships)

Highlights of the Policy

• Rate allowed each term will be determined annually by the VP for Academic Affairs and Provost. Current Rates:– $1566 per fall and spring term– $1458 for summer term

• Tuition Remission is charged monthly, based on the student's payroll distribution

• No F&A costs charged

Tuition Remission Allowability• Graduate Student must be in an employer-employee relationship

• Performing activities necessary to the project

• Payment includes % of time devoted to the work and performance

• Graduate student is enrolled in an advanced degree program and their activities are related to the program

• Compensation provided in accordance with policy and is awarded to students performing similar sponsored and non-sponsored activities

• Graduate Student compensation being charged to federal awards must meet funding agency’s guidelines

Authority and Accountability

• PI : Accountable for activity of Ph.D. Students on their sponsored projects

• GCA: Authority & accountability for charges related to this policy being charged to sponsored projects

• GCA: Must monitor tuition remission being charged to sponsored projects

• Dept. Business Administrators: Submit names of students to Student Accounting Office. Monitor tuition remission and insurance being charged to non-sponsored projects

• Read the full policy and procedural steps to ensure compliance • Questions about charging Tuition Remission to sponsored

projects – Contact GCA

Tuition Remission Policy and Procedure can be found here on our home page

Policy Questions

NIH Notices

NOT-OD-15-095• NIH may withdraw any application that is not compliant with

the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, the Funding Opportunity Announcement, and relevant NIH Guide Notices

• Examples of how this policy is applied to NIH applications include but are not limited to:– Biosketches not in the required format (NOT-OD-15-032)– Exceeding page limit requirements (NOT-OD-11-080)– Noncompliance with resubmission policy (NOT-OD-15-059)– Submitted after 5 PM local (applicant organization) time on the

application due date (NOT-OD-15-039)

NIH Notices

NOT-OD-15-098 and NOT-OD-15-099• ASSIST support is now available for the following

programs:– All multi-project grant programs (NOT-OD-13-075)– Small Research Grant (R03) and Exploratory/Developmental

Grant (R21) programs (NOT-OD-15-062)– Research Grant (R01) and Individual Career Development

Award (K, excluding KM1 and K12) programs (NOT-OD-15-098)– NIH Research Project Cooperative Agreements (U01s) (

NOT-OD-15-099)

• NOTE: Use of ASSIST is optional

NIH Reminders

NOT-OD-15-085• Reminder of new biosketch format for applications due

on/after May 25, 2015– Biosketch FAQs– SF 424 (R&R) Forms & Instructions– SciENcv system video tutorial and user guide– NIH Podcasts

• Understanding NIH’s Biosketch Requirements (mp3 and transcript)• Using SciENcv to Create an NIH Biosketch (mp3 and transcript)

PLEASE don’t let one of your NIH proposals get rejected due to non-compliance with this NEW biosketch format requirement!

NIH Reminders

NOT-OD-15-088• NIH updating accounting and business software from May 19 –

June 3, 2015– No new/revised NoAs– Institutions can utilize eRA Commons, xTrain, PMS

drawdowns, etc. – NIH will not be able to process NCEs, Fellowship Activations,

Awards, or EINs• May 23 eRA systems downtime (Saturday)

– Up to 12 hours duration– No submissions via eRA Commons (RPPRs, FFRs, JIT, etc.)– No submission of new applications via ASSIST

NIH Reminders

• Who needs an eRA Commons User ID?– NOT-OD-13-097– PIs– PostDoctoral Researchers– Graduate Students (1 month or more effort)– Undergraduate Students (1 month or more effort)– Encouraged but optional for ALL personnel listed in

the RPPR Section D - Participants• Benefit of pre-populating data from profiles

Contractor vs. Sub-recipient Determinations

• Sub-recipient (Sub-awardee) is “a non-Federal entity that receives a sub-award from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a Federal program; but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such program. A sub-recipient may also be a recipient of other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding entity.”

Contractor vs. Sub-recipient Determinations

• Sub-recipient characteristics:– Determines who is eligible to receive what federal

assistance– Performance measured in relation to whether objectives of

federal program were met– Has responsibility for programmatic decision making– Responsible for adherence to applicable federal program

requirements specified in federal award– Per the agreement, uses the federal funds to carry out a

program for public purpose specified in authorizing statute vs. providing goods & services just benefiting pass through entity.

Contractor vs. Sub-recipient Determinations

• Contractor (Vendor) is an entity that receives a contract (a legal instrument by which a non-federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a federal award).

Contractor vs. Sub-recipient Determinations

• Contractor characteristics:– Provides goods and services within normal business

operations– Provides similar goods and services to many different

purchasers– Normally operates in a competitive environment– Provides goods or services that are ancillary to the

operation of the federal program– NOT subject to the compliance requirements of the

federal program as a result of the agreement, though similar requirements could apply for other reasons

Contractor vs. Sub-recipient Determinations

• IMPORTANT to make correct determination– Proposal stage (if not budgetary implications)– Award stage (too late, but LAST chance)– Determinations will be audited; prepare for questions– MISTAKE$ here will be COSTLY !– Not sure, PLEASE contact ORSP

General Updates

• Timely Reporting:– Financial (PI, GCA and Department)– Patent and Invention (PI, ORSP and Department)– TECHNICAL (PI, ORSP and Department)

UG: NOW MORE FOCUS on Timely Close-outs

Agencies can and will hold other MUSC awards !

General Updates

F&A Related Reminders: • F&A Waivers required ANYTIME proposed rate is

LOWER than MUSC’s approved rates– KNOW “your” college’s requirements or ask ORSP

• The ACTIVITY drives the F&A rate at MUSC, NOT the sponsor– Corporate DOES NOT = 30% F&A rate– Know the activity involved and the rate is simple

(On/Off Campus Caveat; mainly VA)

General Updates

• Question from April session: Do we need to update VA MOUs on October 1st, or can we continue to update during annual appraisals?– MOU must always be current (not older than 1 year)– MOUs must be updated when changes occur with the

FTE split (research, patient care, teaching), regardless of frequency

– Could be updated only once per year; or more depending on situation• VA prefers all ANNUAL MOU updates completed by October• Processing delays can delay awards

General Updates

• Standard Terms & Conditions Update:– Timetable late summer and federal FY 17– So far nothing too alarming; No-cost extension note– Progress reports deemed adequate for demonstrating

progress towards goals & objectives of the project, a UG REQUIREMENT.

• MUSC IDEA Program Announcement– Next 9 week course approximately 8/4/15 – 9/29/15– Must completed application by 5:00 PM on 6/1/15

THANK YOU

• Questions/Comments?• PLEASE complete a survey & THANK YOU• Next ORSP Information Session:June 17th, 2015 @ 10:30 am, IOP Auditorium