RAFT Forum Begins This Month

The first meeting of the new Research Administration & Financials Training (RAFT) forum begins this month. The RAFT forum is a quarterly meeting designed to create a bridge between the core offices and the UF research community.These sessions will cover special topics of interest while also providing an open channel for solutions, contacts, and information targeted to the needs of UF sponsored programs.

The first meeting will be an open forum for gathering input and soliciting potential topics for the upcoming sessions. No registration is required.

1/19/16      Open Forum       HPNP G-114         3:00 – 4:30 p.m.    Live meeting link

2/12/16      RAFT Forum      HPNP G-114         3:00 – 4:30 p.m.    Live meeting link

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UF IT Training Offers SPSS and Sample Power Workshops

UF IT will offer SPSS and Sample Power workshops this spring  beginning in January 2016. The workshops include four face-to-face sessions: Getting Started, Moving On, Advanced 1, and Advanced 2. These are delivered one series per month, one workshop (3 hours) per week.

These are free workshops and the only requirement is that participants must attend the first three workshops. Participants will learn how to use the software for scientific research and must already know basic statistics at the graduate level. The workshops are open to faculty, staff, and graduate students.

For more information about the workshops, please visit http://training.it.ufl.edu/spss-sample-power-workshop-information-registration/

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A DSP Reminder: Budget Control Levels

Effective Oct. 15, 2015, Contracts and Grants (C&G) Accounting was given the responsibility for determining the Budget Control (KK) Level to be used with grant or contract funds at the time of project set-up, rather than the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP) at the time of NOA. The Budget Control KK Level has been removed from DSP’s NOA.

In summary,

  • Budget Control Level 3 (KK Level 3) will be assigned to awards (federal or non-federal) where terms DO NOT impose re-budgeting restrictions. Budget Control KK Level 3 allows spending at a direct cost level without the requirement to re-budget funds.
  • Budget Control Level 5 (KK Level 5) will be assigned to awards (federal or non-federal) where terms DO impose re-budgeting restrictions. Budget Control KK Level 5 will require re-budgeting approvals be obtained from the Sponsor or C&G Accounting, as appropriate, prior to allowing grant funds be used for the expenditure in question.

The project’s Budget Control KK Level is displayed in myInvestigator. If you have any questions regarding the Budget Control KK Level assigned to your project, please contact the C&G Grant Accountant assigned to your award.

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Research Event in January

Lawrence Professorship Symposium, Brown Bag Lunch
with Dr. Patricia Snyder

Wednesday, January 20, 2016
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Terrace Room

Refreshments and cookies will be provided.

RSVP to Rosie Connolly by Tuesday, Jan. 19 at: rconnolly@coe.ufl.edu

Practice-Based Coaching: Key Components and Lessons Learned from Implementation in Early Learning Contexts

Dr. Patricia Snyder will present a practice-based coaching framework she and her colleagues have developed, validated, and evaluated in a series of studies funded by the Institute of Education Sciences from 2007-present. The practice-based coaching (PBC) framework and its key components will be shared along with data that show noteworthy impacts on teachers’ and family members’ implementation of evidence-based practices. Next steps for research and practical application will be discussed.

For more information, see the program flyer.

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Submitted Projects for December 2015

College of Education
Submitted Projects
December 2015
Principal Investigator: Carole Beal (STL)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: Collaborative Research: Supporting STEM Teachers of Students with Disabilities through Online Professional Development: The Case of Visual Impairment
Requested Amount: $752,760
Principal Investigator: Diana Beaulieu (SSESPECS)
Co-PI: Cindi Flores (Psychiatry)
Funding Agency: US Department of Education/OSEP
Proposal Title: Promoting Resilience of Students and Professional Educational Relationships (Project PROSPER)
Requested Amount: $1,045,256
Principal Investigator: Holly Lane (SSESPECS)
Co-PI: Nicholas Gage (SSESPECS)
Funding Agency: US Department of Education/OSEP
Proposal Title: Project TIER: Teaching, Intervention, and Efficacy Research
Requested Amount: $1,250,000
Principal Investigator: Stephen Smith (SSESPECS)
Co-PI: Nancy Corbett (SSESPECS)
Funding Agency: US Department of Education/OSEP
Proposal Title: Preparing Personnel to Serve School Age Children with Persistent and Severe Behavior Problems (EBD Prep)
Requested Amount: $999,660
Principal Investigator: Timothy Jacobbe (STL)
Co-PI: Kent Crippen (STL)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: INformal Virtual Experiences in Statistics for Teachers (INVEST)
Requested Amount: $2,983,748
Principal Investigator: Richard Dickinson (Chemical Engineering)
Co-PI: M. David Miller (SHDOSE)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: IUSE/PFE: RED: Transforming Chemical Engineering Curriculum by Integrating Theoretical and Experimental Courses
Requested Amount: $434,886
Principal Investigator: Nicholas Gage (SSESPECS)
Co-PI: Scott Wasman (ESSIE)
Funding Agency: Brady Education Foundation
Proposal Title: Project Ignite: Igniting At-Risk Adolescents’ Intent in STEM
Requested Amount: $88,928
Principal Investigator: Dennis Kramer (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: Justin Ortagus (SHDOSE)
Funding Agency: Association for Institutional Research
Proposal Title: Loan Reduction and Graduate School Enrollment: The Impact of Pell and No-Loan Programs on Post-Baccalaureate Enrollment Choices of Low-Income Students
Requested Amount: $46,693
Principal Investigator: Donald Pemberton (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Children’s Services Council of Florida, Inc. (Subcontract – Helios Education Foundation Flow Through)
Proposal Title: Fiscal and Data Mapping for the Florida Grade Level Reading Campaign
Requested Amount: $125,000
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Children’s Trust of Miami
Proposal Title: Contract Manager Leadership Program
Requested Amount: $50,600
Principal Investigator: Tina Smith-Bonahue (SSESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Brady Education Foundation
Proposal Title: Partnering with Families for School Success
Requested Amount: $148,496
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Happy Holidays from Your OER Team!

Happy Holidays from Your OER Team!

Happy Holidays 2

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IES Low-Cost Evaluation Grant Programs

The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) and the National Center for Education Research (NCER) within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) have announced two new grant programs with a January 12, 2016 application deadline.

The IES Low-Cost Evaluation grant programs are designed to support rigorous evaluations of education and special education interventions (i.e., practices, programs, and policies) from which states or local education agencies expect significant improvements in student outcomes within a short period (e.g., within a single semester or academic year).

IES staff recently conducted a webinar providing an overview of the two new grant competitions. The webinar covered the general requirements related to student outcomes, education settings, interventions that can be studied, evaluation designs, partnerships between researchers and education agencies, and products to be disseminated.

View the Webinar PowerPoint slides html version:
http://ies.ed.gov/funding/webinars/slides.asp?ppt=LCSD_FY2016

Download the PowerPoint file:
http://ies.ed.gov/funding/webinars/ppt/LCSD_FY2016.pptx

For more information about the grant competitions, view the program announcements:
Low-Cost, Short Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions: CFDA 84.305L

Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions: CFDA Number 84.324L

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Recent UF Settlement Agreement with Federal Government

On November 20, 2015, the federal government announced a settlement with the University of Florida for issues related to research accounting systems from 2005-2010. The university agreed to pay $19,875,000 to resolve the matter. The settlement closes an investigation of the university by Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice primarily dealing with deficiencies first discovered nearly nine years ago that have since been remedied with significant upgrades in systems and procedures.

This incident serves as a reminder to faculty and staff regarding the importance of compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, policies, and procedures. The COE OER is committed to promoting compliance and facilitating research. We also are fortunate to have the Coordinated Services–Post Award Office led by Rosabel Ruiz and her team of fiscal support staff to assist with this effort.

For more information on the settlement, see the UF news story Federal Settlement Comes Long After UF Overhauls Its Research Accounting System.

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New Public Access Policy Requirements

As a result of an Executive Directive from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, all federal agencies will begin to require the results of federally funded research be made freely available to the general public. The National Institutes of Health has for some time required published research articles from NIH-funded research to be deposited in the NIH PubMed Central repositories.

For all new research grants and contracts received on or after January 1, 2016 from the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, and Department of Energy, recipients will be required to deposit research articles generated as a result of federal funding in agency-specific repositories.

It is the responsibility of the award recipient to be aware of the agency-specific requirements and ensure that research articles generated as a result of federal funding are deposited in agency-specific repositories in a timely manner. Please see http://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/scholcomm/publicaccess.aspx for a list of the agency-specific requirements and repositories.

Feel free to contact Irene Cooke, UF Office of Research or Christine Fruin, Scholarly Communications Library for additional information.

Irene Cooke irenecooke@ufl.edu, (352) 294-1632 or Christine Fruin christine.ross@ufl.edu, (352) 273-2710

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RAFT Sponsored Programs Training for 2016

UF’s Division of Sponsored Programs and Contracts and Grants are pleased to announce a full line-up of Research Administration and Financials Training (RAFT) opportunities for 2016. RAFT is a professional development series providing UF research administrators with “a lifeline” to the research community.

RAFT Level One Cohort

Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2016 RAFT Level One Cohort, a program designed for research administrators with 18 months or fewer of grants management experience. The cohort is a thirteen-session classroom series that will provide a thorough introduction to all aspects of sponsored programs management at UF. Program participants will also be paired with senior research administrators who can provide guidance and assistance throughout the program. Participants who successfully complete the series will be awarded a certificate of completion. The cohort series will begin in January with sessions continuing through April.

Interested applicants should email a completed program application form to Steve Slater, grants training manager for UF Training and Organizational Development, by December 14th. Applicants from previous semesters can simply email to request their application remain active. If you have questions about the RAFT Level One Cohort, please contact Stephanie Gray, assistant vice president for the Division of Sponsored Programs, at (352) 392-3516; or Tiffany Schmidt, associate director for Contracts and Grants, at (352) 273-3101.

RAFT Level Two Training Series

The RAFT Level Two Training Series is designed for research administrators and others who support sponsored research and extension at UF. Sessions will run on a monthly basis and cover a range of topics across sponsored programs management. Offerings will be a la cart so you can choose specific topics that interest you.  Enrollment will be available in the myTraining system.

RAFT Forums

The RAFT forums will be held on a quarterly basis and cover special topics of interest to the grants community. No registration is required. The first forum will be held on January 14th. More details to follow.

RAFT Core Office Workshop

This special half-day workshop is designed specifically for the core offices and individuals that provide peripheral support to sponsored programs. Attend this workshop to gain a high level understanding of the sponsored project lifecycle.  The time and date will be announced in early 2016.

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Awarded Projects for November 2015

College of Education
Awarded Projects
November 2015
Principal Investigator: Catherine Atria (P.K. Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Project Title: District Instructional Leadership and Faculty Professional Development
Project Period: 7/1/2015 – 6/30/2016
Award Amount: $7,835
Principal Investigator: Diana Joyce Beaulieu (SSESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Neuronet Learning, LLC
Project Title: NeuroNet: Multi-Year Longitudinal Study of Interactive Learning Curricula Effects on Student Academic Outcomes
Project Period: 9/1/2015 – 6/30/2016
Award Amount: $2,000
Principal Investigator: Christy Gabbard (P.K. Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Project Title: Title II, Part A, Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund
Project Period: 7/1/2015 – 6/30/2016
Award Amount: $24,998
Principal Investigator: Donald Pemberton (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: Walter Leite (SHDOSE)
Funding Agency: Florida’s Office of Early Learning
Project Title: Pay for Performance
Project Period: 11/13/2015 – 9/15/2016
Award Amount: $1,795,843
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Project Title: Florida Teacher Leader Fellowship (Teacher Engagement)
Project Period: 11/13/2015 – 9/15/2017
Award Amount: $764,553
Principal Investigator: Andrew Thomas (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Minnesota Sports and Entertainment
Project Title: Modern Statistical Methods for Professional Ice Hockey
Project Period: 9/1/2015 – 12/31/2015
Award Amount: $5,000

 

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Submitted Projects for November 2015

College of Education
Submitted Projects
November 2015
Principal Investigator: Pavlo “Pasha” Antonenko (STL)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: Collaborative Research: i-Tracker: Enhancing Engineering Design Skills in Construction Engineering and Management Education Through Deep Context Immersion
Requested Amount: $56,040
Principal Investigator: Donald Pemberton (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: Walter Leite (SHDOSE)
Funding Agency: Florida’s Office of Early Learning
Proposal Title: Pay for Performance
Requested Amount: $1,795,843
Principal Investigator: Donald Pemberton (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Lauren’s Kids
Proposal Title: Lauren’s Kids New Teacher Courses
Requested Amount: $375,000
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Promethean
Proposal Title: Buffalo Turnaround School Leaders Program
Requested Amount: $124,571

 

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Helpful Background Statistics for Proposal Writers

The U.S. Census Bureau provides the latest data on school enrollment from several different surveys and, depending on your needs, one survey may be more suitable than another.

In addition, the Career Services Network and Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University offer current information on recruiting trends, including hiring outlook and starting salaries, among other topics.

The U.S. Census Bureau school enrollment data tables provide information by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, family income, type of college, employment status, nativity, foreign-born parentage, attendance status (full or part time), type of school (public or private), and vocational course enrollment. They also delve into topics such as nursery school and kindergarten enrollment, the likelihood of being enrolled in an age appropriate grade, and the percentage of young adults enrolled in college. Historical tables are also provided.

To view the complete list of surveys, see the U.S. Census Bureau School Enrollment webpage.

The Career Services Network and Collegiate Employment Research Institute (CERI) at Michigan State University 2015-16 Recruiting Trends Report Briefs provide information drawn from 4,723 employers that seek college talent through their interactions with college career service offices. The data show improvement over the calendar year across all industry sectors. Of the respondents, 91% reported that they hired at least one new college graduate during the 2014-15 academic year. All but 3% of these respondents plan to hire new graduates again this year. Among those who did not hire last year, only 25% will not be hiring anyone this year. In addition, 84% (up two percentage points) described the new college labor market within their sector as good to excellent.

To view the complete list of report briefs, see the CERI 2015-16 Recruiting Trends Report Briefs webpage.

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NSF Releases New Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (NSF 16-1)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a revised version of the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide which becomes effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 26, 2015.  Per NSF, significant changes include the following:

  • Enforcement of 5 pm submitter’s local time across all NSF funding opportunities
  • Implementation of NSF’s Public Access Policy
  • Submission of proposal certifications by the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) concurrently with proposal submission
  • NSF’s implementation of the US Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences on Dual Use Research of Concern
  • Provision of Collaborators and Other Affiliations information as a new single-copy document, instead of as part of the Biographical Sketch
  • Submission of Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending Support separately for each senior personnel
  • Electronic signature and submission of notifications and requests by the AOR only
  • Revision of timeframe for submission of final project reports, project outcomes reports and financial closure of awards to 120 days after the award end date
  • Numerous clarifications throughout the document

If you are a recipient of NSF funding or plan to apply for NSF funding, we suggest you become familiar with the new document.

Please share this information with your colleagues. If you have any questions, contact the NSF Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188, or ithelpcentral@nsf.gov

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NSF Adds No-Cost Extension Requests and Notifications to Research.gov in October

As part of the effort that began in April 2015, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is continuing to transition post-award notifications and requests from FastLane to Research.gov. Notification and request policies are outlined in the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide; see the Award and Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II.A.2.

On October 24, 2015, as the next step in this transition, the following two notifications and requests will be released in Research.gov and retired from FastLane:

  • Grantee-Approved No-Cost Extension
  • NSF-Approved No-Cost Extension

As of October 24, if you click on the notifications and requests link in FastLane, you will be redirected to login to Research.gov.

As a reminder, the following notifications and requests are also available in Research.gov:

  • Additional categories of participant support costs other than those described in 2 CFR § 200.75 (such as incentives, gifts, souvenirs, t-shirts and/or memorabilia)
  • Change in Person-Months Devoted to Project
  • Changes in Objectives or Scope
  • Conflicts of Interest
  • Long-term Disengagement of the PI (Principal Investigator)/PD (Project Director) or co-PI/co-PD (Over Three Months)
  • Pre-award Costs in Excess of 90 Days
  • Reallocation of Funds Provided for Participant Support Costs
  • Rearrangements/Alterations in excess of $25,000 (Construction)
  • Salaries of Administrative or Clerical Staff
  • Significant Changes/Delays or Events of Unusual Interest
  • Significant Changes in Methods/Procedures
  • Travel Costs for Dependents
  • Withdrawal of PI/PD or co-PI/co-PD

All remaining notifications and requests will continue to reside in FastLane and will be migrated in the future. Awardees may view the status of all notifications and requests in both FastLane and Research.gov, regardless of where they were created and submitted.

Notifications and requests communicate changes in the scope, time, staff or budget of an NSF funded project. Depending on the type of change, awardee organizations must notify or request approval from NSF prior to taking action. Notifications and requests can be created and submitted by either the PIs and/or Sponsored Project Offices (SPOs), depending on the type of notification and/or request.  For a full listing of all NSF notifications and requests, please see the Award and Administration Guide (AAG), Exhibit II-1.

Please share this information with your colleagues. If you have any questions, contact the NSF Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188, or ithelpcentral@nsf.gov

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