At 02:26 PM 10/13/98 -0500, you wrote:
>I have asked this question once before with few responses.  Now that more
>of us have experience with audits for CAS compliance through audits of our
>DS2 and through A-133, I would like to ask the group again.
>
>What are you requiring from your investigators to ensure compliance with
>CAS 501.  We are requesting an explanation for the various budget line
>items and documentation of the calculations for those line items that are
>summarized by major budget category.  As expected, we have some faculty
>members who are complaining that we ask for more than the universities
>where their peers/colleagues work.  I do not believe this completely but am
>concerned that we might be going a bit overboard on this issue.  It may be
>that we didn't require much explanation in the past and now we appear heavy
>handed.  OR it may be that we must be certain that budgets do not contain
>unallowable costs and the only way we can be sure is to ask.  We do not
>have a formal centralized budget development person or group.  We simply
>review the budgets before the proposal is approved for submission.  Since
>this is usually a last minute approval, the PI is not too happy when we
>locate a budget error, ask for additional information or need them to
>rework some numbers.  We are considering expanding our services to assist
>with budget development so if you have some pros and cons for that, please
>provide those comments as well.
>
>Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.  I will be happy to
>summarize the responses if anyone else is interested and I love to surf web
>pages for policy and procedure guidance so please feel free to cite your
>address if you have one to share on this topic.
>
>Thanks.
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Martha M. Taylor, Director             (xxxxxx@mail.auburn.edu)
>Contracts and Grants Administration
>310 Samford Hall
>Auburn University, AL 36849-5131
>
>334-844-4438
>334-844-5953 (fax)
>
>Basically what is required on our budget form you developed.
If no form supplied, request travel by #/days, # persons, $/per diem, air
fare, etc.; supplies by summary list if not excessive, may ask for specific
amounts if budget is extremely high; equipment usage needs #hr x $/hr;
maintanence agreements must be prorated or verified that it is project
specific; salaries/fringe usually self explaning; phone calls have to be
noted long distance; postage has to be explained in detail as clerical/sec
(form required on clerical/adm).  Have starting requesting info on computer
software if not evident as to whether it is advanced project specific or
just Word/Microsoft.  Think that is all the grief I give my people.