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OSR-Evanston Quarterly Network May 7, 2013. Elizabeth Adams Executive Director. Updates from the Director. New Staff Grants Assistant Brandon Greene Grants Assistant Ted Smith
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OSR-Evanston Quarterly NetworkMay 7, 2013 Elizabeth Adams Executive Director
Updates from the Director • New Staff • Grants Assistant Brandon Greene • Grants Assistant Ted Smith • Office of Management and Budget (OMB) “Omni Circular” that proposes grants reform via consolidation and modification of several circulars • Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), a strategic partner in Northwestern’s research
What are the OMB Circulars Again? • The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is not a sponsor • Its main job is to assist the President to prepare the budget • It also measures the quality of agency programs, policies, and procedures • OMB issues instructions to federal agencies in the form of “circulars”
What are the OMB Circulars Again? • The circulars that currently govern universities in the area of grants management are: • A-21, Cost Principles • A-110, Administrative Requirements • A-133, Audits • Important to note that universities are not the only recipients of federal grants (e.g., state, local, tribal governments; nonprofit research institutions; hospitals)
Proposed “Omni Circular” • Much-anticipated “Proposed OMB Uniform Guidance: Cost Principles, Audit, and Administrative Requirements for Federal Awards” • Published in the February 1, 2013 Federal Register • 244 pages • Comments due on June 2 via www.regulations.gov (extended from May 2) • This is about grants reform, for agencies and for awardees • Northwestern’s institutional response being drafted • Involves OSR, ASRSP, Cost Studies, Financial Operations, VPR • NU working with other universities around the country in developing a response
Areas of Emphasis in NU’s Institutional Response • Accountability and transparency…on both sides • Agency inconsistency in award forms, terms, reporting, F&A rates, audit standards • RFP standardization: provide 90 day advance notice for application submission deadlines; deadline hours should be based on local, normal business hours (no 11:59pm Eastern) • Streamline subrecipient monitoring • Cost sharing
Our Neighbor to the Southwest • Argonne National Laboratory • Northwestern-Argonne Institute for Science and Engineering (NAISE) http://naise.northwestern.edu/ • Terms finalized for renewed Basic Ordering Agreement beginning ~5/1/13 (five year life) • Collaborative proposals and awards • Joint appointments (paid and unpaid) • LS-CAT • DND-CAT