- Author: Kathleen P Nolan
OCG has two new tools which you may find helpful when preparing your proposal. These tools can be found on our Resources and Training Materials webpage.
Proposal Checklist Toolkit:
Some funding opportunities are long and contain very detailed programmatic and formatting requirements. This can make it difficult when trying to keep track of all the requirements you have to follow in putting together your proposal. For example: did you remember to keep the project narrative limited to 12 written pages double-space using size 12 point font with 1 inch margins? Or are you required to subcontract out 50% of the award amount and need to locate possible partners in the community? Is there a 1:1 match, but only 50% of that match can be in-kind and the remaining 50% has to be a cash-match?
The Proposal Checklist Toolkit contains a list of items/questions which you should look out for when reviewing a funding opportunity. There is a place where you can enter your own brief notes and refer back to the applicable sections in the funding opportunity. You can also identify who in particular is working on specific items and what parts are still outstanding. This is particularly helpful in larger projects where several people are coming together to complete the proposal.
Budget Calculator
Most sponsors have their own budget template which they require to be completed when submitting your proposal. The purpose of this new tool is to serve as a quick budget calculator to assist you with planning your budget. There are two budget calculators: 1) a Simple Version for smaller projects that are 1 year in duration and may not require as much budgetary detail; and 2) an Expanded Version which is better suited for projects that span multiple years. For example, on this expanded version you can input the employee's base salary and annual effort and it will populate the personnel costs including calculating for 3% annual salary increases each year. Once you enter the applicable fringe benefit rate based on the position title, the fringe benefits will also auto calculate based on the requested salaries. Both of these budget calculators contain a tab specifically devoted to indirect cost calculation and is formatted to include options for various indirect costs bases which may be used depending on what the funding opportunity allows. For example, if using our federally negotiated rate, the base we use is a Modified Total Direct Cost base. However, as an alternative example, the funding opportunity may limit our indirect cost recovery to a specified rate based on a Total Cost calculation method.
We hope you find these new proposal preparation tools helpful. If you have any further improvements that you would like to see added to these tools, please let me know.
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)
530-750-1306
- Author: Kathleen P Nolan
Cost Reimbursable agreements for sponsored projects are the most common type of agreement which we receive at ANR. In these agreements the sponsor reimburses ANR, usually in arrears, for actual allowable and allocable costs incurred in the performance of a project. The agreement should identify a not-to-exceed amount and the budget should clearly detail the intended use of the funds to help define appropriate and allowable expenditures. At the end of the project the sponsor expects us to submit a final financial report detailing actual project expenditures and, if applicable, a refund of unused funds.
Fixed price agreements, on the other hand, have a set value that will be paid generally based on completed deliverables. Upon successful completion of the deliverables, the sponsor will only be obligated to pay the contracted amount, even if the actual expenditures exceed this amount. These excess costs would need to be covered by the PIs via a discretionary fund source. However, if there are funds remaining after all deliverables have been met, these unspent funds will be retained by the University and may be transferred into a Research and Education (R&E) Account for the PIs continued research/programmatic efforts.
The proposed budget in a fixed price agreement should be within a reasonable range of actual anticipated expenditures. ANR should not be generating a profit from externally funded activities, but rather break even in order to fully cover costs. Balances over 20% require a justification and approval from the County or REC Director or your department head before the excess costs can be transferred into R&E accounts.
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)
- Author: Kathleen P Nolan
You've received approval to go on sabbatical or an extended leave of absence, but how are you going to manage your sponsored projects while you're gone? Will another faculty member be overseeing your projects in your absence? Or will you still have frequent access to email and site visits so you can continue to oversee your projects at a reduced effort? After you find out that your leave has been approved, you should contact OCG and BOC to let our offices know.
Depending on the sponsor and the length of the leave, we may need to get approval from the sponsor for either a temporary replacement PI or significant changes in your effort commitment. Most federal sponsors want to at least be notified when a PI will be absent for short periods of time. However, almost all federal sponsors require us to seek prior approval when a PI will be absent for longer than 3 months. For these extended leaves, we may need to submit a plan to the sponsor for approval that details how the work will be carried out in the PI's absence. If a temporary replacement PI will be overseeing the project, this plan may need to include identifying who will be in charge during the PI's absence and providing his/her curriculum vita and written concurrence.
Every sabbatical or extended leave will be unique with different sponsor requirements and different plans for how the work will be managed while on leave. That is why it's important to notify OCG and BOC beforehand in case we need to get sponsor approval for the programmatic changes and also so our offices know who we need to contact if things come up while you are on leave.
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)
Academic personnel may find information on sabbatical leave in the ANR Administrative Handbook, Series 300 – Academic Personnel, Section IV - Sabbatical Leave, at: http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/119882.pdf
- Author: Kathleen P Nolan
1) USDA NIFA - Specialty Crop Research Initiative/Citrus Disease Research and Extension
Stakeholder Relevance Statement Due Date: July 18, 2014; 5:00 PM ET (Mandatory)
Application Due Date(s): September 29, 2014; 5:00 PM ET (Invite only)
The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program (CDRE) is for the purpose of conducting research and extension activities, technical assistance and development activities to:
- Combat citrus diseases and pests which pose imminent harm to United States citrus production and threaten the future viability of the citrus industry; and
- Provide support for the dissemination and commercialization of relevant information, techniques, and technologies.
2) Organic Valley - Farmers Advocating for Organics (FAFO) Fund
Letter of Inquiry Due By: September 01, 2014
Farmers Advocating for Organics is a competitive grantmaking fund and is open to applicants seeking funding for projects or programs that are oriented towards protecting, safeguarding, and advancing organic agriculture and organic marketplace through research, advocacy and/or education.
Successful proposals will need to affect independent, organic, family farmers by addressing one or more of the following giving categories:
- Organic farmer or consumer research;
- Organic farmer or consumer education;
- Education of CROPP members or membership;
- Education and resources supporting beginning, current, and/or transitioning organic farmers;
- Advocacy meant to protect organic integrity, standards and/or marketplace.
This announcement is intended to highlight only a few of the exciting new funding opportunities that are coming up. Please visit our Funding Opportunities Calendar for more upcoming funding opportunities. New opportunities will be posted to this calendar frequently. You can also sign up for the RSS feed to get automatic notices when new opportunities are added. Please remember this calendar is not exhaustive and we encourage you to seek out other opportunities as applicable to your program/research.
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)
- Author: Kathleen P Nolan
There have been some changes implemented to the Grant Tracking System (GTS) which we hope you find helpful.
They are:
1. On the home page the tab “Your Worksheets” has been changed to read “Your Proposals / Create New”. On this page the side by side column view has been changed to a top/bottom view in order to show additional fields pertaining to your existing projects in GTS. The newly added fields include the sponsor name, proposed start and end date, award Number, and the fund number.
2. When entering a new proposal on the Project Information – Financial Information tab there have been some changes to both the Cost Sharing, Disclosure of Financial Interest and Subcontracts questions.
The Cost Sharing question has been changed to remove the reference to the additional form Exhibit B. Instead, if ‘Yes' to Cost Sharing is checked, you'll see follow up questions asking you to identifying the type of cost share, dollar amount and a brief description. This will greatly assist the people reviewing your proposal when you submit to reviewers. Please note that separate cost share commitment letters may still be required.
The Subcontracts question has been updated to remove the reference to the additional form Exhibit C. Instead you will find a link to the Subrecipient Information tab on the OCG website. This page will provide you with more information about classifying Subawards versus Vendors and what items will be needed when issuing Subawards to other entities.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please email ocg@ucanr.edu.
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)
