Contracts and Grants TrackNERAOC 2011

MAY 22-25, 2011Anchorage, Alaska

Session #4: Creative Grants Engagement:

F & A CostsContracts and Grants

Dilemmas

Presenters Mary Ann Downs

Contracts and Grants Specialistmdowns@mafes.msstate.edu

Tina Hood, CRAAdministrator, Sponsored Programs

Administrationthood@spa.msstate.edu

Anne Cook, Fiscal Officeranne@mafes.msstate.edu

ProblemConstant changes in financial processing

Financial staff without background in Contracts and Grants

Classroom style training methods

Growing number of contracts and grants

The Amazing (Dawg) Race

Let the games begin!

General Information:Signatures:

Know who can sign contracts at your institutions.

For MSU, Only Director of Sponsored Programs Administration and Director of Procurement & Contracts can sign contracts - - even copier leases, etc. Previously our Vice President for Agriculture could sign Sponsored Agreement Contracts.

Contracts and Grants Challenge # 1:

Let no dollar go to waste……

[There will be a challenge question re: use of contracts and grants dollars

inserted here - - but we can’t give away our answers before the session!

Contracts and Grants Challenge #2:

Nothing’s free……

You’ll have to come to the session to see the question/answer/discussion here re: PIs and their current and pending effort!

Hot Issues:

Internal Billings/Service Centers: Service Centers allow for a standard rate calculation to be made for services provided by departments. Charging a project for any cost other than a direct cost must be supported by a rate approved by the Controller and Treasurer’s Office.

Time and Effort Reporting

You guessed it - - you have to come to the session to get the speed bump info re: Time and

Effort reporting!

JLRF* Justification over 90 Days

•Justifications should explain the reason for the delay and the reason why the change is needed.

• It is never correct to process a JLRF to “use up the money”.

•These forms are for the auditors. Explanations should be concise, accurate, and well-worded.

*JLRF = MSU’s Job Labor Redistribution Form

F & A

Shedding a little light* on a dull (but important!) subject

*Utilities, for those of you who enjoy wordplay!

.

What is F & A? F & A stands for Facilities and Administrative rate, commonly referred to as the overhead rate or the indirect costs.

Why does it matter? If an expense is included in calculation of the F & A rate, it cannot be charged directly to a contract or grant. EVEN if the C or G doesn’t allow indirect, you still cannot charge these expenses to the Contract or Grant.

What’s commonly in an F & A rate…?

Lively activity and discussion is anticipated re: elements of the F & A

rate…..yes…..lively!

Things that belong in your

“Yes, I can normally charge that to my grant”

pile

Things that belong in your

“No, I can NOT normally charge that to my grant”

pile

So….How’d you do?

1-5 right?

6-16 correct?

All 17 correctly sorted?

NCURA’s A-21 Mini-book An introduction

Office Resource

Exceptions? There’s a form for that!

Challenge #4

The Case of Justifiable Commitments

The question/answer will appear here at the session!

Challenge #5

The Sum of its Parts

The question/answer will appear here at the session!

On the road…..

Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit

there. --Will Rogers

Thanks….and Safe Travels!