We are seeking to bolster local streamlining efforts by gathering a
collection best practices concerning how universities deal with funding
continuity.  By funding continuity, I mean the ways that institutions
provide for recurring situations such as:

1) You know a grant will have an effective date of October 1st, but you
need to exercise your 90-day preaward option and get graduate assistants on
the payroll & pay their tuition in mid August...

2) An agreement is only partially executed, and the fully executed copy is
not likely to arrive until after the start date - and the PI needs to order
equipment, hire students, etc....

3) The current year of a multi-year award is coming to an end, but the
assured continuation funding has not yet arrived - and employment documents
need to be processed to that project staff & students will continue to get
paid...

4) A federal cooperative agreement for millions of dollars approved for
multiple projects is in place, but because of continuing resolutions,
initial obligations are insufficient to cover needed encumbrances - but the
research is expected to go forward....

These are but a few of the real world situations we encounter, and I'm sure
they are familiar to you as well.  In situations such as this the risk
factor is almost zero, and we deal with them - but our current process is
cumbersome and inefficient.  I am aware that institutions use various
techniques such as setting up unbillable accounts, temporary accounts,
internal overrides, etc., but it would really help our efforts if I had a
good selection of best practices.

So if any of you all have policies or procedures you could share via
comment, attached files, or URL references, I would really appreciate
it.... I also will be happy to make what I collect available to others who
may be interested...

Bill

****************************************
William E. Schulze, EdD
Director of Sponsored Programs
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Phone (702) 895-1357
Fax (702) 895-0986
xxxxxx@ccmail.nevada.edu
****************************************

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