Sponsored Programs Administration at MSU

1
Life Cycle of an Award
2
Start to Finish
3
Idea

• Where do I find funding opportunities?
• Who do I talk to about my idea?
• When is it appropriate to contact the sponsor
  with my idea?
• What do I do with my idea?

4
Finding Funding

• Office of Research and Economic Development
  (ORED)
• Dr. Teresa Gammill tgammill_at_research.msstate.edu
  or 662.325.3570
• ORED website www.research.msstate.edu

5
Finding Funding cont

• ORED Responsibilities for Sponsored Projects
• Limited Submissions
• Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training
• Research Seminar Series and Videos
• Funding Opportunities

6
Finding Funding cont

• Who to talk to about your idea
• Department Head
• ORED
• Sponsor Agency Program Officer (especially if
  idea is unsolicited)

7
Contacting the Sponsor

• Program Officers can advise you in the following
  areas
• Sponsors potential interest in your research
  area
• Potential application areas/topics
• Appropriate FOA (funding opportunity
  announcement) through which to apply
• Topics of interest/new scientific directions of
  Investigator-initiated research

8
Contacting the Sponsor cont

• Additional information such as applications or
  program announcements
• Special requirements (IRB, IACUC, etc)
• Study section to request in your cover letter

9
Program Officer Dos and Donts

• Dont
• Contact PO just to chat
• Call cold-call unless your question is very
  simple or you need confirmation of guideline
  requirements
• Pester them

10
Program Officer Dos and Donts

• Do
• Most importantly, do your homework
• Be as specific as possible in your request
• When in doubt, ask!

11
What do I do now?

• Take advice from program officer and find
  specific FOA, RFP, etcin which to apply
• Read and understand guidelines and application
  package
• Give guidelines and application package to
  business manager
• Discuss application with Department Head

12
Proposal

• When do I notify my administrator of an upcoming
  proposal?
• What is the deadline for getting my proposal
  package to my administrator for submission?
• How is my proposal submitted?
• Who has signature authority?
• What happens after my administrator receives my
  completed proposal package?
• When will I find out if my proposal was awarded?

13
When and Why to Contact your SPAdmin Administrator

• As Soon As Possible!!!
• Send important paperwork (RFP, emails from
  Program Officers, etc)
• Big deadlines require help of entire office

14
Suggested Proposal Timeline

• 10 Days Prior to Submission Deadline
• Send RFP to SPAdmin Administrator, your business
  manager and Dean/Director for review
• 5 Days Prior to Submission Deadline
• Send budget budget justification to SPAdmin
  Administrator, your business manager and
  Dean/Director for review
• Start Routing IAS
• 3 days Prior to Submission Deadline
• Send FINAL Proposal to SPAdmin for review and
  submission

(http//www.policies.msstate.edu/policypdfs/7001.p
df )
15
Submission Portals

• Grants.gov
• Many sponsors use this portal
• Will be sent in Adobe Package
• Download from www.grants.gov
• Very important to send package early
• Fastlane
• NSF submission portal
• Goes straight to NSF
• User friendly

16
Submission Portals cont.

• Cayuse 424
• System to system submission portal that goes
  straight to sponsor
• SPAdmin will train on how to use
• Penny French pfrench_at_spa.msstate.edu 325-2490
• Individual sponsor portals (email, etc)
• Check guidelines for submission information
• Can require extra copies as well

17
Signature Authority

• Jennifer Easley, Director, Sponsored Programs
  Administration
• PI does not have signature authority
• Document available to show signature authority if
  needed by sponsor

18
SPAdmin Review Procedure

• SPAdmin Proposal Review
• Check salaries, budget and budget justification
• Review and check total package for errors
• Call or send email about needed corrections
• Double check with PI/department that proposal is
  ready to be submitted
• Send confirmation emails to PI from sponsor as
  received

19
When Will I Know?

• Sponsors differ in ways PIs are notified of
  award
• May not always get denial notification
• Could take up to 6 months or longer
• If you receive an award
• Send to SPAdmin ASAP
• Also send copy to your business manager
• Make sure all special approvals received (IRB,
  IACUC, etc)

20
Award

• What happens when SPAdmin receives my award?
• When do I need to get my Compliance approvals?
• What happens when SPAdmin tells me that the award
  is being negotiated?
• What happens after the award is signed and
  accepted by MSU?

21
SPAdmin Has My Award

• What will SPAdmin do with my award?
• Read through and make sure no changes are needed
• May need to negotiate terms with sponsor (send to
  legal,etc)
• Make sure all attachments and forms received with
  award

22
Compliance Approvals

• IRB, IACUC, Security, Biohazard Safety,
  etc(http//orc.msstate.edu/)
• Office of Research Security (http//ors.msstate.ed
  u )
• Need to get approvals at time that you know the
  award is coming
• Can hold up award and PAR cannot be issued until
  approvals received
• SPAdmin cannot award a project until all
  approvals have been received

23
What Do You Mean Negotiate?

• SPAdmin must make sure that all language is
  acceptable to MSU in order to protect MSU and the
  PI
• Cannot accept some terms such as governing law in
  another state
• Will talk to sponsor about removing or changing
  such clauses
• Could possibly take a while depending on sponsor

24
My Award is Signed! Now What?

• SPAdmin will put together the award package (IAS,
  revised budget, award, proposal, approvals)
• Awards in Banner and prints cover sheet for
  package
• Sends to SPAcctg for fund set up

25
Post-Award SPAcctg.

• When will I receive a fund number for my new
  award?
• What is a cost share fund?
• What is a child fund?
• Who pays the bills?

26
I Need a Fund Number

• SPAdmin will send award to SPAcctg to set up fund
  number
• SPAcctg will check award
• Any questions go back to SPAdmin or department
  for clarification
• May take up to 2 weeks to get fund number

27
Fund Number cont.

• Can set up PAR (preliminary account request)
• Must fill out PAR form on SPAdmin website
  (http//spa.msstate.edu/pdf/PAR.pdf)
• Must attach budget and have signed by PI,
  Department Head and Dean
• Can get PAR if there is a guarantee of funding
  from sponsor
• Cannot get PAR unless all special approvals
  received (IRB, IACUC, etc)

28
Cost Share Fund

• Set up when actual cost share required by sponsor
  or mentioned in proposal by PI
• Fund starts with 80 and mirrors the last 4
  numbers of the 30 fund
• Captures actual cost share accrued on project
• Must be captured during the current fiscal year

29
Child Funds

• Fund set up to separate part of Parent fund for
  different or same department
• Has own budget
• Usually requested at time of proposal on IAS
• Set up when Parent fund awarded
• Can request Child fund on award later during
  project using Child Fund form (http//spa.msstate.
  edu/forms/pdfs/ReqforChildFund.pdf)

30
How the Money Comes from Sponsor

• SPAcctg processes most invoices to the sponsor
  according to the terms of the award (monthly,
  quarterly, etc)
• SPAcctg makes draw downs from feds, invoices
  State and private sponsors
• Department sometimes invoices
• SPAcctg houses collections person that collects
  past due invoices
• Sent to Legal for collection after certain time
  period

31
Post-Award SPAdmin.

• PI change
• No Cost Extension
• Budget revision
• All prior approvals
• Transfers

32
Award Closeout

• What happens when my grant/contract ends?
• What happens if I overspend on my fund or I
  charge items to the fund?
• Who sends the final reports?
• What if my fund has a balance (positive or
  negative) at the end of the project?
• What happens to the equipment I purchased for my
  project?
• What happens if my reports are late?

33
My Project is Completed

• Sponsor will ask for close-out information
• Final reports
• Invention Statement
• Equipment
• SPAdmin. coordinates information
• SPAcctg will contact you for final expenses
• Make sure all expenses are in correct category on
  correct project
• All cost share has been accounted for

34
Final Reports

• SPAcctg Final invoice and financial report
• PI Final technical report
• SPAdmin invention and equipment

35
Fund Balance

• If award is cost reimbursable
• Remaining funds are deobligated back to sponsor
• If award is fixed price
• Residual balance at end of project after
  University recovers 100 FA
• Any waived FA up to federally negotiated rate
  will be recovered
• If less than 100, transfer residual to
  departments designated residual fund

36
Fund Balance cont

• Exceeds 100, SPAcctg sends email to budget
  manager/PI requesting Certification of
  Expenditures (COE) identifying which fund to
  transfer residual balance to
• If fund not identified within 90 calendar days of
  initial request, residual balance may be
  appropriated by university and used for
  institutional needs
• If balance greater than 25 of award amount at
  end of project, PI must provide justification
  approved by appropriate VP. If cannot be
  adequately justified, may be transferred to
  appropriate Vice President

http//www.policies.msstate.edu/policypdfs/6105.pd
f
37
Project Equipment

• Title to equipment listed in award or asked of
  sponsor at time of award
• SPAdmin will send disposition paperwork to
  sponsor
• If MSU Title, equipment kept by PI/Department
  with understanding of what property will be used
  for
• OMB Circular A-21, Section J. 18 any article of
  nonexpendable, tangible personal property having
  a useful life of more than one year and an
  acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the
  lesser of the capitalization level established by
  the institution for financial Statement purposes
  or 5,000

38
Late Reports

• Due dates listed in award
• Could keep PI and MSU from receiving further
  funding from sponsor
• Hold on final payment

39
Record Keeping

• SPAcctg official record keeper for central files
  (not department files or property records)
• Department is official record keeper for project
  file
• Check award for how long records should be kept
• Usually 3-5 years after date of final financial
  report of project
• Property usually 3 years after final disposition
• PI/Department should keep very detailed paperwork
  during project and DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT,
  DOCUMENT!!!!

40
What if I Get Audited?

• Contact Internal Audit, SPAdmin and SPAcctg asap
• Internal audit and SPAcctg will help pull
  information
• PI should meet with internal audit before sponsor
  arrives
• Meet with sponsor and provide requested
  information but nothing extra
• Notify IA, SPAdmin and SPAcctg of any findings
• IA, SPAdmin and SPAcctg will help to clear
  findings

41
Process
42
Process cont.
43
Remember.
Money won't buy happiness, but it will pay the
salaries of a large research staff to study the
problem. (via Brainy Quote)"Bill Vaughan
44
Questions?
45
Contact Information
SPAdmin LeLe Newell
lnewell_at_spa.msstate.edu
325.7396 SPAccounting Jonathan Tucker
jtucker_at_controller.msstate.edu 325-3513
Kate Teasler kteasler_at_contoller.msstate.edu
325-1921 Internal Audit Melanie
Honeycutt mhoneycutt_at_audit.msstate.edu
325-7353