A couple of years ago VCUhad to reduce very significantly the subsidy to
our Division of Animal Resources.  We
a)  instituted the change step-wise over three years.
b)  charged all users the increased rate in force at the time of receipt of
service (We felt that anything else would violate "consistency", per A-21).
c)  encouraged PI's to seek administrative supplements (as this was not
orchestrated centrally, I cannot comment on success rate).
d)  provided a limited amount of "emergency" support, on a case-by-case
basis, from the VP Research's kitten (not big enough to be called a kitty).

No PI resigned his grant as impossible to perform, but even PI's who have
never used animals pointed to this as "abandonment of the researcher by
central authority".  I suspect ANY plan you implement will achieve these
same two results.

Chuck

At 04:13 PM 2/25/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Recently, the Director of our animal care facilities called me to say they
>were going to have to increase their rates drastically. Since they did not
>want to put a burden on currently funded awards, they are proposing 2
>different rates. The old rate for currently funded awards and the new rate
>for all new proposals which are funded. Of course my first thought was this
>would be contrary to A-21, but I still thought I should try talking to the
>NIH policy office.
>
>The person I spoke to there said that in the past when there had been
>increases in animal care rates at institutions that the institution would
>request additional funds to cover the rate increases. The NIH institute
>would then look over the request and the amount of any carryovers and make
>a decision as to providing additional funding.  The individual at the NIH
>policy office then went on to comment that this was an A-21 issue and I
>should call our cognizant federal auditor.
>
>So I then called our cognizant federal auditor. Our cognizant federal
>auditor stated this was a direct cost issue and should be taken up with the
>awarding agency as to there funding addition costs.  The auditor went on to
>say that charging the two different rates was not in violation of
>A-21because we were adjusting the rates for actual costs.
>
>I would like to here comments from other schools as to your thoughts on the
>information relayed to me, the success others may have had on receiving
>additional funds to cover rate increase, or if any schools had in fact
>charged two different rates under similar circumstances. I should further
>point out that we are holding back on the submission of our disclosure
>statement until we resolve this issue.
>
>Peter A. Tiskus
>Director Sponsored Projects
>LSU Medical Center, New Orleans
>504-568-3674
>xxxxxx@lsumc.edu
>
>
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Herbert B. Chermside, CRA
Director, Sponsored Programs Administration
Virginia Commonwealth University
PO BOX 980568
Richmond, VA  23298-0568
Express Delivery Only:
 Sanger Hall, Rm. 1-073
 11th & Marshall Streets
 Richmond, VA  23219
Voice:  804-828-6772
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Personal e-mail xxxxxx@vcu.edu
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