Authorization to Amend a Subaward
Changes to a scope of work, key personnel, or budget often require sponsor approval. The same approvals apply to changes to a subrecipient’s scope, personnel, or budget. Often when a CSU PI and a subrecipient’s PI decide to make changes, these changes are not communicated to the department or to the OSP, which may result […]
Maximum and Minimum Effort on Sponsored Programs
Generally, faculty cannot commit 100% of their effort to sponsored projects, as time must be reserved for other CSU duties. For Administrative Professionals and State Classified staff, 100% effort devoted to sponsored projects may be appropriate. However, allocations of effort to sponsored projects must be reasonable given the individual’s non-sponsored University activities. On the flip side, all Key Personnel […]
Revision Requests in ecrt
If the payroll for any or all employees on a quarterly ecrt statement is not accurate, the Department Effort Coordinator/Grant Manager (DEC) or PI can click the Revise Payroll box(es) and button to put the statement on hold in “Revision Requested” status. That action creates a Project Statement Revision Requested task in the DEC’s […]
The Big Sweep
Sweep is a two-step process of reclassifying unspent direct dollars from fixed-price agreements to unrestricted funds once a project is complete. The first step involves putting the 5-3 account into sweep status, which takes communication between the OSP and the department or unit. The second step is the actual transfer of funds to a college […]
Completing a Sponsor’s Cover Page
Applicant Information Because awards are made to the University and not to individuals, when completing a sponsor’s cover page (for example, the Federal SF 424), the APPLICANT INFORMATION should be “Colorado State University.” Colorado State University is the legal entity to which the award is made and is the entity associated with the EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION […]
So Many Questions, So Little Time
The process of applying for a grant award can be hugely stressful and time consuming. The pressure to secure grant funding often means that researchers, and hence their administrative support, go to extraordinary lengths to prepare and submit their proposals. While proposal preparation can be incredibly time-consuming, we suggest you take a little more time… […]
Subrecipient Commitment Documents
When Colorado State University (CSU) receives an award that includes other institutions or organizations that will be programmatically and financially responsible for completing part of the project’s scope of work, we must issue a subaward agreement (aka, “Outgoing Subaward”). The Outgoing Subaward that CSU sends is developed in accordance with the prime award and includes […]
Making “Cents” of NIFA Total Federal Funds Awarded
For many USDA* NIFA* awards, indirect costs are limited by federal legislation. Because of this federal mandate, NIFA applicants must follow all indirect cost limitations listed in the NIFA Request for Applications (RFAs). The most common NIFA indirect cost limitation is a maximum indirect cost cap of 30% of Total Federal Funds Awarded (TFFA). NIFA […]
Understanding Indirect Costs One Pickle at a Time
There are two types of costs necessary to conduct sponsored projects: Direct and Indirect costs (also known as Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs). Direct costs are costs for items that can be readily identified with a specific project or activity. Indirect costs are incurred for common or joint objectives. Direct costs are relatively easy to […]
Conflict of What?
There has been a lot of discussions lately in the news and on-campus regarding conflict of commitment (COC) and conflict of interest (COI); what they are and the obligation of CSU employees to report actual, potential, and perceived conflicts. This article is designed to explain the differences between COC and COI and to describe University […]