Joni, What consultant did you use for what? Chuck, Great question! I didn't respond at first because of all the extra work we've been doing. With your second request, I too, see the value of people adding to the list and then using the end results with additional ammo for my personnel requests. So I also want to see the results, however soft. Some of these issues will not be applicable to most, but here goes...Items involving extra time for us include (not in order of time consumption): All electronic submissions: Training our staff as each agency is different. Also, we convert most of the documents into e-format. Time needed to convinve our faculty to allow us to be the submitting entity (where first one in get's to be the button-pusher). When that doesn't occur, we sometimes hear about a proposal at the point an agency has a budget question prior to making an award. Completing a "blue sheet" for the president. This is to secure permission to submit each proposal over $10,000. Additional information required for our "pink sheet" (internal sign-off sheet). We keep adding requirements, such as coding by project type (instructional, research, service), securing approvals from anyone involved in any kind of cost-sharing. Newly required: Pre-proposal sign-ons: this is generally on-line so not a "yellow (or similar)sheet." This was added this year by the deans so they weren't faced with having to turn down faculty members who hadn't bothered to make sure their project made sense to anyone else. It is to have been done by the PI before securing our help. In actuality faculty members balk at "one more piece of beaurocracy" so this we end up pulling together as soon as we can. This includes a synopsis of the project, rough budget, info on cost-sharing suggested or required, and any sustainability requirements. Contracting: We have few, and so each takes hours and hours. We continue to diversify the number, size, and complexity of our contracts. For an institution with little contracting and without a resident attorney (we use the state Attorney General's office), this can get especially interesting. I am especially loving the defense dept/private industry combination. Subgrants: More proposals with subgrants with required cost-sharing. This means explaining the need for documentation, reviewing documentation, and requesting more information than just, "various personnel totalling $x,000." Also increased, audit documentation Just In Time procedures add to the time involved and the need for a more detailed tickler system Conflict of interest reporting. Human subjects: training; documentation of training for key personnel and IRB, revision of manuals; documentation of assurance for subcontractors Animals: training; documentation of training for key personnel and IACUC, revisions of manuals; documentation of assurance for subcontractors HIPAA: Yet to know exactly what that will entail (time-wise), but being a grantee, a sub-grantee, and a sub-grantor each add to the mix. It already means learning, coordinating, and training. Credit card issues. Pre-encumbrance monitoring at its trickiest. PI meetings: As our PI's are involved in larger and more complicated projects, we receive more requests for frequent (sometimes monthly) analyses on what the university budget (IFAS) means as far as they are concerned. Invoicing: There is a trend at the state level to require monthly, rather than quarterly invoicing. There is another trend to require documentation. This increases work substantially, since it has moved the invoicing from Financial Reporting to our office, as well as requires us to copy/print/mail documentation. Additional awards with yearly auditors popping in. Foundation relations: State awards: More often, the state is giving us an award, but requires us to track the federal and state portions separately. This is the equivalent of having two awards totaling the same as one would have been. Program income: more and more grants, requiring program income accounts, thereby doubling the amount of set-ups, tracking, and reporting. NSF and State both have us doing annual reports on similar, but different information. Budget squeezes at the university have resulted in many more meetings, reports, discussions, and decisions on everything from incentives to university structure. Like Joni, we lack a formal compliance office in our university and thus, Sponsored Programs & Grants Management spends more and more time on this. Janet ******** Janet M. Hahn, C.R.A. Executive Director Office of Sponsored Programs & Grants Management Radford University Radford, VA 24142-6926 tel: 540-831-5479 fax: 540-831-6636 xxxxxx@radford.edu www.radford.edu ====================================================================== Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists") ======================================================================
