Welcome to the Office of Researc

An example of a fairly flexible sponsor would be the National Science Foundation (NSF). If you need more funds in supplies and less in travel, this is permissible without institutional or sponsor prior approval. However, if you need more funds budgeted in supplies and less in participant support costs, this is not permissible. You must seek institutional and sponsor prior approval.

Review your award terms and conditions for rebudeting restrictions and contact Arlene Russell or Debbie Carver for specific guidelines and assistance.

	Approved		Revised
	Budget	Change	Budget
Post-doc	2000	-1000	1000
Graduate Student		1408	1408
Total Salaries	2000	408	2408
Fringe, 40.8%	816	-408	408
Total Salaries & Fringe	2816	0	2816

	Approved		Revised
	Budget	Change	Budget
Materials & Supplies	1000	673	1673
Grad Student Tuition	1500	-1000	500
Total Direct Costs	2500	-327	2173
Indirect Costs, 48.5% excluding tuition	485	327	812
Total Award Costs	2985	0	2985

Welcome to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) Post-Award frequently asked questions. If you don’t find the answer to your questions, please contact ORSP for assistance. The ORSP staff directory is available at (http://www.orsp.umesp.maine.edu/Staff.htm).

Budget Modifications to Existing Grant/Contracts

Change of PI

Below are two examples in which fringe benefits and indirect costs are affected by budgetary changes.

Cost-Share is a portion of the costs not borne by the sponsoring agency.

Cost share is not taken from funding sources at any specific time, but are usually taken at the beginning of a project. Please contact Wayne Astbury for specific information.

No. The transfer of cost-share funds will be handled by ORSP. Please note, when cost-sharing salaries or wages; these types of expenses need to be charged directly to the cost-share fund code 04 or 24 of the project. All other expenses are charged directly to fund code 20.

Requests for financial reports for federal Letter of Credit type projects should be referred to: Wayne Astbury. All others: Bob Lavigne.

How can I tell if my grant/contract is a “Letter of Credit”? Letter of Credit type projects will have an Account Code 13250, "Deferred Grant Revenue LOC" in the Asset/Liabilities section of the GL Inquiry. Most Federal agencies use this automated system to pay for expenditures as they occur.

Sometimes the fringe benefit rate changes at the beginning of the University's fiscal year. Projects will be charged fringe benefits at the approved rate for that fiscal year.

In-kind contributions are non-cash contributions provided by third parties. They may be in the form of real property, equipment, supplies and other expendable property, and/or the value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the grant/contract.

Before you propose in-kind contributions within your budget first be certain that the sponsor will allow it. If so, you will need the following:

Bob Lavigne. When you contact Bob please be sure to have the following information available: name of PI, award number, project number, sponsoring agency and the name/telephone number of the person who called.

Bob Lavigne. When you contact Bob please be sure to have the following information available: name of PI, grant/contract number, project number, sponsoring agency, invoice in question (invoice number and amount of invoice) and the name/ telephone number of the person who called.

There are some grants/contracts with federal agencies such as NIH and the US Dept of Education, that because of financial reporting requirements, get assigned a new project number each budget year.

Requests should be made through the ORSP website (http://www.orsp.umesp.maine.edu). If website submission is not possible, please contact: Arlene Russell, 400 Corbett Hall, or, Debbie Carver, 415 Corbett Hall.

ORSP will notify you via email or campus mail when the request for the no-cost time extension has been approved or denied by the sponsor.

You may contact either of the ORSP accountants to inquire about the balance on your project account. Some academic departments also have administrative staff that monitor project accounts.

Yes, if you have spent according to the approved budget. But if you have not, then your balance may not be accurate. Contact ORSP accountants with questions.

You may contact either of the ORSP accountants for assistance. In some instances, you may use a Labor Distribution Adjustment (LDA) or Journal Entry (JE) to transfer expenditures, but LDAs and JEs should not be used to circumvent normal University policies and procedures.

No. Expenditures after the termination date are unallowable. No-cost extensions cannot be requested merely for the purpose of using unexpended funds, but rather to assure adequate completion of the original scope of work. See No-Cost Time Extensions.

Adjustments should always be made as soon as possible, but no later than 90 days after the termination date.

Wayne Astbury.

Some sponsors require annual progress reports while others require progress reports more frequently. Most sponsors

require a Final Technical Progress Report. Reporting requirements differ among sponsors. It is best to review your

grant/contract terms and conditions to see what the reporting requirements are. If you are unsure what your reporting

requirements are, please contact either Arlene Russell or Debbie Carver for assistance.

ORSP will forward a notice to you at least sixty (60) prior to the termination date of your grant/contract period reminding

you that a final report is due. In addition to submitting your final report to the sponsor, please forward a copy to ORSP.

ORSP will retain a copy for the project file and forward a copy to Special Collections in Fogler Library.

It is important that all reports, whether annual progress reports or final technical reports, are submitted on

time. Failure to submit reports may delay continued funding on current projects or hold up submission of new proposals.

For example, NSF will not accept new proposals from PIs or Co-Pis who are delinquent in submitting final reports.

Release time is a reduction in an employee’s work load from their department for purposes of carrying out sponsored activities.

Once a project number has been assigned, it normally takes ORSP two weeks to create a subaward. A draft copy of the subaward will be forwarded to the PI for review and approval. Once approval is received from the PI, the approved subaward will be forwarded to the subawardee for signature.

No. However, your assistance may be needed if ORSP is missing a scope of work or budget for the subawardee.

All subawards are cost-reimbursable. The subawardee submits an invoice to ORSP monthly or quarterly. A check is issued for all approved invoices.

There may be several factors:

· The amount of the invoice exceeds the total amount budgeted for the subaward

· The subaward may need to be amended to reflect an increase in total costs or an extension of the project period

· Certain expenses are in question

· Awaiting PI approval

Andrew Ines or Debbie Carver

If no sponsor approval is required, the request will be approved or denied internally by ORSP. If approved, the budget change will be made to the project account and you will be notified.

ORSP cannot extend subawards beyond UM’s grant/contract end date. You may need to request a no-cost time extension of your grant/contract to accommodate the subawardee’s request.

Requests for financial reports for federal Letter of Credit type projects should be referred to: Wayne Astbury. All others: Bob Lavigne .