The following notes summarize research-related policies, processes, and best practices from meetings of unit administrative staff with proposal development (pre-award) and/or grants management (post-award) responsibilities.
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JUNE 28, 2022
In attendance:
cc:
University Fringe Benefit Rates for FY '22
- See email of June 10, 2022.
The University has negotiated new fringe benefit rates with the federal government for fiscal year 2023 (July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023). These rates will be used for charging both sponsored (funds 13 and 91) and non-sponsored restricted (funds 15 and 16) chartstrings.
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F&A Rates for FY '22 - FY '25
- See email of June 16, 2022.
The University has recently finalized its federally negotiated F&A rate agreement with the Dept. of Health and Human Services, and this communication is to provide information regarding the application of the F&A rates from FY ‘22 through FY ‘25. This rate agreement is different than prior rate agreements in that it employs a “stepped rate” approach for on-campus research, rather than a single negotiated rate over the four year duration of the agreement. The University’s implementation of this rate agreement is presented in further detail below.
The four-year rate agreement, covering sponsored projects awarded between July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2025, is as follows:
- On-campus research, stepped rates per fiscal year period
- 50% = FY ‘22
- 49% = FY ‘23
- 49% = FY ‘24
- 49.5% = FY ‘25
- Training/ Instruction, rates stay constant from FY ’22 through FY ‘25, as follows:
- 34% for on-campus training/instruction
- Other Sponsored Activities, rates stay constant from FY ’22 through FY ’25, as follows:
- 35% for on-campus other sponsored activities
- Off-Campus Rate for all programs (research, training/instruction, and other sponsored activities), rates stay constant from FY ’22 through FY ’25, as follows:
- 26% for off-campus research, training/instruction, and other sponsored activities
Proposals are now being submitted with the new F&A rates. The OSP budget template has been updated to reflect the new F&A rates, as well as, the updated Fringe Benefit rates for FY ’23.
- Multi-year on-campus research proposals will have stepped rates:
- 49% for FY ‘23 budget period
- 49% for FY ’24 budget period
- 49.5% for FY ’25 budget period (and beyond, until next rate agreement is negotiated)
- On-campus Training/Instruction: 34% for all budget periods
- On-campus Other Sponsored Activities: 35% for all budget periods
- Off-campus, all programs: 26% for all budget periods
Implementation plan for new F&A rates on sponsored project awards: In accordance with federal Uniform Guidance (Appendix III to Part 200), the F&A rate in effect at the time of initial award shall be utilized throughout the “life of the award.” “Life” for the purpose of this guidance means each competitive segment of a sponsored project.
See below for example award scenarios of On-Campus Research, and F&A rate determinations based on date of initial award:
- New Award for On-campus Research, awarded between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022: F&A rate would be 50% for the life of the award.
- New Award for On-campus Research, awarded between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023: F&A rate would be 49% for the life of the award.
- New Award for On-campus Research, awarded between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024: F&A rate would be 49% for the life of the award.
- New award for On-campus Research, awarded between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025: F&A rate would be 49.5% for the life of the award.
MAY 24, 2022
In attendance: Karen Cimilluca (ASI), Jill Ferguson (Dean’s Office), Katrina Fiacchi (CPR), Kathy Forrest (ASI), Holly Johnson (Dean's Office), Heather Macknik (PAIA), Jacquie Meyer (Political Science), Jackie Nocevski (Campbell), Tara Slater (PARCC), Debbie Toole (Geography)
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Effort Reporting
Certification Calendar
| Certification Period | Certification Window | Effort Period of Performance |
| Spring 2022 | May 31, 2022 – June 17, 2022 | Faculty: January 1 – May 7 Staff: January 1 – May 15 |
Helpful Links
- Effort Reporting: https://bfas.syr.edu/comptroller/resources/effort-reporting/
- Effort Reporting FAQs: https://bfas.syr.edu/comptroller/resources/effort-reporting/effort-reporting-faqs/
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- The Office of Research has begun implementation of Cayuse as the University's new information management system for sponsored projects, including pre-award, post-award, and research compliance (human subjects protections/IRB, animal research/IACUC, etc.).
- First priority is bringing the Institutional Review Board (IRB)-related processes into the system; currently those processes are paper-based.
- The timeline for full implementation has not been announced.
Reminder: Maxwell Administrator New Award Checklist on Answers
- The Administrator New Award Checklist is an internal resource to aid Maxwell administrators at the start-up of a sponsored project. In using the checklist, the administrator will: (1) review the award information to ensure accuracy, (2) discuss award set-up and management with the Principal Investigator (PI), (3) confirm all compliance requirements are met, (4) ensure all needed project accounts are established, and (5) ensure expenses are appropriately allocated and documented.
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New Rebudgeting Spreadsheet from OSP
- When required, complete the Sponsor Required Budget Revision Form and submit it to Caroline McMullin (Maxwell's OSP RA) for review. Caroline will then work with program staff and other offices as necessary on the revision and submission of budget modification to the sponsor. https://sponsoredprograms.syr.edu/awards/manage-awards/post-award-management/post-award-modifications/rebudgeting/
Reminder: Maxwell Administrator New Award Checklist on Answers
- The Administrator New Award Checklist is an internal resource to aid Maxwell administrators at the start-up of a sponsored project. In using the checklist, the administrator will: (1) review the award information to ensure accuracy, (2) discuss award set-up and management with the Principal Investigator (PI), (3) confirm all compliance requirements are met, (4) ensure all needed project accounts are established, and (5) ensure expenses are appropriately allocated and documented.
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JANUARY 26, 2021
In attendance: Peg Austin (CPR), Karen Cimilluca (ASI), Jill Ferguson (Dean’s Office), Katrina Fiacchi (CPR), Kathy Forrest (ASI), Juanita Horan (Moynihan), Heather Macknik (PAIA), Jacquie Meyer (Political Science), Jackie Nocevski (Campbell), Debbie Toole (Geography), Roxanne Tupper (PARCC)
cc: Alexandra Punch (Lerner), Amy Schmidt (CCE), Anthony Terrinoni (ASPI)
New Campus-level Grants Trainings and Workshops for Spring Semester
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NOVEMBER 24, 2020
In attendance: Peg Austin (CPR), Karen Cimilluca (ASI), Jill Ferguson (Dean’s Office), Katrina Fiacchi (CPR), Kathy Forrest (ASI), Juanita Horan (Moynihan), Heather Macknik (PAIA), Jacquie Meyer (Political Science), Anthony Terrinoni (ASPI)
cc: Jackie Nocevski (Campbell), Alexandra Punch (Lerner), Debbie Toole (Geography), Amy Schmidt (CCE), Roxanne Tupper (PARCC)
University Travel Policy: High-Risk Destinations
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OCTOBER 27, 2020
In attendance: Peg Austin (CPR), Karen Cimilluca (ASI), Jill Ferguson (Dean’s Office), Katrina Fiacchi (CPR), Kathy Forrest (ASI), Heather Macknik (PAIA), Jacquie Meyer (Political Science), Jackie Nocevski (Campbell)
cc: Juanita Horan (Moynihan), Alexandra Punch (Lerner), Debbie Toole (Geography), Amy Schmidt (CCE), Roxanne Tupper (PARCC), Anthony Terrinoni (ASPI)
Essential Travel
University-sponsored travel must be approved by the relevant chair, associate dean for research and the interim vice president for research.
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- Submit an application for Approval for Essential Research Travel, allowing at least 5 business days for such approvals. Deans (or dean’s designees) will make a recommendation as to the essential nature of the travel request and forward that recommendation to the interim vice president for research. The VPR will make the final determination and notify both the traveler and the dean or department chair making the request.
- For research outside of the Syracuse area, including international travel: If the location's current public-safety requirements are less restrictive, the researcher must follow NYS requirements. It is up to the researcher to find out what the requirements/restrictions are.
FY 2020 Research Expenditures, Awards, and Proposal
The Office of Research will post its FY 2020 Annual Report here in the coming weeks.
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SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
In attendance: Karen Cimilluca (ASI), Jill Ferguson (Dean’s Office), Kathy Forrest (ASI), Juanita Horan (Moynihan), Heather Macknik (PAIA), Jacquie Meyer (Political Science), Anthony Terrinoni (ASPI)
cc: Peg Austin (CPR), Katrina Fiacchi (CPR), Jackie Nocevski (Campbell), Alexandra Punch (Lerner), Debbie Toole (Geography), Amy Schmidt (CCE), Roxanne Tupper (PARCC)
Resuming Face-to-Face Human Participant Research
- Effective August 31, 2020, research involving human participants that was halted by the COVID-19 emergency may resume and new human participant research may begin (see Resuming Face-to-Face Human Participant Research). Any human participant research being conducted in person requires the submission and approval of a Return to Face-to-Face Research Plan prior to the conduct of in-person research.
- For the latest on the research guidance for the university’s phased re-opening see the Return to Campus Research Guidance web page.
National Listing of Institutional and Agency Responses to COVID-19 and Additional Resources
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There really aren’t any guidelines for when to hire since so much depends on the particular needs of the faculty. Part of what also plays into the timing, especially on the full GAs is who they are looking for. Do they want a newly recruited student (if so, they should be working with their home department in that case) or do they need an ABD student who won’t need tuition? For the latter, it probably makes more sense to start looking after April 15th when most incoming students/GAs will be solidified and departments should have a good idea what their needs for the department will be for the fall. If they want a new student, then they should be working with their home department earlier in the spring/late winter depending on the admissions cycle. All that said, I think April 1st is a little early for having fall GA letters out, at least for returning students. I don’t usually even start sending letters for returning students until after April 15th. I think May 1st for fall assistantships sounds reasonable. For summer, I actually think May is a little late, especially if they are going to be working right after classes end in early May.
Also, it’s more typical for faculty to hire RAs for a full academic year. We get some that are fall/spring, but they are less common. Especially for students who would still be funded by their home department otherwise, it makes things a lot easier to do full academic years and not splitting whenever possible. I think it’s easier for the faculty as well, although of course it depends on their funding situation. In the case where they are splitting and need a spring-only GA, they probably are going to want to get this nailed down at the same time as the fall assistantships. It’s really going to depend on what students are available and meet their needs.
Standing Invitation for Peer Demos
- Results from 2019 member survey showed interest in the following topics (with # of “interested” votes):
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AUGUST 25, 2020
In attendance: Peg Austin (CPR), Katrina Fiacchi (CPR), Jill Ferguson (Dean’s Office), Kathy Forrest (ASI), Heather Macknik (PAIA), Jackie Nocevski (Campbell), Jacquie Meyer (Political Science)
cc: Karen Cimilluca (ASI), Juanita Horan (Moynihan), Alexandra Punch (Lerner), Debbie Toole (Geography), Amy Schmidt (CCE), Anthony Terrinoni (ASPI), Roxanne Tupper (PARCC)
Grant Proposal Budgets and IRRs
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JULY 28, 2020
In attendance: Peg Austin (CPR), Karen Cimilluca (ASI), Jill Ferguson (Dean’s Office), Kathy Forrest (ASI), Heather Macknik (PAIA), Jackie Nocevski (Campbell), Roxanne Tupper (PARCC)
cc: Katrina Fiacchi (CPR), Juanita Horan (Moynihan), Jacquie Meyer (Political Science), Alexandra Punch (Lerner), Debbie Toole (Geography), Amy Schmidt (CCE), Anthony Terrinoni (ASPI)
Tenth Decade Project Special Call for Proposals
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JUNE 23, 2020
In attendance: Peg Austin (CPR), Karen Cimilluca (ASI), Jill Ferguson (Dean’s Office), Katrina Fiacchi (CPR), Kathy Forrest (ASI), Juanita Horan (Moynihan), Heather Macknik (PAIA), Jacquie Meyer (Political Science), Jackie Nocevski (Campbell), Roxanne Tupper (PARCC)
cc: Alexandra Punch (Lerner), Debbie Toole (Geography), Amy Schmidt (CCE), Anthony Terrinoni (ASPI)
Chartstring Changes Crossing Fiscal Years
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MAY 26, 2020
In attendance: Peg Austin (CPR), Jill Ferguson (Dean’s Office), Katrina Fiacchi (CPR), Kathy Forrest (ASI), Heather Macknik (PAIA), Jacquie Meyer (Political Science), Roxanne Tupper (PARCC)
cc: Juanita Horan (Moynihan), Alexandra Punch (Lerner), Debbie Toole (Geography), Amy Schmidt (CCE), Anthony Terrinoni (ASPI), Karen Cimilluca (ASI), Jackie Nocevski (Campbell)
Reminder: University's Fiscal 2020 Year-End Accounting Closing Procedures and Dates
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La’retta Castro’s last day with the Aging Studies Institute (ASI) was December 21. The job listing for the Assistant Director position can be found here: https://www.sujobopps.com/postings/83463
Sunju Raybeck’s last day with the Campbell Institute of Global Affairs was January 28. The job listing for the Administrative Assistant (S4) position can be found here: https://www.sujobopps.com/postings/83525
Policy Review: Special Considerations for Graduate Assistants – Fringe Benefits and Tuition
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