December 19, 2014

Uniform Guidance: Interim Final Rule Published

The Office of Management and Budget has posted the interim joint final rule implementing the Uniform Guidance in the December 19, 2014 Federal Register.

The Federal Register notice, Federal Awarding Agency Regulatory Implementation of Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, is effective for new awards and for selected funding increments issued on or after December 26, 2014. The notice includes introductory comments, a listing of the technical corrections/amendments, and a posting of each agency’s implementation plan. The Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) will be updated to reflect the technical corrections/amendments.

The Council on Financial Assistance Reform (COFAR) has updated their site with information on the notice, including a Uniform Guidance Crosswalk for Federal Agency Exceptions and Additions.

See the Sponsored Projects Office OMB Uniform Guidance page for more information.

December 9, 2014 Research Advocate: New UC Berkeley Campus Guide to OMB Uniform Guidance
January 2, 2014 Research Advocate: OMB Publishes Federal Grants Reform Guidance

December 17, 2014

NSF Revises Grants.gov Application Guide

The National Science Foundation has published a revised version of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide, effective for applications submitted or due to NSF on or after December 26, 2014.

NSF has updated the Guide to align with changes to the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that implements the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200). NSF includes a summary of the significant changes and clarifications on pages two and three of the revised Guide.

NIH Simplifies Policy for Late Applications

The National Institutes of Health has simplified the NIH policy for late application submission. Effective for applications submitted for due dates on or after January 25, 2015, there is a two-week window of consideration after the application due date, during which time NIH might consider accepting a late application.

NIH provides more details in the December 17 NIH Guide Notice, Simplifying the NIH Policy for Late Application Submission (NOT-OD-15-039). The guidance includes examples of reasons why late applications might be or will not be accepted.

December 09, 2014

New UC Berkeley Campus Guide to OMB Uniform Guidance

The White House Office of Management and Budget issued guidance effective as of December 26, 2014 designed to streamline and simplify the policy framework for grants and other types of agreements issued by the federal government. This new “Uniform Guidance” combines and replaces eight federal circulars and will govern all of UC Berkeley’s future federal contract and grant activities.

The UC Berkeley Campus Guide to OMB Uniform Guidance highlights selected items of the Uniform Guidance that will impact all federal proposals submitted by and new awards made to the University on or after December 26, 2014. Please pay particular attention to new information on allowable costs and activities that now require prior federal agency approval.

Federal proposals being submitted now are subject to these new regulations. Awards issued after December 26, 2014 also will be subject to these new requirements. Federal agencies also have the option of applying the Uniform Guidance to existing awards when issuing funding increments on or after December 26, 2014. However, the federal sponsor chooses not to apply the Uniform Guidance at that time, the existing award will continue to be administered under the original federal award’s terms and conditions.

Revisions and updates to this guide and to the OMB Uniform Guidance page will be made after more specific information on how the Uniform Guidance will be implemented by each of the federal agencies is published. We anticipate receiving this information on or after December 26, 2014.

January 2, 2014 Research Advocate: OMB Publishes Federal Grants Reform Guidance

December 05, 2014

NIH Pushes Back Requirement Date for New Biosketch Format

The National Institutes of Health has published Update: New Biographical Sketch Format Required for NIH and AHRQ Grant Applications Submitted for Due Dates on or After May 25, 2015 (NOT-OD-15-032). The new notice supercedes NOT-OD-15-024 that required the new biosketch format for January 25, 2015 applications.

NIH and AHRQ have changed the requirement date from January 25 to May 25, 2015, to provide some latitude for applicants who have already been compiling biosketches for large grant applications with deadlines in early in 2015.

NIH and AHRQ encourage applicants to use the new biosketch format for all grant and cooperative agreement applications submitted before May 25, and will require use of the new format for applications submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2015.

November 26, 2014 Research Advocate: NIH and AHRQ Requiring New Biographical Sketch Format

December 04, 2014

NIH Changes Guidance on Marking Changes in Resubmission Applications

The National Institutes of Health issued NIH Modification to Guidance on Marking Changes in Resubmission Applications (NOT-OD-15-030). The change is effective immediately.

The December 4, 2014 NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-15-030 states:

“NIH has removed the requirement to identify ‘substantial scientific changes’ in the text of a Resubmission application by ‘bracketing, indenting, or change of typography’.

Effective immediately, it is sufficient to outline the changes made to the Resubmission application in the Introduction attachment. The Introduction must include a summary of substantial additions, deletions, and changes to the application. It must also include a response to weaknesses raised in the Summary Statement. The page limit for the Introduction may not exceed one page unless indicated otherwise in the Table of Page Limits.”