Now that you’ve been awarded funding and your project is up and running, you’re in the post-award phase. Below you will find information applicable to many award types across CNE Research from charging expenses to awards to completing annual reports. However, each award is guided by specific terms and conditions found in the notice of award. Make sure you read yours carefully and understand any restrictions or special conditions that may be in place.
PIs and Key Personnel must certify their effort on a monthly basis. For questions contact your Post-Award Specialist.
Project expenses can be viewed on Tableau. Expenses, excluding salaries, are updated continuously. Salaries are updated as soon as the prior months’ financials close
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PIs have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure all expenses on their projects are allowable, allocable, and reasonable and meet the terms and conditions of the award or contract. This includes expenses budgeted and invoiced by sub-recipients on the award.
Purchasing: Remember to contact Purchasing with questions or concerns before placing an order.
Learn More**Beginning in mid-2022 activity numbers will not change each project year for all newly set-up accounts. Activities will be used for the life of the project, until competitive renewal.
Biospecimens are sample materials taken from the human body such as blood, urine, tissue, and other body fluids or materials obtained from humans.
Activities involving the use of biospecimens for research meet the definition of human subjects research and therefore must comply with the activities described in the informed consent signed by the participant or under a waiver of consent granted by an IRB in accordance with 45 CFR 46.
All CNE employees provide immunization records or are screened for immunity during their CNE Occupational Health New Hire Appointment. Vaccinations that are recommended, but not required (such as Hep B) are offered to the employee.
Biospecimens that are collected and stored for research purposes must be handled in accordance with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. Research teams should develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the collection, labeling, storage, and retrieval of biospecimens. The SOP must describe procedures appropriate for the type of biospecimen being collected. Additional regulations apply to biospecimens classified as select agents or toxins (42 CFR 73).
Packaging and shipment of human biospecimens and other dangerous goods (including dry ice) must conform to all applicable regulations, including but not limited to the U.S. Department of Transportation and International Air Transport Association guidelines. Any individual involved in the shipment of biospecimens must be properly trained. Training can be obtained from the following sources:
Infectious Substances Shipping Guidelines Course
Shipping Infectious Substances and Related Materials, incl. Category A (UN2900, UN2814 UN3373) Online Training Course
Shipping Category B Biological Substance and Related Materials (UN3373) Online Training Course
The activities below require prior approval from NIH.
Relinquishing institution
New recipient institution
As applicable
The Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) is used by grantees to submit annual or other interim progress performance reports, as well as final progress, reports. The terms and conditions of the award will provide guidance on the frequency of performance reporting required. Annual RPPRs typically report scientific progress, identify significant changes, report on all project personnel, and plans for the next budget period. Late or missing progress reports can lead to delayed funding.
Consider delegating the ASST role in eRA Commons to someone who can help initiate or complete the RPPR in eRA Commons.
Refer to the terms and conditions of your agreement to determine milestone and other reporting requirements.
No, major equipment cannot be purchased in the last year of a grant without permission. Contact your post award specialist to submit a request to your program officer.
Per NIH: “Other support includes all resources made available to a researcher in support of and/or related to all of their research endeavors, regardless of whether or not they have monetary value and regardless of whether they are based at the institution the researcher identifies for the current grant.”
Further information can be found here.
Err on the side of caution and include it. SPRA is available for additional clarification.
Generally no. RRF monies do not have line-item budget restrictions, scopes of work, specific aims, effort commitments, start/end dates, or dates by which funds must be expended. If in an unlikely scenario some RRF money was held in a separate account and one or more of the above became true, those RRF funds would need to be reported as other support.
Any non-monetary assistance or services. These could include equipment, lab/office space, personnel, or supplies.
Per the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 7.9 Allowable Costs:
Meals to support meetings/conferences are unallowable costs (except when noted in the terms of award).
Staff meetings should not be “broadly considered as meetings for the primary purpose of disseminating technical information in order to justify charging meals or refreshment costs to grants”.
If you are unsure whether a meal is allowable, contact OSPRGrantsMgmt@CareNE.org for clarification prior to hosting your meeting or event.
The Notice of Award (NoA) Section III – Terms and Conditions should indicate if the award is SNAP eligible.
Per NIH: “The PD/PI and other individuals who contribute to the scientific development or execution of a project in a substantive, measurable way, whether or not they receive salaries or compensation under the grant. Typically these individuals have doctoral or other professional degrees, although individuals at the masters or baccalaureate level may be considered senior/key personnel if their involvement meets this definition. Consultants and those with a postdoctoral role also may be considered senior/key personnel if they meet this definition. Senior/key personnel must devote measurable effort to the project whether or not salaries or compensation are requested. "Zero percent" effort or "as needed" are not acceptable levels of involvement for those designated as Senior/Key Personnel.”
Learn more here.
No, you are required to report all ongoing projects and sources of support regardless of whether salary is requested. Visit here for more information.
The NIH definition of foreign component is “The performance of any significant scientific element or segment of a project outside of the United States”, either by the recipient or by a researcher employed by a foreign organization, whether or not grant funds are expended. Activities that would meet this definition include, but are not limited to, (1) the involvement of human subjects or animals, (2) extensive foreign travel by recipient project staff for the purpose of data collection, surveying, sampling, and similar activities, or (3) any activity of the recipient that may have an impact on U.S. foreign policy through involvement in the affairs or environment of a foreign country. Examples of other grant-related activities that may be significant are:
Foreign travel for consultation is not considered a foreign component.
Yes, food that is provided to research participants is an allowable cost on federal grants as long as it is not duplicating participant compensation.
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