SPONSORED PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION BY A FOUNDATION OF DUMMIES Mike (Spanky) McCallister 08 Dec 1994 08:47 EST

I've seen this silliness in several places, John.  When I came to
 Southeast, the faculty routinely submitted all kinds of proposals,
 including state funded ones, through our foundation. I was able to
 stop the practice with an argument about oversight & regulations,
 and luckily the school had been audtied just before I arrived and
 the memory was still fresh.  The faculty do love working with a
 foundation, but it is still the university's reputation.  As you
 said, the foundation rarely has the business support needed for
 purchasing, etc. Because non-research foundations are purposed in
 an entirely different direction, they won't break much of a sweat
 to support a research project.  The rule here is now, "If the
 sponsor expects a product, a report, or any other outcome from the
 project other than a tax break, a plaque or a picture in the
 paper, the proposalis not to go to the foundation." I am still
 struggling with them about proposals to business and industry,
 which they see as their private patch.  It's hard to overcome the
 competitiveness or the mindset necessary for that business.
Spanky
--------------------------- Original Message ---------------------------
I am having somewhat of an argument with my administration concerning the
handling of non-government sponsored program awards.  The top admin folks
are allowing industry and other private sponsors to make awards (grants
and contracts) for university work to our local university foundation.
NOW this is not a foundation organized to handle sponsored programs, e.g.,
university research foundation.  This foundation was created to receive
and disburse monies from gifts.  Of course the faculty love it--NO OVERHEAD,
NO OVERSIGHT AND NO PURCHASING PROCEDURES.  And naturally there is no tech-
nology disclosure.  I suspect a multitude of audit related problems exists.
I recently learned that a FEDERAL contract was about to be placed in this
foundation.

I thought to be eligible to receive federal grants and contracts, a university
had to treat ALL sponsored programs equally, i.e., handle the privately
sponsored projects the same as the federal ones.  I cannot find it addressed
in A-110.  Can someone cite the regs on this issue or am I just flat wrong?
Thanks for your help.

John K. Stokes                            501-575-3845     Voice
Research and Sponsored Programs           501-575-3846     Fax
University of Arkansas                    xxxxxx@UAFSYSB.UARK.EDU
120 Ozark Hall
Fayetteville, AR  72701