Grants Accounting
The Controller’s Office - Grant Accounting department ensures prudent stewardship of sponsored funds and serving as the central fiscal administrator for the post award function of sponsored research. Grant Accounting is responsible for compliance with fiscal and reporting requirements established by federal and state law, agency regulations, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and University policies and procedures.
Services that Our Office Provides:
- Create new funds and budgets for sponsored projects
- Maintain and update grant information on the accounting system
- Track budgets and making necessary adjustments
- Monitor compliance with applicable regulations, policies, and practices
- Assist with sponsored funding related questions
- Invoice agencies and drawing Federal funds
- Prepare and submit financial reports
- Monitor collection/receipts for receivables on sponsored projects
- Approve purchases made with sponsored funding (supplies, travel, equipment, etc.)
- Track equipment purchased
- Oversee Subcontracts and Subrecipients
- Time and Effort Reporting
- Complete close-out activities when project has been completed
The Facilities & Administrative cost rates (formerly called indirect cost rates) approved in this agreement are for use on grants, contracts and other agreements with the Federal Government.
Post-Award
JSU’s policies and procedures adhere to and promote compliance with federal regulations as stated in the Office of Management and Budget’s 2 CFR 200. In addition, the university complies with the terms and conditions specified in award documents. The following policies and procedures are a part of the compliance program for externally funded programs:
What is an Effort Report on Sponsored Projects?
The Effort Report is a form used to identify how the efforts of faculty and staff working on externally funded grants/contracts/agreements are distributed. Federal guidelines govern who must report, how frequently they must report, and the time and effort frame in which reports must be distributed and completed. Effort reports are used to verify individual effort on externally sponsored grants and contracts.
Are Effort Reports required to be completed?
Yes. Effort Reports constitute the primary basis for reimbursement of the university by all federal and nonfederal funding agencies for salaries charged to externally funded programs, as well as reimbursement for the budgeted indirect cost (facility and administrative costs).
When must Time and Effort Reports be completed?
The Effort Report Cycle is over a 12-month period and JSU follows the academic calendar tracking the effort from the beginning of the academic contracts in August through July each year. Effort Reports are generated three times per year - in early spring for the fall reporting period, early summer for the spring reporting period, and early fall for the summer reporting period.
Who completes a Time and Effort Report?
All employees who work on Sponsored Projects, Grants or Contracts need to complete an effort report. This includes irregular or student employees; and employees who only work on sponsored projects outside of their normal contacts.
Who can sign my Time and Effort Report?
The report should be signed by the employee and cosigned by the employees' immediate supervisor or the project's Principal Investigator (PI).
I have a Time and Effort Report for an employee who is no longer employed at the University, should I return a blank sheet?
No, each report must be completed. In this case a person with firsthand knowledge of the employee's activity should complete the report. This should be either the employees' immediate supervisor or the PI on the project. The governing regulations state that the effort report "may be confirmed by responsible persons with suitable means of verification that the work was performed".
How do I get an Effort Report?
Effort Reports will be mailed to the employee by the Payroll Office.
Where do I send my Effort Report?
After the individuals working on the project complete and sign the report, they return it to the supervisor or PI who also needs to sign the report. The completed form then should be returned to the Grants and Contracts Accounting Office, Room 309 Bibb Graves Hall.
How is the percentage of effort calculated?
The Time and Effort Reports cover all (100%) of an individual's University and grant funded effort for the entire reporting period. This will include all effort required to perform the individuals duties, regardless of the number of hours per week the individual works. For example, if an individuals total appointment at JSU is 20 hours a week and he/she spends all of that time on one project, then 100% of their time should be allocated to the project. If the total appointment is 40 hours per week and 20 hours are spent on one project and 20 on another, then 50% should be to each project.
What if the Effort Reports are not completed and submitted for a project?
A reminder email listing the missing effort reports will be sent to the employee shortly after the deadline. If the forms are not submitted within a few days after the date of the email, a second email is sent to the employee and/or the PI and the next level supervisor. A "freeze" may be placed on the grant account funding of the PI at that time until it is determined why this necessary compliance cannot be met. If the effort cannot be certified than the salary expense does not meet the definition of an allowable project expense and the expense, including all fringe benefits, will need to be moved to institutional funding.
IMPORTANT: In the event the institution is audited and an Effort Report is not available, the external agency can and may ask for a refund of funds on a particular project. This may also affect future funding not only for the department, but for the entire University.
Office of Research & Planning, Sponsored Projects
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) functions to manage matters related to externally funded sponsored grants and contracts awarded to Jacksonville State University (JSU). The OSP holds responsibility for assisting faculty and staff in the location of potential funding opportunities and with the application and submission process ensuring that JSU's standards for performance are achieved by providing expertise to guide faculty and staff through the life cycle of a project. The Office of Sponsored Programs is committed to the support, development, submission, and management of these activities by the university's faculty and staff.
Uniform Guidance
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in the Federal Register.
- Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
- Current OMB Circulars
Federal Program Training Guides
Training
An important component of grant management is budget monitoring to ensure compliance with the applicable rules and policies that govern sponsored project costs. The Controller’s Office provides training classes to assist sponsored project investigators in understanding the fundamentals of grant budgeting and available reports.
Budget Setup & Modifications – Coming Soon
Estimated Fringe Benefit Rates for Grant Budgeting
Fringe benefits are charged based on the actual cost of each fringe (e.g. health insurance, life insurance, etc). The estimated fringe rates are intended to provide adequate funding to cover the actual fringe benefit costs that will be charged to sponsors. Actual fringe benefits are calculated as a percentage of the total salary for each individual employee. Questions regarding fringe benefit calculations can be sent to payroll@jsu.edu.