1. Research Administrators Forum
May 4, 2011
WPIC Auditorium

2. HR Updates Employment, Income, and Social Service Verifications
Performance Review Reminders
FLSA Updates

3. Employment, Income, & Social Service Verifications
Refer calls to or and provide UPMC Employer Code 11863
Employees can find instructions on the Infonet by visiting
If income needs verified the employee must visit or call to obtain a salary key/authorization code

4. Performance Review Reminders
Begin the review process for upcoming reviews as soon as possible
Recommended that reviews are finalized prior to the review due date
Reminders are sent via My Hub 45 days in advance of the review becoming due
HR is available for one on one consultations or training within your area

5. FLSA Updates
Identify and know who your non-exempt staff are within your departments
Quarterly lunch audits will occur regularly for non-exempt staff around lunch overrides
Mandatory FLSA training will be offered system-wide for all staff in the near future

6. Research Updates NIH Fiscal Policy for FY 2011
Annual Faculty Effort Reporting & Certification
NCE Completed before end date
Purchase of Bus Passes
eProcurement Knowledge Assessment
WePay expiration dates
eVoucher System
NIH Submission Review

7. Grant Spending Indirect Revenue is up 9% from March 2010
March 2011 was the Best month on record
Projected FY 11 total indirect revenue is up 7.9% from FY 10
Thank you for your help in making a balanced budget possible!
Even for 3 paycheck months

8. NIH Fiscal Policy – FY 2011
Non-Competing Research Awards for All NIH Institutes and Centers Except the National Cancer Institute
Awards will be reduced to 1% below the FY 2010 award level.
Inflationary adjustments for recurring costs on non-competing research grants in FY 2012 and beyond will be set at the 2% level
Cut is being assessed to the continuations. New awards – 10% percentile and below are being awarded.

9. 95.7% Restoration of Total NGA

10. Annual Faculty Effort Reporting & Certification
In accordance w/ Federal OMB Circular A-21; an annual statement of certification is required; signed by the Principle Investigator or responsible institutional official having direct, first-hand knowledge of the work performed, certifying that the work was performed and charges are reasonable
The Salaried Personnel Activity Report (SPAR) is the Institutional mechanism used by the University of Pittsburgh to account for the time and effort of every salaried employee at the University.
OMB Circular A-21 requires effort reports represent 100% of an individual’s activity and provide an after-the-fact confirmation that the effort report represents a reasonable estimate of the actual effort expended.
Reasonable 5%. 100% of the SPARS have to be certified to be in compliance

11. Annual Faculty Effort Reporting & Certification
Certification of SPAR’s will be accepted ONLY during the last month of the certifiable period (i.e. start/end date of the SPAR period) and 90-days after the end of the certifiable period.
The OGC Grant Analyst & Effort Reporting Team will begin contacting faculty members directly in May 2011 with SPAR & Distribution History information to review in preparation for the certification process.
Please follow up with your respective post-award specialists on pending or upcoming faculty redistributions and be as proactive as possible moving into May/June 2011
K Awards who’s effort does not change will be sent out first. If you know of future allocations changes please let your GS know ASAP

12. NCE Completed before End Date
If the work on a NCE has been completed before the end date then we need to inform the NIH of the new end date
Request must come from the University to the Program Officer and Grants Specialist (OGC template on website)
End date in E-Commons will be adjusted and close out documents will be requested

13. Purchase of Bus Passes
UPMC’s account with the Port Authority has been closed
OGC is working with WPIC Fiscal and UPMC Supply Chain on new procedures to purchase bus passes for participants

14. eProcurement
eProcurement has been added to UPMC’s learning management system ~ Ulearn
Complete the eProcurement Knowledge Assessment by June 30, 2011
You will lose your e-Pro access if the training is not completed prior to June 30, 2011
Questions related to ePro training should be sent to
Even if you did not receive an you have to take the training or you will lose your ePro access

15. WePay Expiration Dates
WePay cards with an expiration date of 11/30/2011 you will not be able to load after 5/31/2011
Admin Number range
Six month rule to insure that participants would have plenty of time to cash the cards
Please return any unused cards from this batch to your grants specialist at the beginning of June

16. eVoucher
If a user does not use the eVoucher application within 6 months their access will be revoked by Supply Chain
your Grants Specialist if you need your access restated

17. NIH Submission Review
NIH – Electronic Application Forms Required for F, K, T, and D Submissions with due dates after January 25, 2011
Updated Electronic Application Forms in 2011
For deadlines after May 7th all applicants will be required to use ADOBE-FORMS-B1
Make sure you use Adobe Forms B1 for June and July submissions

18. NIH Submission Review
Error Correction Window for Grants.gov submissions
Due dates after January 25, 2011 NIH will eliminate the error correction window
The elimination of the error correction window does not affect the two business day application viewing window
Applicants should submit their applications in advance of the due date to take advantage of the opportunity to correct errors
Your submission should be in the final version once you submit it to the OGC

19. OGC Staff Updates Departing Staff New Staff Jenny Mersich
Will Leiendecker
New Staff
Chris Harris, Fiscal
Grant Jackson, Post Award
The OGC Grant Assignment has been updated on the OGC website
Recruiting for a Pre Award position; UPMC posting #
Aniko Nalevanko – scheduled maternity leave in July
Denise Trosky had a baby boy (Ryan Joseph) in Jan. and is delighted to be back
Ryan Stoner has transferred to the OGC Personnel Team. Please send any positions (Post Docs) that are going to start in the fall (Sept) to Aniko ASAP

20. OGC Priorities Update Hard fund account balance notification
Second half budgets have been sent out, balances by request
OGC trainings
Submission process –
K Award trainings started in the Fall 2010
R Series submission process started in the Fall 2010
Post-Award Management
K Award training started in the Winter 2011
Charging expenditures to grants training – Spring 2011

21. OGC Priorities Update Continued Website maintenance
Pre-Award revised website – Nov 2010
Pre-Award FAQ list – Sept 2010
Post Award revised website – May 2011

22. Pre-Award Website Key Changes: Frequently Asked Questions
Pre-Award Training Materials
Powerpoint presentations
Guidelines on various application topics
Checklists

23. Pre-Award Website Grant application training sessions:
Small groups of 10 or less
Held each application cycle
Invitees are based on received Planning to Submit forms – please submit these EARLY even if you aren’t sure
Current Trainings:
K award applications
R Series applications

24. Post Award Website eProcurement Description / Justification
Delegating Approval
Reimbursement Guide
Travel
Training Sessions coming soon

25. Reimbursements Type of Employment Method of Reimbursement
UPMC Employee
My Hub/My Expenses (online)
Pitt Employee
Pitt Travel and Business Report (Hard Copy)
Graduate Student
Student
Non-Pitt or UPMC Affiliates

26. Description /Justification
A Description of the expense in laymen’s terms in needed for each purchase
A Justification is required when a general purpose item (office supplies) is charged to a grant
The justification needs to be grant specific
The fact that an item is budgeted does not mean it is allowable and allocable
Computers, telephones, postage and office supplies are consider GENERAL PURPOSE ITEMS and should be purchased using Hard Funds. The only case these items can be treated as Direct Costs is with a justification from the PI explaining how the item is going to directly benefit the grant being charged. To facilitate this process, always budget the expense on the grant and include a clear justification on the budget justification at the time of the submission and on the order at the time of the purchase.

27. Upcoming Events WPIC Staff Recognition Day Research Day
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Research Day
Thursday, June 2, 2011

28. End of Fiscal Year 2011
In order for an item to be accounted for in FY 11 the item must be purchased, received, and paid for before the close of FY 11

29. OGC Website https://inet.psychiatry.upmc.com/OGC/default.htm
The website should be considered a “live” document that will continue to evolve – we want it to be optimally helpful to you and your program
Let us know what you would like to see posted!