ORA Newsletter - Week ending 12/21/01

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Section 1 - What's New

Section 2 - New Funding Opportunities

Section 3 - Reminders

Section 4 - Closing Information and Unsubscribe Instructions

 

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WHAT'S NEW

1) From the FYI Digest: Initial Budget Release Program Becomes DSR Standard Operating Procedure

The Division of Sponsored Research (DSR) recently conducted a pilot project to demonstrate the effectiveness of a DSR initiated budget release process for new sponsored projects. This pilot project was discussed in the October 12, 2001 RGP-FYI Digest, Volume 29, Issue 8. Due to the positive evaluation of the pilot program, DSR has adopted the program as Standard Operating Procedure, with two adjustments as follows:

1) DSR will discontinue the initial budget release on those awards administered by IFAS. The responsibility for these budget releases returns to the IFAS Sponsored Programs Accounting Division.

2) DSR will discontinue the second budget release into those accounts previously established as a Temporary account. This responsibility will
return to the Departments

DSR Standard Operating Procedure for Initial Budget Releases

** Initial Budget Release Program: For all new awards received, with the exception of awards administered by Engineering and IFAS, DSR's Award
Administration will complete and submit to Contracts and Grants the Initial Budget Release Form (a TR20 equivalent).

** What is a New Award? For purposes of this program a new award is defined as an award requiring a new account. This includes a request for a Temporary
account for a pending new award.

** What does the Program Replace? This program eliminates the Department or PI from initiating a budget release (TR20) into a new award. This program does not relieve other requirements that may be needed for an account to be established or budget released. For example, the Contracts and Grants Cost Sharing Form or the NRSA Statement of Appointment Forms would still be required.

** What Budget Categories will be used? The Initial Budget Release will be allocated to budget categories as accurately as possible, given the
information provided in the award document and proposal budget. If DSR has very little in terms of budget information, funds awarded for direct costs
will be released into the salary category, with applicable indirect costs released into the indirect cost category.

** Rebudgeting: The Initial Budget Release Program does not impact the ability to rebudget funds as needed to advance the work and as allowed under
the terms of the award.

** What does the Program Accomplish?
== A quick release of funds into a new account
== An initial budget release that is consistent with the agency-approved budget
== Relieves Department Administrators and PI's from a process easily completed at DSR(Posted 12/21/01)

 

2) From the FYI Digest: Reminder: NIH Non-Competing Continuations

 

NIH employs SNAP (Streamlining the Noncompeting Award Process) procedures to simplify the process and requirements for non-competing award continuation
applications. Unless excluded by a condition of the grant award, SNAP applies to most NIH award mechanisms, including: R01, R03, R13, R15, R18, R21, R24, R25, R29, R37, R42, R44 and all "K" awards.

Faculty completing the Non-Competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) are reminded to answer the following three questions on Form Page 5 before
starting the Progress Report:

(1) Has there been a change in the "Other Support" for key personnel?
(2) Will there be, in the next budget period, a change in the level of effort for key personnel?
(3) Explain any estimated unobligated balance (including prior year carryover) that is greater than 25% of the current year's total budget or
more than $250,000.

Questions may be directed to RGP's Proposal Processing Office at 392-9267. (Posted 12/21/01) 

 

3) From the NIH Guide:  Graduate Student Compensation (NOT-OD-02-017)

 

This notice establishes a new policy related to the level of compensation for graduate students supported by funds from National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants and cooperative agreements.This notice supersedes the notice that appeared in the NIH guide for Grants and Contracts on December 2, 1998

(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-168.html).Under this new policy, the maximum amount awarded by the NIH for the support of a graduate student supported on a research grant or a cooperative agreement is tied to the zero level National Research Service Award (NRSA) stipend in effect at the time the grant award is issued.The schedule for NRSA stipends can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm. As before, the amount provided for compensation includes salary or wages, fringe benefits, and tuition remission.

These guidelines apply to graduate students at the grantee institution who are supported by NIH research grants and cooperative agreements and not to individuals supported by NRSA training grants and fellowships.NIH has separate appropriations to support research training under the NRSA authorization at Section 487 of the Public Health Service Act.For all new and competing grant and cooperative agreement awards, the NIH will provide reasonable amounts for graduate compensation, consistent with the requested budget for the position(s) and up to the currently effective NRSA zero postdoctoral stipend level.For example, in FY2002 until a NIH budget is finalized, any competing awards issued will use the FY2001 level of $28,260.Once FY2002 stipend levels are established, awards will be issued using the new (yet-to-be-determined) higher level.As in the past, no adjustments will be made to a noncompeting total cost award levels or future year commitments.NIH staff will review the compensation requested for graduate students on competing and cooperative agreement applications for which a detailed budget is submitted.NIH will not request nor accept budgets for those applications using a modular budget format solely for the purpose of reviewing graduate student compensation. Grantees are reminded that when submitting detailed budgets that request support for a graduate student, actual institutional-based compensation should be requested and information justifying the requested compensation level should be provided.If not provided, this information will be obtained from the institution's business office for any request that appears excessive.NIH institutes and centers will review the requested compensation level and, if considered reasonable, will award the actual amount requested, up to a maximum equal to the NRSA zero levelpostdoctoral stipend.Revised budgets submitted solely to adjust requested levels for graduate students will not be accepted.Institutions may continue to rebudget funds to charge more than the awarded amount provided that OMB cost principles requiring reasonable compensation are observed.In general, graduate student compensation will not be considered reasonable if in excess of the amount paid to a first-year postdoctoral scientist at the same institution performing comparable work.These guidelines are effective immediately with new and competing awards issued on or after the date of this announcement.No adjustments will be made to any competing FY2002 awards already issued.However, grantees may rebudget to accommodate the higher compensation level.(Posted 12/21/01)

 

 

4) From the NIH Guide:  Changes in Grantee/Contractor Reporting on Intellectual Property Utilization (NOT-OD-02-019)

 

January 1, 2002 requirements for reporting of invention utilization will be changed to include the commercial name of any FDA-approved products, utilizing any subject invention, which have reached the market during the annual reporting period. The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-517) mandates grantees to report any inventions that are derived or first actually reduced to practice through any federal funding agreement (grant, cooperative agreement, or contract).Part of the requirements for NIH grantees includes annual reporting on the utilization of each federally funded invention.Invention utilization reporting requirements are based on regulations at 37 CFR Section 401.14(h).Based on statute, the content of all Bayh-Dole-related reports are maintained by NIH as confidential, releasable only through the Freedom of Information Act. The course “Patents, Product Development and Technology Transfer” will again be offered this spring in the College of Engineering and is open to all interested graduate students.Faculty from all colleges are invited to attend any or all the lectures.The course will also be available on the Web using streaming video.For more information, contact Dr. Richard Melker, Professor of Anesthesiology, Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineering at (352) 846-0937.(Posted 12/21/01)

 

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NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

1) The Rett Syndrome Research Foundation is accepting applications for “Research Grants and Post-Doctoral Fellowships”.A letter of intent must be received at the RSRF office no later than February 1, 2002.For more information, go to Letter of Intent. (Posted 12/21/01) 

 

2) The Rett Syndrome Research Foundation is accepting applications for “Research Grants and Post-Doctoral Fellowships to Investigate Breathing Dysfunction in Rett Syndrome ”.A letter of intent must be received at the RSRF office no later than February 1, 2002.For more information, go to Letter of Intent.

(Posted 12/21/01) 

 

3) The Rett Syndrome Research Foundation is accepting applications for “Research Grants and Post-Doctoral Fellowships to Investigate Neurobiology of Rett Syndrome ”.A letter of intent must be received at the RSRF office no later than February 1, 2002.For more information, go to Letter of Intent. (Posted 12/21/01) 

 

4) The Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation is accepting applications for innovative research grants that focus on “translational research in ovarian, uterine, breast or cervical cancer”. Applications are due to ORA for an internal competition by January 30, 2002. Only one application will be accepted from each school. Contact ORA or Dr. Kirsten Madsen application or more information. (Posted 12/21/01) 

 

5) The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is accepting applications for the John A. Hartford/AFAR Academic Fellowship Program in Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Psychiatry.Applications are due by February 19, 2002. For an application, go to Fellowships. (Posted 12/21/01) 

 

6). The Cancer Research Institute is accepting applications for their Grants Program.Applications are due by February 1, 2002 (Clinical Investigation Program); March 1, 2002 (Predoctoral Emphasis & Investigator Award); April1, 2002, and October 1, 2002 (Postdoctoral Fellowships). For more information or application, go to Grants.(Posted 12/21/01) 

7) The Leukemia Research Foundation is accepting applications for the “ New Investigator Research Grants and Postdoctoral Fellowships” Applications are due by February 15, 2002. For more information or application, go to NI Research Grant application or PF Grant application. (Posted 12/21/01) 

8) The James S. McDonnell Foundation is accepting applications for the” 21st Century Science Initiative Award”. Applications are due by March 15, 2002 (Research Awards). For more information, go to CS Initiative Application procedure. (Posted 12/21/01) 

9) The James S. McDonnell Foundation is accepting applications for the “Collaborative Activity Awards”. Letter of Intent (LOI) may be submitted at any time. For more information, go to LOI procedure. (Posted 12/21/01) 

10) The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is accepting applications for the Scientific Research Support Program – Applications are due by February 1, 2002. For more information, go to Research program. (Posted 12/21/01) 

11) The National Parkinson Foundation of Miami FL is accepting applications for their Research Grants. Applications are due by February 1, 2002. To obtain submission information, please write or fax to Paula Conley, Programs and Grants Administrator, National Parkinson Foundation, 1501 N.W. 9th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33136.Phone: 305-243-3897 Fax: 305-243-3049. (Posted 12/21/01) 

12) The Sandler Program for Asthma Research is accepting applications for their Research Program – Applications are due by February 12, 2002. For more information, go to Application guidelines. (Posted 12/21/01) 

13) The American Cancer Society, Florida Division, Inc is accepting proposals for support of “Cancer Oriented Research Projects”.Applications are due by January 15, 2002.For application or more information, go to Application. (Posted 12/21/01) 

 

14) SJOGREN’S Syndrome Foundation is accepting proposals for an one-year fellowship. Applications are due by January 19, 2002. For application or more information, go to Foundation. (Posted 12/21/01) 

 

New NIH notices, requests for applications and program announcements can be found at NIH Notice(Posted 12/21/01) 

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CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

1) NCURA is hosting it's third annual conference on Financial Research Administration (FRAIII) on February 17-19, 2002, in Tampa, Florida. The conference format includes general sessions with broad appeal and concurrent sessions organized into three tracks to more effectively address the different needs of the conference participants:

** Compliance/Regulatory Sessions will include Federal agency perspectives, successful financial compliance programs, "how to" sessions and the cost of
compliance.

** Departmental Administrator Topics include fundamentals such as A-110 and A-21, monitoring sponsored programs expenses, clinical trials, communications and "how to" sessions.

** Transactional Sessions will provide information and updates on cash management, space surveys, effort reporting and service centers. Participants at medical centers should note that this track will include a session that explores the interface between the Medicare cost report and the university's F&A rates.

Workshop attendance is limited, so please register early. The preliminary program for FRA III and conference registration information can be accessed at http://www.ncura.edu/meetings/fraiii . (Posted 12/21/01)

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REMINDERS! (For Internal Competition Only)

Contact ORA or Dr. Kirsten Madsen a.s.a.p. to apply for any of these grants. 


There are no new reminders!

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CLOSING INFORMATION

Please send any comments or suggestions about this newsletter to Cindy Weinbrecht

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