Hi Jane,

 We out here in Duck Country (Univ. of Oregon) have made an announcement
 about the availability of modular grants via our office listserve, but
 haven't worked out how we're going to handle them yet.  We're wrestling
 with the questions you raise; I'm still not sure how we can avoid asking
 for a detailed budget for our internal processing.  Seems to me we still
 have to know if there are graduate students on the budget (tuition
 remission issue), in addition to other things like subcontracts and
 equipment.  I think we also need to be assured that the PI has thought
 about all of his/her costs as a "check" to ensure that the budget matches
 the technical narrative (I get hung up on the A-110 language that says
 the budget is the financial expression of a project).  The institution
 continues to have a responsibility to submit an appropriate application,
 even if NIH doesn't want an itemized budget.

 This reminds me very much of Phase II of the Federal Demonstration
 Project when FDP schools were given the expanded authorities that all
 colleges and universities now enjoy thanks to A-110 revisions (no-cost
 extensions, rebudgeting, etc.).  These FDP schools still had to have an
 OPAS/IPAS type system in place to do these things--the difference was
 that the institution approved them instead of the funding agency.  There
 was no change in the "paperwork" or process involved at UVa (where I had
 my FDP experience).  There still had to be a system in place to review
 and approve those changes, and there still had to be a justification for
 these actions even though the sponsor didn't care to know about them.

 I'll be interested to hear what others say about this.

 By the way, I think the Scarlett O'Hara method is a great philosophy to
 follow.  Beats the heck out of the Rhett Butler method.

 Pat Hawk
 Sponsored Projects Administrator
 Research Services and Administration 106 Riverfront Research Park
 voice:  541/346-2504
 fax:  541/346-5138
 internet:  xxxxxx@oregon.uoregon.edu

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: NIH Modular Grants
Author:  Research Administration Discussion List <xxxxxx@hrinet.org> at
GATEWAY
Date:    1/14/99 12:37 PM

After the next big NIH deadline on February 1, the new era of modular grants
is upon us.  I'm wondering if any of you have given thought to how you are
going to handle these, particularly at the proposal end.  Will you required
detailed budgets or not?  Are you planning on having any special faculty
awareness programs regarding the modular grants?  Are you planning on
putting any special procedures into effect for modular grants?  Or, do you
just want to get through February 1 and think about modular grants later
(aka the Scarlett O'hara syndrome, of which I am chronically afflected...)?

Admittedly, the NIH Guide announcement was fairly recent, but I was just
curious if any of you had given this much thought yet.

Hoping all of you in the cold country are staying warm...

Jane

Jane A. Youngers
Director
Office of Grants Management
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
7703 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio TX  78284
voice:  210-567-2333
fax: 210-567-2344
email:  xxxxxx@uthscsa.edu

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