Kent, something I have been able to do in some cases is t break the
clinical trial into three parts:  startup, running the trial, and
analysis/closeout.  I do the first and third part as cost reimbursement at
our regular rate, and the middle part -- which is very parallel to a
commercial clinical trial, including additional sites as subawardees -- as
a fixed unit cost segment, using essentially our commercial clinical trial
rates on that.  Got started doing that when the awarding unit was trying to
do strange jiggery-pokery with limitations of reimbursement to make the
cost relate tot he number of patients.  I worked with the grants officer to
get what turned out to be a better solution for both.  It did mean that we
had to set up two accounts, one for the CR parts and one for the fixed unit
part.  Worked great!!

Remember, I'm the laziest research administrator you know!  And this was
such an easy way to do it!

Chuck

At 04:44 PM 4/24/01 -0400, you wrote:
>Dear colleagues.  I'm interested in determining how other institutions
>recover F&A costs on government sponsored clinical trials.  It appears
>that many schools charge F&A in the 20 to 30 % range for
>industry sponsored trials conducted in a clinic setting.
>
>What rate does your institution charge for clinical trials sponsored by
>the government?
>
>Do you use a different F&A rate for trials indirectly sponsored by the
>government through subcontract arrangements?
>
>How do you treat federal awards that have both a research (coordinating
>center function) and a clinical trial component?
>
>Since everyone is much too busy for questionnaires, short answers will
>suffice.  Thanks so much for your help
>
>--
>Kent Walker
>Chief Contract Administrator
>University of North Carolina-CH
>Office of Contracts & Grants
>440 West Franklin Street
>Chapel Hill, NC 27599
>Voice:  919-962-1353
>E-Mail:  xxxxxx@UNC.EDU
>

Herbert B. Chermside, CRA
Director, Sponsored Programs Administration
Virginia Commonwealth University
PO BOX 980568
Richmond, VA  23298-0568
Express Delivery Only:
 Sanger Hall, Rm. 1-073
 11th & Marshall Streets
 Richmond, VA  23219
Voice:  804-828-6772
Fax     804-828-2521
OFFICE e-mail   xxxxxx@VCU.EDU
Personal e-mail xxxxxx@vcu.edu
http://views.vcu.edu/ospa/

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