OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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Grants Administration training is required for anyone that needs grants administration and/or final approver access in Banner. The training consists of 5 self-study modules, each with a test, and a final exam. The training and tests are delivered via Blackboard. Please note, for final approver access you must also complete the Banner FIS Grants training.
Banner FIS Grants training is required for anyone that needs grants query only, grants administration, and/or final approver access in Banner. The training and test are delivered via Blackboard.
If you are an individual that administers grants funds use the links below to find modules and resources pertaining to grant administration. The modules and resources provide an excellent source for employee self-study. The self-study materials include information audits, allowable/unallowable costs, grant life cycle, PAR, cost sharing, equipment, subawards and procurements, fellowships/NRAs, and accounting.
The University Research Administrators Network Group (URANG) is a component of OSRAA’s education and outreach activities, bringing together departmental and OSU research administration staff university-wide. It provides a unique opportunity for OSRAA to share information, explore issues, share solutions and techniques, and work together to improve the research administration enterprise at OSU. URANG hosts a listserv to advise of the next meeting date, time, and location and to disseminate information.
To add your name to the listserv, send an email to osraa@oregonstate.edu. Include in the email: Your name, your email address and the message “Please add this (these) names to the OSRAA Outreach listserv”.
Banner FIS training is required for anyone that needs grants query only, grants administration, and/or final approver access in Banner. Training will cover Banner forms, reports, viewing documents, and grant policies and fundamentals.
This training is designed for regular users of the system such as Research Administrative Support personnel and Grant Coordinators. The training addresses more advanced proposal considerations and encourages sharing of tips, tricks and proven best-practices.
This training is appropriate for new faculty, new staff or those seeking a refresher on the proposal management system. A step by step overview of proposal creation is presented, highlighting tips, tricks and shortcuts, as well as an explanation of the distinction between 424 and SP functionalities.
For questions regarding Cayuse Training, please contact the Office of Sponsored Research and Award Administration at osraa@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-4933.
For proposals in which OSU is the lead organization and is subcontracting with another organization, Office for Sponsored Research and Award Administration (OSRAA) needs to approve a project narrative and budget for the subcontractor. A signed letter or email from the organization's Authorized Organizational Representative must be included, along with a copy of the organization's negotiated F&A cost rate, if available.
For a revised budget that needs authorized organizational representative signatures, OSRAA needs a copy of the new budget and any other materials being submitted to the agency. If any changes have been made to the project narrative, a copy of the new narrative should be supplied as well. If the sponsor does not request signature of the Authorized Representative, OSRAA does not need to review the revised budget.
If the sponsor limits or does not allow F&A costs, the investigator must provide to OSRAA, with the proposal, a copy of the sponsor guideline stating the F&A cost policy . OSRAA will accept this limitation if it is a standard policy applied across all applicants for the sponsor or the sponsor’s specific program.
Any University cost-share commitments should be indicated on the proposal transmittal form, and the form should be signed by the appropriate authorizing official for the source of those funds. External commitments need to be documented by letter or email from an authorized official.
OSRAA encourages investigators to include a reasonable increase in all budget categories to account for inflation in subsequent budget years. Typical increases for salaries and fringe benefits are 1-3% per year, and for tuition 5-10% per year.
When budgeting work is being performed from an outside organization, it is important to properly identify the work as a subaward or a procurement. Please refer to this document that explains the difference between the two types of activities.
The TIN number and other frequently-needed OSU information are available on the Commonly Requested Information page. Be aware that this information changes frequently, so it is a good idea to bookmark this page rather than printing the information.
OSRAA needs a copy of all information being sent to NIH, a completed Proposal Transmittal Form and the original PHS cover sheet for signature.
OSRAA needs to approve, at a minimum, a Proposal Transmittal Form, project narrative and budget. In addition, any other forms being submitted to the sponsor must be submitted to OSRAA for approval.
OSRAA requires a minimum of three working days for review and approval of a proposal. Under extraordinary circumstances, and if the office is notified in advance, OSRAA may be able to review proposals in a shorter time.
A proposal being submitted to another organization in which OSU is a subawardee under the organization requires the same University approval as other proposals. OSRAA needs at least a Proposal Transmittal Form, and a project narrative and budget representing OSU's portion of the project. The investigator should contact the lead organization to determine if any additional information is needed.
You need to change your password.
Reset it yourself on the Fastlane webiste- select the Password Reset tab. Or, call (7-4933) or email (osraa@oregonstate.edu) Office for Sponsored Research and Award Administration and we will reset your password.
Fill out the Fastlane Registration form (PDF) and submit it to OSRAA
Procedures for submitting collaborative proposals to NSF depend on whether OSU is the lead institution. Consult the Grant Proposal Guide for guidelines and instructions.
A Labor Distribution (LD) should be processed immediately after an error is discovered and for future distributions. Future distributions can be processed via OSCAR once the OSRAA Labor Distribution Form is completed and authorized.
If a sponsored award does not have an index established in OSU’s financial system, labor charges must be posted to a departmental, gift or pending index while awaiting set up of the project index. Under no circumstances should sponsored awards be used as holding accounts for expenses which will subsequently be transferred elsewhere, including to competing or noncompeting continuations of the same project for which the notice of award or new index number has not yet been received.
Pending index accounts are strongly recommended if a delay in award funding or execution is anticipated. The timely set up of a pending index will likely eliminate the need to process labor distributions and other cost transfers.
No. LD forms must be completed for all labor distributions affecting sponsored projects, regardless of the timeframe. However, only certain forms require OSRAA approval.
LD forms that may be processed at the Business Center and directly filed in the Payroll role in Nolij, without OSRAA approval:
LD forms require OSRAA approval in the following instances:
Complete the OSRAA Labor Distribution Form through DocuSign and file in the Payroll role in Nolij. OSRAA approval is not required for current or future period LDs unless key personnel effort is revised by 25% or more for the project budget period or the project scope of work is changing. See Labor Distribution Instructions for specific DocuSign guidance.
Complete the OSRAA Labor Distribution Form through DocuSign, adding OSRAA as a Recipient so the DocuSign form routes to OSRAA for approval. Once approved, OSRAA will return the approved LD to the Business Center to process in Banner. See Labor Distribution Instructions for specific DocuSign guidance.
Complete the OSRAA Labor Distribution Form through DocuSign, adding OSRAA as a DocuSign Recipient so the form routes to OSRAA for approval. Also add PayMaster as a DocuSign Recipient so that the form is routed to central payroll for processing, as required for prior year redistributions. See Labor Distribution Instructions for specific DocuSign guidance.
Yes. However, once certification of effort has been completed, only in certain circumstances will subsequent salary adjustments be permitted. If a PAR was previously signed, the PI must provide an explanation as to why the effort was certified prior to reallocating salary.
If it is determined that a redistribution of salary is appropriate, the PAR form must be revised, recertified and filed in Nolij. The completed LD form should be attached to the corrected PAR form.
Federal regulations governing administration of sponsored project personnel expenses (2 CFR §200.430 (i-1,viii)) require that institutions receiving sponsored awards have support documentation available for how payroll allocations are determined and subsequently entered into the accounting system. These allocations must be under the direction of the PI or an individual that understands the tasks and objectives to be conducted and the individuals that need to be assigned to those tasks or program objectives.
Additionally, sponsored project salary expenses must be supported by a system of internal control which provides reasonable assurance that the charges are accurate, allowable, and properly allocated. Filing the LD form when future labor distributions are updated for new or continuing projects allows OSU to document this internal control system.
Lastly, significant changes to key personnel effort are flagged and captured before they take place, allowing OSU to comply with sponsor prior approval requirements.
Yes. As of Fall 2017, all authorized signatures are captured electronically through DocuSign.
Yes, as long as the email identifies the labor distribution and contains the certifications regarding effort of key personnel and whether there is a change in the scope of work. The detailed email must be attached as back-up documentation to the OSRAA Labor Distribution form in DocuSign.
A minimum of two signatures/approvals are required for every LD – the PI and the Business Center/Department authorizer.
A third signature - Dean/Director/Dept. Head – is required if the LD is for a distribution of PI’s labor.
A fourth signature – OSRAA - is required if the LD meets the criteria needing OSRAA review and approval.
Multiple PIs may approve the LD in DocuSign. Each PI must be added as a Recipient in DocuSign so that the form will route to each approver.
An individual may not approve their own labor distribution. The PI’s supervisor should sign the LD. For example, a PI who is Dept. Head should obtain Dean (or official designee) signature on the LD. The PI still completes the certifications for 25% effort revision and change in scope of work.
Obtaining a secondary level of approval for an individual’s own effort distribution documents OSU’s system of internal control, complying with requisite federal regulation, such as 2 CFR §200.430.
Consistent with checks and balances built into other expenditure and payroll processes at OSU, a distribution of labor should be signed by an authorizer who did not prepare the distribution. This ensures segregation of duties and further documents OSU’s system of internal control.
If more rows are needed for current and/or revised distribution sections, additional lines may be unhidden or inserted into the Excel LD form or multiple forms may be used, as long as all forms are signed by each approver.
The justification must include sufficient information to describe and document the circumstance of the LD, including why the salary was charged incorrectly to the original index and how the salary directly benefits the receiving project. The new salary distribution must match where the individual worked during the period(s) affected by the redistribution. If the transfer is 90 days or more from the initial payroll charge, include an explanation as to why salary was not transferred in a timely manner.
Also include information as to a change to the scope of work or revision of key personnel effort by 25% or more, if applicable.
Example 1:
Jane Doe’s salary was set up on Dr. Bird’s nest project N0254A due to a transposition error. The salary should have been set up on Dr. Lyon’s jungle project N0524A since that is where Jane Doe worked. The error was not immediately discovered because Dr. Bird has numerous students assigned to N0254A.
Example 2:
Dr. Lyon’s salary distribution is being updated from index N0524A to the continuation project index N0524B created for the current budget year.
Example 3:
Dr. Green’s salary distribution is being updated from P0123B to P0123C because a new index had to be set up for a change in F&A rate for year three of the grant.
Key Personnel are individuals, typically Principal Investigators, Project Directors, and Co-Investigators, whose effort is absolutely essential to the success of the proposed activity, either because of their critical leadership positions within the proposal (and consequently their intellectual guidance) or because of the uniqueness of the expertise they are contributing relative to the proposed scope of activity. The replacement of any of these individuals requires approval from the sponsor, as does disengagement from the project or reduction of project effort by 25% or more. Importantly, the level of key personnel effort includes all project effort, whether reimbursed by the sponsor or paid from institutional sources (cost-share).
Note that a sponsor may have a more specific definition of key personnel, per the terms and conditions of the award. OSRAA will identify Key Personnel in the PI Letter when the award notification email is distributed.
The certifications for change in key personnel effort and change to scope of work are applicable and required on all LD forms. If the LD is for non-key personnel, the certification may indicate that the distribution “will not” revise key personnel effort by 25% or more.
An increase in effort of 25% or more for key personnel should also be reviewed to assess whether there has been a change in the scope of work and the impact, if any, on other sponsored awards. If there is a change in the scope of work, it must be approved prior to the change and in writing by the sponsor's Administrative/Grants Officer. The request must be processed through OSRAA in advance of the change.
While it is important that the PI maintain a good relationship with the Program Officer, this is not sufficient for documentation of sponsor approval. Any decrease of 25% or more of key personnel planned project effort, or change to the scope of work, must be approved prior to the change and in writing by the sponsor's Administrative/Grants Officer. The request must be processed through OSRAA in advance of the change.
The LD certification for revision of key personnel effort is for the current project budget period, not the specified period of distribution on the LD. The certification is intended to promote proactive dialogue between the PI, Business Center, and OSRAA regarding whether the change requires prior approval from the sponsor.
While it is true that project plans often change and effort may fluctuate over the life of the award, OSU is required to have an established method of monitoring effort changes as they occur, in order to comply with the requirement to request sponsor prior approval for key personnel effort changes of 25% or more.
Not necessarily. OSRAA will review the LD within the parameters of the regulations governing the award and specific project terms and conditions. If there is a significant revision in effort for the current project budget period but project effort will be at or near the promised level of effort over multiple budget periods, sponsor approval may not be required as long as OSU documents that the overall project effort meets the individual’s level of effort promised in the proposal and/or award.
For example, if effort is reduced more than 25% for the current budget period but will increase in a later period (or has already increased in a previous period), it may not be necessary to request sponsor approval because OSU can document that the overall effort commitment for the individual will meet the promised effort over the life of the project. The PI should still indicate on the LD form that the effort is being reduced 25% or more for the current budget period and provide information about the overall level of effort remaining as committed. OSRAA will review the LD and determine if any action is needed or if the form may simply be filed as documentation.
OSU maintains compliance with effort monitoring and certification requirements in several ways, one of which is asking the PI to confirm whether the current LD will revise key personnel effort by 25% or more during the current project budget period.
Per federal regulation (2 CFR §200.308 part c (iii)), OSU must have a process in place to identify and seek prior sponsor approval for a reduction of 25% or more of the original amount of time devoted to the project by key personnel.
Similarly, if key personnel effort is increased 25% or more, OSU needs to confirm that the revision does not signify a change to the scope of work, which also requires prior approval of the sponsor.
If these significant effort changes are only addressed during the quarterly PAR certification review, OSU is not in compliance with the federal prior approval regulation, as PARS are after-the-fact effort confirmation. OSU would then be in the noncompliant position of asking sponsor approval for a significant effort reduction or change to the scope of work after it has already taken place.
Part of OSRAA’s review of the LD form is to determine the specific effort requirements under the terms and conditions of the particular sponsored award. This is why it is important to include enough information on the LD form to explain when overall project effort will not be revised by 25% or more, even if the current budget period’s effort is significantly changed. Examples below show scenarios where effort is changed but may not rise to the level of requiring sponsor approval.
Note that these are provided only as examples - some sponsors have more restrictive prior approval terms.
Example 1:
Dr. Doyle’s effort on S0123A will be reduced by 30% for the months of June-September, 2016 so that he can increase effort on DA247B where the research is season dependent. Dr. Doyle’s effort for S0123A will increase again to focus on S0123A project work in October, after the current season. Overall project effort for S0123A will not be reduced by 25% or more and he will fulfill his effort commitment on the award.
Example 2:
Dr. Bennett will be increasing her effort on G0125C by 30% because the graduate student on the project left unexpectedly and the field analysis must be completed. The scope of the project will be unchanged.