As always, Ruth, you are on target here.  I understand the feds need for
documentation, but what ever happened to paperwork reduction?

Betty Farbman
Teachers College

> ----------
> From:         Ruth Tallman[SMTP:xxxxxx@LEHIGH.EDU]
> Reply To:     Research Administration Discussion List
> Sent:         Friday, February 05, 1999 1:29 PM
> To:   xxxxxx@hrinet.org
> Subject:      Re: FastLane cover pages
>
> Nancy,
>
> I can't quite agree with what Carolyn is telling you because in
> two instances we were contacted by NSF regarding signed cert
> pages because they would not review the proposal until they
> were sure they had it.  I suggest they create a temporary hourly
> position to receive and log in signed cover sheets.
>
> Speaking of changing paradigms, we can do twelve month extensions
> without institutional signature and they accept annual reports without
> even the PI signature now, right?  Why do we have to certify the
> drug-free, debarment, etc., on every proposal?  If it went FastLane
> it was submitted by the SRO, why do they hold it up for review?  What
> risk is NSF taking by reviewing a proposal before they have seen
> and approved/logged in original signatures?  Are there bogus SRO
> accounts out there?  I don't think so.  Wouldn't it be just as effective
> to double check that the signed  cover page and cert has arrived IF
> and when it is recommended for funding?
>
> We could do something as simple as send a monthly or quarterly
> certification for all the usual stuff AND certify that we will obtain the
> PI
> signature and the institutional signature on all proposals sent via
> FastLane!!
>
> Off the soapbox and back to work...
>
> Ruth
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:   Nancy Peterson [SMTP:xxxxxx@WINONA.MSUS.EDU]
> Sent:   Friday, February 05, 1999 11:40 AM
> To:     xxxxxx@hrinet.org
> Subject:        Re: FastLane cover pages
>
> Carolyn Miller -- chief FastLane administrator -- was just in Winona doing
> a FastLane workshop and she re-affirmed that receiving the signed cover
> sheets for FastLane proposals by FedEx and Overnight Mail was driving her
> staff crazy!!  They do NOT want us to use such services.  Use regular
> mail.
>
> They picked 5 days for the receipt deadline of signed cover pages because
> they needed to have SOME sort of deadline and figured 5 days would be the
> usual time first class mail would take to get there.  In reality, her
> staff
> doesn't have time to open up the cover sheets every day and make sure they
> are there on time.  They process them when they get a chance to.
>
> I explained it had been so drilled into grants administrators and faculty
> that a deadline was a deadline and that we needed a receipt, we had a hard
> time changing that paradigm.  Actually, if anyone out there can think of
> an
> easy way for her staff to give us reassurance of receipt, let me know and
> I'll pass it on to her.  (Having them email us to say they received the
> cover sheet was not an option!!  That would be worse than opening all the
> curier envelopes!)
>
> We may just have to wait until electronic "signatures" (possibly retina
> scans!?) become reality to change the paradigm.
>
>
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