Site Acronyms

1. MAPP+D and/or ARCH = Maryland School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation

2. NOSI = Notice of Submission Intent Form

3. ORA = Office of Research Administration

4. RDO = Research Development Office (central)

5. VPR = Vice President for Research Office (includes ORA and Research Development Office)

6. IRB = Institutional Review Board

7. IRRoC = Integrated Research Resources on Campus

8. DRIF = Designated Research Initiative Funds

9. LOI = Letter of Intent

10. LOS = Letter of Support

Special Topics

Credit Splits/DRIF (Designated Research Initiative Funds)

UMD allocates the return of a portion of the indirect facilities and administration funds from awarded proposals back to an investigator's school, center, department, and individual accounts in order to incentivize and support research initiatives. On multi-investigator proposals, it is typical for a negotiation to occur prior to the proposal submission. The percentage split can be based on % effort and/or other factors. Although a credit split must be entered into Kuali Research prior to proposal submission, changes can be made post award using the ORA change form (see below). Some factors that might necessitate a change include: adding an investigator, deleting an investigator, an investigator switches departments. Changes must be authorized by the PI, department chair and dean.

• Change form

AANA Accounts (Advanced Account Number Authorization)

Purpose: Establishing accounts in advance of receipt of the official award, the ability to charge expenditures prior to the official start date of an award, and/or lifting the end date on an account to allow spending to continue in anticipation of an official action that will formally extend the period of performance.

There are times when an account is needed in advance of receipt of an award document. If the receipt of an award is imminent and establishing an account is necessary for the management of the project, an advanced account number may be requested. Sometimes an established account is waiting for an amendment that will add time and money or just time. Should the end date of the account expire prior to the receipt of the amendment, a request to lift the end date can be initiated.

OMB Circular A-110 permits the University certain expanded authorities under Federal grants and cooperative agreements. The ability to charge pre-award costs may be requested to charge specific expenditures prior to the start date of the Federal grant or cooperative agreement (must be within 90 days of the official start date). Pre-award costs may be requested in conjunction with an AANA or independent of it.

The department is fully responsible for any charges made to an AANA account should an award or amendment not materialize. The department is also fully responsible for any unallowable costs incurred when the pre-award cost period exceeds sponsor rules.

• Submission form

Application of F&A Rates (indirect cost rates)

F&A cost rates are applicable to all sponsored projects, i.e. grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, subgrants, etc.

ORA's overview on F&A definitions/applications can be found here.

The first step in determining the appropriate F&A rate is to read the sponsor solicitation. If there is a limitation on F&A, the program guidelines or announcement will list the rate that should be used. If there are no guidelines available, or they do not mention F&A or do not indicate that something other than the applicable federally-negotiated F&A rate should be used, than the federally-negotiated rate should be used. The next step in determining the appropriate rate is to establish what type of project you have; the three most used in MAPP with general definitions (derived from a succinct overview at UCSU) are below:

• organized research: Investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery of new knowledge or that builds upon existing knowledge. The creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way resulting in new concepts, methodologies and understandings.

• instruction and training: The dissemination of knowledge or information through teaching and non-research training activities. These activities include developing or compiling course and curriculum materials/programs.

• other sponsored activities: The dissemination of known knowledge or processes. Service performed for the benefit of the public. A program that geographically extends the resources of the institution to entities or persons otherwise unable to take advantage of such resources.