Grant Management Community News: December 2016

During the life of a NIH award, Senior/key personnel are required to devote a measurable level of effort to the funded project. If the effort approved in the initial competing award will be reduced by 25% or more, the Senior/key personnel are required to obtain prior approval by NIH. During a no-cost extension, however, these same requirements do not apply. While Senior/key personnel are still required to devote a measurable amount of effort to the award, a reduction in effort of 25% or more does not require prior approval. Please keep in mind that this is only during a no-cost extension.

NIH Extramural Nexus: Is Prior Approval Required?
NIH Extramural Nexus: Minimum Effort Requirement During No-cost Extension

Some institutions/entities to whom Duke University subcontracts may not have a Federally negotiated indirect cost rate (F&A) to apply to their budget. In cases such as this, the subrecipient may utilize a de minimis rate for calculating the F&A on their budget. The Uniform Guidance Section 200.414 allows a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC) to be applied. Uniform Guidance Communication (UGC) 4.0 provides guidance and further details about Duke University’s policy on utilizing the de minimis rate for our subrecipients.

View the full Uniform Guidance Communication 4.0 – F&A for Subrecipients without a Formally Negotiated Rate (pdf)

This year’s Symposium for Research Administrators included over 420 attendees across Duke University, as well as incredible sessions and speakers. A very gracious thank you to the volunteers and program committee for your ideas and hard work to pull this together, session presenters for taking the time to create the presentations and provide for a unique experience for attendees, vendors for the generous door prize donations, and attendees for making this the Symposium with the largest turn-out. A special thank you to RACI (Research Administration Continuous Improvement) for your dedication to our research administration community at Duke. This amazing event could not happen without your continued support!

REMINDER:  Remember to complete the session evaluations to receive continuing education credit. The deadline to enter confirmation codes and complete evaluations is January 20, 2017. Further details about how to receive continuing education for attending the Symposium can be found on the blue Continuing Education Credit Information sheet in the folder provided at registration.

Slide presentations for the Symposium sessions are available on the Symposium for Research Administrators website for downloading/printing. 

QuickStart is a new program currently being developed by RCC for the specific purpose of providing “onboarding” training in grant management for new employees within the first 90 days of hire, and for current Duke employees who are not in the RACI HR classified positions for grant management, but who are performing limited research management functions. The program consists of four on-line, on-demand modules, and a capstone class that will provide “hands-on” experience in a limited number of basic grant activities. The purpose of QuickStart is to enable employees new to grant management the opportunity to learn basic research management concepts and skills in advance of entering the Research Administration Academy. QuickStart will also support individuals who are performing basic grant duties but who are not currently eligible for RAA. Watch for additional information about QuickStart in the next few weeks. The program is scheduled to launch in early 2017.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently released its revised NIH Grants Policy Statement (GPS). The revised GPS is the applicable standard terms and conditions to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements with budget period beginning on or after October 1, 2016 and supersedes the previous version for these awards. The revision incorporates new and modified requirements, as well as policy clarifications and changes not previously implemented through the GPS. Please keep in mind that previous versions of the NIH Grants Policy Statement remain the applicable standard terms and conditions for NIH grants and cooperative agreements with budget period that began prior to October 1, 2016. 

Notice Number:  NOT-OD-17-021

As of December 1, 2016, the postdoctoral stipends have increased for recipients of the Kirschstein-NRSA training grant and fellowship award with 0, 1, and 2 years of experience. One-time supplemental funding may be requested to cover the stipend increase for those with Kirschstein-NRSA training grants and fellowship awards ending after December 1, 2016. The Parent Announcement for Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants (PA-16-287) should be use to apply for this supplemental funding. NIH Notice Number NOT-OD-17-002 provides additional details regarding the process for requesting the supplemental funding, as well as the new stipend amounts effective December 1, 2016.

Notice Number:  NOT-OD-17-002

Effective January 1, 2017, the NIH will only accept the Final Research Performance Progress Report (F-RPPR) for closeout and the Final Progress Report (FPR) will no longer be accepted. As part of the implementation of the F-RPPR, the current Type 2 policy allowing the progress report contained in the Type 2 application to serve in lieu of a separate final progress report will be discontinued. Instead, an Interim-RPPR should be submitted while the Type 2 renewal application is under consideration and, if funded, will be treated as the annual performance report. Further information regarding the implementation of the Final RPPR can be found in NIH Notice Number NOT-OD-17-022.

Notice Number:  NOT-OD-17-022