We have approved NCE's for R-15's many, many times without ever looking at the balance available (other than to be sure there were funds remaining) - there's no place to provide that information, NIH has never asked.

There is the "rule" for standard NIH grants subject to non-competing continuation requirements that you have to state if there will be uncommitted funds exceeding 25% of the current year's awarded budget, and if so you have to provide an explanation for why and what the plans are (and now, with new RPPR requirements you actually have to state how much).   But that's not a "no cost extension"!

I've heard both NIH and NSF program officers talk about the first NCE as something that's basically pro forma  - with little recognition that institutions actually are supposed to have a process in place to review and approve the rationale!

Franci

FRANCES VINAL FARNSWORTH
COORDINATOR OF SPONSORED RESEARCH
DAVIS FAMILY LIBRARY 223
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE
MIDDLEBURY, VT 05753

TEL:  802-443-5889
EMAIL:  xxxxxx@MIDDLEBURY.EDU
HTTP://WWW.MIDDLEBURY.EDU/OFFICES/SUPPORT/GRANTS

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org] On Behalf Of Moise, Jessica
Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2013 1:38 PM
To: xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] No Cost Extensions - Unwritten Rule?

Based upon my experience that would fall into the urban legend category. However, to be fair, I have no experience with R15 grants.

Jessica Ruth Moise
Grants and Contracts Officer
Associate Dean for Sponsored Programs
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
(formerly Mount Sinai School of Medicine)
 (212) 824-8300
 (212) 241-3294 (fax)

GCO has moved to 770 Lexington Avenue!

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org] On Behalf Of Johnson, Landy (Director of Grant Development)
Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2013 8:28 AM
To: xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org
Subject: [RESADM-L] No Cost Extensions - Unwritten Rule?

I have a first-time NIH grant PI with a question about an "unwritten rule" on no-cost extensions.  She is requesting her first no-cost extension, and under expanded authority I can grant that to her and enter it in the NIH Commons electronically.  She has been told by other researchers  at a large research university that if she has more than 20% of her funds left it cannot be done this way because she will have to provide justification to NIH.

I cannot find anything anywhere about this alleged 20% rule; in fact a no cost extension is supposed to be based on work remaining to be done, not on funds.  However, I asked her to ask her colleagues where they obtained their information, and they tell her the rule is unwritten.  Before I call NIH and potentially sound like an idiot asking about unwritten rules, I thought I'd ask my wonderful colleagues.

Are you aware of the "unwritten 20% rule?"  If it exists, does it pertain to R-15 AREA grants?  Or, is it a vestige of a pre-expanded-authority world?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Landy

----------------------------
Landy C. Johnson, MPA, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Economics and Geography Director of Grant Development Assumption College Provost Suite
500 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609-1296
508-767-7666
xxxxxx@assumption.edu

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 Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
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 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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