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Re: Whose money is this? Jon Hart 17 Aug 2004 15:58 EST

The critical difference between a Development Office and a Sponsored
Programs Office is the Development people raise general-purpose funds
(capital campaigns, gifts not specific to a particular research project,
etc.) and the Sponsored Programs office handles restricted funds for
specific projects, funds that must be spent in a particular way and
reported on in some detail.  So, it depends on how the funds are given
to the institution, not necessarily who does the giving.  A corporation
or foundation may provide a gift that the institution then decides to
divvy up, perhaps requiring internal applications.  Those funds at this
institution would be handled by Development.  A foundation giving
competing fellowships that must be applied for individually and which
funds must be of the restricted variety would come through Sponsored
Programs.  It is not unusual for donors who go through Development to
require written reports on how the funds were spent, but that does not
make them restricted.  Also realize that Development probably has a
quota they have to raise and they are very aware of every dollar they
can put in their column.  It does seem quite unreasonable that your
Development office wants to take the credit while you do the
administration; however, you should ask yourself if they are able to
track conflict of interest, human and animal use, etc., and if you want
to take that risk?  We would much rather do a little more work and have
the University in compliance than argue about the tracking of compliance
matters.
It is a line you will need to draw -- and good luck!
Joni.

Jon Elizabeth Hart, MPA, CIP
Senior Director, Sponsored Programs Administration
Senior Director, Human Subjects Protections Program
The Rockefeller University
1230 York Ave., NY, NY 10021-6399
tel:  (212) 327-8054; fax:  (212) 327-8400
email:  xxxxxx@rockefeller.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG] On
Behalf Of Roberta Truscello
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 3:30 PM
To: xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG
Subject: [RESADM-L] Whose money is this?

There is an ongoing disagreement at this institution between the Office
of Academic Grants and Sponsored Research  and the Development Office,
and I am looking for some advice on how others may have handled similar
situations.

The Development Office believes that they should receive credit for any
funds that come from corporations, foundations and private sources. They
would like for that funding, even if it is for research and comes with
reporting or other requirements, to be counted as Development money.
What follows is a typical example.

The College recently received funding from a corporation that paid
summer stipends to chemistry students for research projects, and that
required a reporting on that research to the sponsor at the end of the
summer. Development refers to this as "a gift that requires a report"
and is arguing that the money ought to be processed through the College
Foundation because it came from a corporation and would help inform
Development's future fund raising efforts with that corporate sponsor.

Further, since this Grants office is already a One Stop Shop, and is
well-equipped to administer and monitor grants, Development would also
would like us make this "a cooperative effort" whereby we would handle
the work of budgeting, reporting and general administration of the
funds, after they have been counted as Development money.

To us (in Grants) it seems obvious that the function rather than the
source of the funds determines how they are to be processed.  All
parties agree that this argument has been put forward many times, but
folks outside of the Grants office are simply not convinced.

Any thoughts?

Roberta Truscello
Pre-Award Specialist
The College of New Jersey

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