GRANT

ORA News:

New Website Announcement

OMB Guidance-Super Circular

Pcard Purchases

Fixed Price Residual Funds Policy

FRC Fellowship Winners

NIH News:

2014 Regional Seminar

NIH Funding on YouTube

Page Limit for K Award Support Letters

Rock Talk

Receive NIH Guide Listings via E Mail

NSF News:

Additional Information Required on Proposal Cover Page

NSF Strategic Plan 2014-2018

Fast Lane Automated Compliance Checking

Professional Development:

NCURA International Region Meeting

NIH Grant Training Seminar

Research for Lunch

FFMA Webinar—New Procurement Standards

SRA On Demand Webinar Schedule

Shared Services Webinar

Omni Circular Part III Webinar

AAAS 2014 Forum on Science and Technology

General Interest:

Science Funding and the ‘Peace Dividend’

Collaboration

AAU Statement on the President’s FY 15 Budget

Microfluidics in Biomedical Research

Graduate Students and Workers Comp.

Animal Rights Extremism

Federal Rulemaking

Notice on Expiration of AHRQ Funds

Compliance:

Cost Allocation on Sponsored Projects

New Domestic Security Legislation

eRA Account Management System Guide

OLAW Guidance on Approval of ‘Significant Changes’

NRC Calls for Redefining Research

GRANT is published by the

Office of Research Administration

March 2014 Volume 5, Issue 3

Kathryn Watkins-Wendell,

Asst. Vice President

Sharon McWhorter, Director

Pre-Award Research Adm.

Heather Kraus, Director

Financial Research Adm.

Jennifer Laughner, Assistant

Director Financial Research

Adm.

Christie Christy, Senior Grant

Accountant

Senior Grant Coordinators:

Valerie Boaz

Rebecca Campbell

Emily Njus

Cindy Richey

Grant Accountants:

Diana Bish

Rene Hearns

Bianka Hernandez

Stephanie McElfresh

Marissa Shepherd

Accounting Specialist:

Tina Brewer

Kathryn Evans,

Assistant to Asst. VP

Mary Samartgedes,

IRB Secretary &

GRANT Newsletter

Editor

ORA Graduate Assistants: Kelly Ruszkiewicz Jennifer Tanaka

Karen Day, Vivarium Supervisor

The Office of Research Administration has

a new url (http://www.uakron.edu/

research/ora) and the website is undergo-

ing a total makeover. We’re excited about

the new content and the upcoming

changes. ORA’s homepage now includes a

live calendar with important dates such as

“Research for Lunch” events. Limited sub-

mission, and other internal and external

deadlines are being added daily. The Re-

search Blog will be highlighted soon, too!

If you have any suggestions, questions for

the site, or can’t find something, please

email ora-webmaster@uakron.edu.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

OMB UNIFORM GUIDANCE

(the “Super Circular”)

The U.S. Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) issued Uniform Guidance:

Administrative Requirements, Cost Princi-

ples, and Audit Requirements for Federal

Awards on December 19, 2013.

Continued on page 2

Grant & Research Administration News Today

© 2014 by The University of Akron.

The University of Akron is an Equal

Education and Employment

Institution

This Issue:

ORA NEWS:

P a g e 2 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

OMB UNIFORM GUIDANCE (the “Super Circular”)

The new guidance is effective December 26, 2014 and will be applicable for new awards and incre-

mental funding awarded on or after December 26, 2014.

What does this mean to UA researchers and administrators?

The Super Circular combines and replaces existing circulars that govern the management of federal

grants. For educational institutions, this guidance replaces the Cost Principles in 2CFR220 (OMB Circular

A-21), Administrative Requirements in 2CFR215 (OMB Circular A-110), and Single Audit Requirements,

(OMB Circular A-133.)

What steps is ORA taking to ensure compliance with the Circular?

ORA is taking the following actions to transition UA to the new guidance:

Reviewing the Super Circular guidance to identify substantive changes to current requirements. Working with faculty, staff, and administrators who will be affected by the Super Circular changes to

ensure there is an understanding of the changes. Updating ORA policies and procedures to reflect the changes needed to ensure continued compliance

with Federal requirements. Working with offices on campus that will be affected by these changes (Purchasing, Property Control,

etc.).

Links to the new guidance and other information regarding the Super Circular and implementation can

be found at https://cfo.gov/cofar/. Additional information will be forthcoming as ORA management

learns more about the provisions of the new Circular.

Receipts for Pcard Purchases

Beginning April 2, 2014, University Policy will require that all receipts for Pcard purchases be electronically

attached to the expense record in the Procurement Card website (www.paymentnet.jpmorgan.com).

Transactions must be reviewed within 10 days of purchase and must include the attached itemized receipt

at time of review.

As required by IRS regulations and OMB circulars, all purchases must be properly documented. Transac-

tions must be supported by original itemized receipts. Internet purchases require a copy of the order con-

firmation itemizing all costs. All transactions must include an explanation that supports the business pur-

pose in terms that would be clear to an external reviewer.

An expenditure is considered unallowable on a sponsored program if the receipt is not attached to the ex-

pense record in the paymentnet system. Any unallowable expenses will have to be moved off the project.

ORA NEWS … continued

P a g e 3 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

ORA NEWS … continued

UA Office of Research Administration Fixed Price Residual Funds Policy

Overview

Cost Accounting Standard 9905.501, Consistency in Estimating, Accumulating and Reporting Costs by Educational Institutions (OMB Circular A-21 Appendix A, http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_default), in part, says:

“With respect to individual sponsored, agreements, the consistent application of cost accounting prac-tices will facilitate the preparation of reliable cost estimates used in pricing a proposal and their com-parison with the costs of performance of the resulting sponsored agreement. Such comparisons pro-vide one important basis for financial control over costs during sponsored agreement performance and aid in establishing accountability for costs in the manner agreed to by both parties at the time of agree-ment. The comparisons also provide an improved basis for evaluating estimating capabilities.”

To ensure A-21 compliance related to consistent estimating and costing, the University of Akron must re-view all completed fixed price contracts that show a significant deviation between proposed costs and ac-tual expenditures. If estimates are consistently and significantly higher than actual costs, the institution may have a cost estimation problem or a cost expensing problem, both of which require administrative at-tention.

Fixed price agreements involve a degree of financial risk. A fixed price contract requires that the University perform the work to the sponsor’s specifications regardless of the actual cost of doing the work. There-fore, PIs must budget carefully to ensure that the funds received from the sponsor are sufficient to cover the actual project costs. Ideally, accurate budgeting (estimating) and charging of costs should result in cir-cumstances where there is neither a deficit nor a substantial surplus of funds at the project’s completion.

At the conclusion of a fixed price agreement, the PI will be required to confirm that there has been a proper accounting and closeout of the agreement and that the terms and conditions have been met (i.e., all re-ports and deliverables required by the agreement have been provided to the sponsor). This certification ensures that all expenses related to the project have been properly charged to the sponsored project ac-count. This certification is required to ensure that a residual balance—if any—is legitimate and can there-fore be retained by the University.

Continued on page 4.

P a g e 4 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

ORA NEWS … continued

UA Office of Research Administration Fixed Price Residual Funds Policy

Policy

It is the policy of the University of Akron that residual balances remaining at the end of a fixed price agreement in which UA does not have to return the balance to the sponsor will be transferred to the PI/PD Indirect Cost Account, PI/PD Sales and Testing Account, or Department Indirect Cost Account (in that order). If these accounts do not exist, the UA Budget Office will assist in determining an ac-count to which the balance can be transferred. Fixed price residuals are assessed indirect costs at the rate paid by the sponsor prior to any distribution.

Prior to transferring any remaining balance for these types of agreements, the PI/PD will submit the completed Certification of Residual Funds Form to confirm to the Office of Research Administration (ORA) that all allocable expenses have been charged to the project and all deliverables have been sub-mitted to the sponsor. Residual balances greater than or equal to 25% of the total awarded amount will require written justification from the PI/PD as well as additional review by the Office of Research Administration prior to transfer.

It is the responsibility of the PI/PD to ensure that all appropriate expenses are charged to the pro-ject and that all required deliverables, except for financial reports and invoices that are completed by ORA, are submitted to the sponsor.

P a g e 5 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

ORA NEWS...continued

Congratulations to FRC Fellowship Recipients

Members of the Faculty Research Committee have selected 14 winners for the 2014 Faculty Research Summer Fellowship pro-gram. “It is a competitive process, and we had 51 proposals submitted to the competition,” says Dr. Robert M. Schwartz, who chairs the committee. He is an associate professor of emergency management and homeland security, and a member of the Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security Policy Research at UA. “It was challenging for the committee, which is composed of faculty in several disciplines and various colleges, to review and select the winners, as there were many excellent proposals,” adds Schwartz. “These awards are made for summer salary and/or other legitimate uses specified in the proposals, such as equipment or research travel.” Each recipient will receive $10,000. Below is a full list of winners and the projects they will un-dertake.

2014 Summer Fellowships-Awarded March 14, 2014

Dr. Hazel Barton, Biology - Development of Collaborative Microbiology Research at Universite de Liege (University of Liege), Belgium

Dr. Heather Braun, English - The Victorian Doppelganger

Dr. Clayton Fant, Anthropology and Classical Studies - The Marmo al Mare Project: The Roman Luxury Villas of Stabiae and their Marble Décor

Dr. Qindan Huang, Civil Engineering - Probabilistic Seismic Demand Models of Reinforced Concrete Bridges Consider-ing Directionality Effect

Dr. Michael Konopka, Chemistry - Intracellular Membrane Dynamics in Methanotropic Bacteria

Dr. Peter Lavrentyev, Biology - Microzooplankton Dynamics in the Arctic Ocean Influenced by the Atlantic Inflow

Dr. Oghenetoja Okoh, History - Making Minorities: The Western Niger Delta in Colonial Nigeria, 1927-1960

Dr. Linda Orr, Marketing - Sales Force Productivity: Definition, Measurement, and Determinants

Dr. Zhenmeng Peng, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering - Research Nitrogen-Functionalized Polymer Fiber-Supported Palladium Catalyst for Continuous Aqueous Phase Production of Cyclohexanone in a Packed Bed Reactor

Dr. Jordan Renna, Biology - A Novel Neural Circuit in the Mammalian Visual System: Melanopsin Ganglion Cell Den-drites Extend into the Outer Retina

Dr. Huu Nghi Tran, Electrical and Computer Engineering - Communication Systems under Impulsive Interference: Theory and Design

Mr. Markus Vogl, Myers School of Art - VS (Versus) :: 0.02 [gridiron]

Mr. Eric Wasserman, English - American Film as Personal and National Narrative

Dr. Jiahua Zhu, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering - Natural Cotton Fiber Derived Mesoporous Carbon Nano-composite for Toxic Heavy Metal Removal from Polluted Water

P a g e 6 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

NIH NEWS:

Registration Now Open for the 2014 NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration in Baltimore, MD

Notice Number: NOT-OD-14-061

Key Dates / Release Date: February 20, 2014

Related Announcements / None

Issued by / National Institutes of Health NIH

Purpose

Make plans today to participate in the 2014 NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Ad-

ministration in Baltimore, Maryland, June 25-27.

Are you ready for an opportunity to meet and discuss grant issues with NIH policy officers, grants man-

agement, review and program officials, and NIH senior leadership…all in a central location?

Would you like the opportunity to network over the course of 2 days with grants administrators, re-

searchers, students, financial officials, and grant writers from around the world?

Have you been looking for a comprehensive program that provides valuable information about the NIH

grants process, including such topics as peer review, grant writing for success, pre -award and post-

award issues for administrators and investigators, compliance, how to interact electronically with NIH,

or how to map your career with NIH…?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The Road to NIH Funding Journeys to YouTube

February 27, 2014 NIH Staff

New to the NIH grants process? Looking for some direction? Then grab a seat and watch our new YouTube video, The NIH Grants Process: the Big Picture, designed to help you get started on the road to NIH fund-ing. This video, produced by the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER), provides a high-level overview of the grants process from application to award…

P a g e 7 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

NIH NEWS...continued

What is the Page Limit for Letters of Support

for K (Research Career) Awards?

January 31, 2014 - NIH Staff

Unless the funding opportunity announcement instructs otherwise, the page limit is 6 pages for Letters of Support from collaborators, contributors, and consultants in addition to the 6 pages allowed for the Statements of the Mentor and Co-Mentor(s).

NOTE:

These Letters of Support are now separated from the Plans and Statements of Mentor and Co-Mentors’ attachment; they are attached to the PHS 398 Career Development Award Supplemental form, Item #8.

For more information, please see pages I-147 and I-149 of the SF424 R&R Application Guide Version C.

See more at: http://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2014/01/31/what-is-the-page-limit-for-letters-of-

support-for-k-research-career-awards/#sthash.pI25nZ9i.dpuf

P a g e 8 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

Rock Talk Helping connect you with the NIH perspective

March 2014 Additions

More on Big Data Training for the Scientific Workforce

Federal Agencies and Research Organizations Working in Partnership

Collecting Data on Postdoc Benefits

Comparing Success Rates, Award Rates, and Funding Rates

FY2013 By The Numbers: Research Applications, Funding, and Awards

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Receive Customized NIH Guide Listings via Email

February 25, 2014 NIH Staff

Do you find yourself repeating the same NIH Guide search over and over again looking for funding oppor-tunity announcements? If the answer is yes, then we have a new tool you are sure to love. The NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts now allows you to be notified when new NIH Guide postings match your search criteria. To get started, visit grants.nih.gov and perform your search, then from the Results page click “Save Your Search” to sign up for alerts based on that search criteria. The system can email you with new funding opportunity announcements and/or notices related to your search on a daily, weekly or monthly basis (your choice!)...

NIH EXTRAMURAL NEWS:

P a g e 9 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

NSF NEWS:

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED ON THE NSF COVER PAGE EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 24, 2014 (NSF 14-1)

There are two new items to complete in the Other Information section on the NSF Cover Page.

1. There is a drop down list to select the Funding Mechanism (Research other than RAPID or EAGER;RAPID; EAGER; Conference; Equipment; etc.)

2. The Collaborative Status of the project must be selected:

Collaborative from one organization - select when subcontracts will be issued to collaborators

Collaborative from multiple organizations - select when multiple institutions will submit simul-taneous proposal for a unified research project

Not a collaborative proposal

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Investing in Science, Engineering, and Education for the Nation's Future - National Science Foundation Strategic Plan for 2014-2018

Available Formats: PDF Document Type: Reports / Document Number: nsf14043

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

NSF Notice Regarding Automated Compliance Checking of FastLane Proposal Submission

Available Formats: HTML | PDF | TXT Document Number: nsf13066 / Document History: Posted: February 27, 2013.

Beginning March 18, 2013, NSF began automated compliance checking for all required sections of full proposals. This brought NSF systems in line with long-standing proposal preparation requirements as outlined in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

PIs will receive a warning message if any of the GPG-required sections is missing, however, the PI will still be able to forward the proposal to the Sponsored Research Office (SRO). The SRO will not be able to sub-mit the proposal until all sections are complete.

Additionally, proposers providing Biographical Sketches and/or Current and Pending Support information for the PI, Co-PI(s) or Senior Personnel in a single PDF file associated with the PI, must insert text or up-load a document in that section of the proposal that states, “Not Applicable”, for any Co-PI or Senior Per-sonnel so that the proposal can be submitted.

P a g e 1 0 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

NCURA 1st International Region Meeting

April 9, 2014 — Washington Hilton | 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW | Washington DC| 20009 | USA

The first International Region Meeting will bring together a select group of leading thinkers to ad-dress, from a multiplicity of perspectives, the synergies between four hotly debated issues in re-search and higher education world-wide: internationalization and mobility, excellence, funding and social inclusion.

The one-day conference will take place in wonderful Washington, DC on April 9, 2014, followed by the fifth congress of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) at the same location from 10 – 13 April 2014…

Professional Development.

NIH Grant Training Seminar

How to Obtain Peer-Reviewed NIH Research Grants

April 15, 2014 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Cleveland State University-Cleveland, OH

Sponsored by: The Grant Training Center

This one-day seminar is geared for junior faculty, students, and administrators who are beginning the process of submitting grants to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is also relevant for seasoned researchers who wish to refresh their knowledge of the new NIH requirements and the peer review proc-ess. Ultimately, the focus is to assist all who wish to submit winning research proposals to the NIH...

Seminar description, event details and registration: Click Here Or call us toll free at (866)-704-7268 or (571) 257-8864

P a g e 1 1 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

Professional Development...continued:

Purchasing with Your Federal Grant Funds — OMB’s Reform Blueprint

Tuesday, March 25, 2014 Webinar

While some changes stemming from OMB’s recent grants reform effort aren’t causing much angst, others – such as new procurement standards – involve significant differences from the previous policies.

This webinar is organized to help you assess your grant purchasing practices and procedures in light of the new OMB guidance…

April Research for Lunch Presentations - Noon-1pm

4th – Bryan Nichols, Music, Talk-Based Variability in Children’s Singing Accuracy,

SU308

16th – Terry Daugherty, Marketing, eWOM and the Importance of Capturing Consumer

Attention within Social Media, SU308

23rd – Dawn Johnson, Counseling Psychology, Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

Seeking Protection Orders: Health Risks and Barriers to Health Care, SU 316

Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend.

If you are interested in taking part in Research for Lunch and presenting your research, please email Kelly Ruszkiewicz, ORA, RschSrvsGA8@uakron.edu.

For more details, visit the Office of Research Administration blog.

P a g e 1 2 , , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

Professional Development...continued

SRA-On-Demand Webinars

http://srainternational.org/learn/on-line-education

Compensation Practices 2: Practi-

cal Approaches for Managing Re-

search Compensation with Clini-

cal Faculty

Originally aired: Feb 26, 2014

Compensation Practices 1: Addi-

tional Compensation for Faculty on

Sponsored Research Projects

Originally aired: Feb 19, 2014

The Federal Research & Development Budget: Overview and Outlook

Originally aired: Feb 5, 2014

Unlocking the Keys to a Success-ful Closeout

Originally aired: Dec 18, 2013

Design and Implementation of a Regional Service for Better Faculty Support

Originally aired: Dec 12, 2013

Early Career Goal Setting for Research Ad-ministrators

Originally aired: Sep 27, 2013

A Roadmap to Navigating NIH International Funding

Originally aired: Sep 26, 2013

Working with a Central IRB: Consid-erations for Institutions

Originally aired: Sep 19, 2013

National Institutes of Health eRA Com-mons Personal Profile

Originally aired: Sep 12, 2013

Impact of Recent Legal Develop-ments on Clinical Trial Agree-ments

Originally aired: Aug 7, 2013

Clinical Trial Billing: The Middle is the Hard Part

Originally aired: Jul 31, 2013

Clinical Trial Billing: Not for the Faint of Heart

Originally aired: Jul 24, 2013

Negotiating Hospital F&A Rates

Originally aired: Jul 17, 2013

Negotiating Hospital Indirect Cost Rates

Originally aired: Jul 17, 2013

Allowable Costs on International Projects

Originally aired: May 22, 2013

March 2014 G R A N TP a g e 1 3 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3

Shared Services

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Omni Circular Observations: Part III of III

Professional Development...continued

2014 Forum on Science and Technology Policy

May 1-2, 2014 Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center

Washington, DC

Be part of the discussion of the future of science and technology policy with leaders in the field.

The annual AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy, now in its 39th year, is the confer-ence for people interested in public policy issues facing the science, engineering, and higher education communities. It is the place where insiders go to learn what is happening and what is likely to happen in the coming year on the federal budget and the growing number of policy is-sues that affect researchers and their institutions…

Science Has Seen Little of 'Peace

Dividend' From Reduced Defense Spending

Lawmakers have passed up opportunities in recent decades to direct more discretionary spending toward sci-ence, infrastructure and innovation, according to a new AAAS analysis; coalition urges steps to close the

“Innovation Deficit.”

While a significant "peace dividend" has accumulated since the late 1960s due to declining or flat defense

spending, the advantages of that dividend have largely bypassed investment in science, infrastructure, and

education, according to a new analysis by Matt Hourihan, director of the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Pro-

gram.

Policymakers on both sides of the aisle frequently call for increased spending in those areas, Hourihan

notes, as they are likely to do in the upcoming White House budget submission…

P a g e 1 4 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

GENERAL INTEREST:

We’ve Seen the Future and It Is…Collaborative!

February 25, 2014

(The following post is the final in a series of four written by Laura Callanan, a senior fellow at the Founda-tion Center. Laura wishes to acknowledge colleagues who have contributed to this work.)

On the surface, a leader is a leader is a leader. Leaders need to innovate, mentor, use data, and be re-sponsible with the checkbook. But beyond those basic capabilities, are there differences?

My colleagues and I set out to define the capabilities a social sector leader needs to be successful. We

conducted interviews, surveyed two hundred social sector leaders, and reviewed ten years of literature

on social sector leadership...

P a g e 1 5 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

GENERAL INTEREST:

AAU STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT’S FY15 BUDGET

Following is a statement by the Association of American Universities on the President’s FY15 budget, released earlier today….

The present and future role of microfluidics in biomedical research

Published online 12 March 2014

Eric K. Sackmann, Anna L. Fulton & David J. Beebe

More than a decade ago, we wrote that “microfluidics has the potential to significantly change the way

modern biology is performed”. Indeed, we were part of a chorus of researchers that recognized the possi-

bility of new microfluidic tools making substantial contributions to biology and medical research. The

optimism surrounding microfluidics was well warranted, given the compelling advantages that microflu-

idic approaches could possibly have over traditional assays used in cell biology…

Graduate Students at Cornell U. Push for Right to Workers’ Compensation

March 10, 2014—By Vimal Patel

Richard Pampuro sliced his forearm on a shard of broken glass at a Cornell University protein-

engineering lab in August.

The accident, which the Ph.D. student in chemical engineering says left him with several severed ten-

dons and a destroyed ulnar artery, led graduate-student leaders to ask whether master’s and doctoral

students who are injured while doing university-related work have a right to workers’ compensation.

The students think they should. University administrators think they don’t…

FASEB Issues Guide to Combat

‘Animal Rights Extremism,’

Launches Website

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) has issued The Threat of Ex-tremism to Medical Research: Best Practices to Mitigate Risk through Preparation and Communication in response to “illegal, threatening, and violent action taken by animal extremists in support of their goal to abolish the use of animals in research.”

In a March 12 announcement, FASEB said the report “can serve as a starting point for organizations and individuals to tailor their own preparedness and outreach policies.” FASEB also launched a web-site with related resources; the address is www.animalrightsextremism.org.

This is not the first time FASEB has offered assistance to researchers and institutions conducting re-search using animals. In 2010, FASEB, the National Association for Biomedical Research and the So-ciety for Neuroscience published a guide to responding to Freedom of Information Act requests, which offered information on complying with state and federal laws while still protecting the investi-gators and organizations (RRC 2/10, p. 5).

Link: http://tinyurl.com/n4uedx8

P a g e 1 6 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

GENERAL INTEREST:

Federal Rulemaking: Regulatory Review Processes Could Be Enhanced

GAO-14-423T: Published: Mar 11, 2014. View Report (PDF, 22 pages) Michelle A. Sager

What GAO Found

In 2007, GAO found that agencies had conducted more retrospective reviews of the costs and bene-

fits of existing regulation than was readily apparent, especially to the public. Requirements in statutes

or executive directives were sometimes the impetus for reviews, but agencies more often conducted

these retrospective reviews based on their own discretionary authorities. Agencies reported that dis-

cretionary reviews more often generated actions, such as amending regulations or changes to guid-

ance…

Reminder to AHRQ Grantees that FY2009 Funds will expire on September 30, 2014

Notice Number: NOT-HS-14-011

Key Dates / Release Date: February 20, 2014

Related Announcements / None

Issued by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Purpose

This is a reminder to all AHRQ grant recipients who received grant funding from

AHRQ in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 (10/1/2008 - 9/30/2009) that they need to review all

FY2009 documents to ensure that all disbursements have been recorded on the

Federal Financial Report. FY2009 fixed appropriation funds will cancel on Septem-

ber 30, 2014.

As of September 30, 2014, remaining FY2009 funds will no longer be available for

program expenditures, obligations, or payment requests in the Payment Manage-

ment System. The last day to draw on these FY2009 funds is September 29, 2014.

The last opportunity to report disbursements on the September 30, 2014 Federal

Financial Report is December 31, 2014. Grantees may contact their PMS liaison ac-

countant for assistance.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to: GrantsManagementInbox@ahrq.hhs.gov

GENERAL INTEREST:

P a g e 1 7 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

How Many People Does It Take To Allocate An Expense To A Sponsored Project?

When Your Office’s Cost Allocation Processes Resemble the Punch line

of that Familiar Joke, it’s Time to Take a Look at Your Decision Methods

We recently had a situation in our office where a question was raised about the method of allo-

cating an allowable supply cost to a sponsored project. The supply cost was $30. The “answer”

generated more than one week’s worth of discussion involving the time of eight employees in

three different offices. In other words, more than $30 worth of F&A was spent on deciding

whether or not it could or should be charged as a direct cost on the award…

P a g e 1 8 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

COMPLIANCE:

COMPLIANCE WITH NEW DOMESTIC SECURITY LEGISLATION

This report is a joint undertaking of the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National Asso-ciation of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).

It represents an effort to provide college presidents, provosts, business officers, and other senior ad-ministrators with an overview of provisions in several new laws passed in the aftermath of the Sep-tember 2001 terrorist attacks that impact colleges and universities.

ACE and NACUBO have endeavored to keep members informed of changing requirements as they developed. This report provides a summary organized by administrative departments on campus…

COMPLIANCE ...continued

P a g e 1 9 , V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 3 March 2014 G R A N T

Account Management System User Guide

System Version 1.09.02.0

Document Version 1.1.0

February 20, 2014

OLAW Seeks Comment on Guidance for Approval of ‘Significant Changes’

The NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) is seeking comments on proposed guidance that discusses “what is considered a significant change to an ongoing animal activity.” Under the PHS policy, institutional animal care and use committees (IACUCs) must “review and approve, require modifications in (to secure approval) or withhold approval of proposed significant changes regarding use of animals in” research. “This guidance on significant changes further supports the use of performance standards and professional judgment by...[IACUCs] in meeting the standards of the PHS Policy and is intended to reduce the burden on investigators and institutions by facilitating greater autonomy within local IACUCs,” the agency said in a March 11 notice. Comments are due by May 15.

Link: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-14-063.html

COMPLIANCE...continued

Page 20, Volume 5 Issue 3 March 2014 G R A N T

NRC: Redefine Research, Allow IRB Appeals, Unshackle ‘Scholarship’ (3/1/14)

A high-ranking committee empaneled to assist the government in revising the Common Rule has recommended that HHS create a category of “non-human subjects research” and that investigators be granted the right to appeal an adverse decision by an institutional review board (IRB).

The Committee on Revisions to the Common Rule for the Protection of Human Subjects in Re-search in the Behavioral and Social Sciences was formed by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies.

The report was drafted in response to HHS’s July 2011 advance notice of proposed rule making (ANPRM), which described possible revisions to regulations governing some Public Health Service-funded research.

The Office of Research Administration is Now on Twitter!

Find out about research grant opportunities by following: (http://www.uakron.edu/research/ora)

The ORA (Office of Research Administration) is currently planning its 2014-15 education schedule. If

there is a particular topic that you would like to see presented in the next academic year, we want to hear

from you!

Contact Kelly Ruszkiewicz: 330-972-7774 e mail: RschSrvsGA8@uakron.edu

Do you have an idea or know someone who would like to receive GRANT?

Contact me: Mary Samartgedes 330-972-7666