I agree. I suggested that either the expense be charged to the indirect costs budget or that the schools should actually be charging for the cost of the attendees time which we could reimburse.

Sandy Shriver

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org] On Behalf Of Jason K McCrory
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 11:12 AM
To: xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] Indirect Payment?

Having not seen the budget, justification or scope of work leads me to wonder why the schools can't invoice the project for the teachers' time spent at the conference.  That would negate the cost of the substitutes since I'm reasonably sure the teachers' salaries are higher.  Consultant or participant costs come to mind as possible expenditure types.

Jason K. McCrory
UAB School of Engineering
Director of Administrative and Fiscal Affairs Hoehn Suite 101
1075 13th Street South
Birmingham, AL 35294
205.934.8401 voice
205.934.8437 fax

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org] On Behalf Of Sandy Shriver
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 9:40 AM
To: xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org
Subject: [RESADM-L] Indirect Payment?

I have an issue with one of our federal grants on a proposed expense.  The PI has a training at which County School Teachers attended.  The PI cannot pay the teachers a stipend to attend since they attended on a regular workday and this would be double-dipping.  However, the schools had to hire substitutes for the regular teachers who went to the training.  And the PI wants to pay the County Schools the cost of the substitutes and said that it is done on federal awards all the time and has been done by other state higher ed institutions of which she is aware.

I said that this is an unallowable cost because we cannot pay the salary of the substitutes since they did not directly serve the purpose of the grant.  The PI believes that it is allowable because it was written into the proposal and approved by the granting agency (NASA).  I maintain that it is still unallowable per A-21, J.10. which states "Charges to sponsored agreements may include reasonable amounts for activities contributing and intimately related to work under the agreements..." And we have to meet the requirements of the OMB and A-21 to ensure compliance for audit purposes.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?  Just want to clarify if I am on the right track or not.

Thank you,
Sandy Shriver
Office Administrator Sr.
Fairmont State University
1201 Locust Avenue
Fairmont, WV  26554
304-367-4684 (phone)
304-367-4850 (fax)
xxxxxx@fairmontstate.edu

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 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.healthresearch.org (click on the
 "LISTSERV" link in the upper right corner)

 A link directly to helpful tips:  http://tinyurl.com/resadm-l-help
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