YOUTH & FAMILIES

AGRICULTURE HEALTH ECONOMY ENVIRONMENT ENERGY COMMUNITIES

2010 NATIONAL EXTENSION AND RESARCH ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS’

CONFERENCE

Session #10, May 17th , 2010: 2:45-4:00Session #24, May 18, 2010: 10:15 – 11:15

Madison, Wisconsin

FINANCIAL: ASAP AND GRANTS.GOV FOR FORMULA FUNDS

By Mary Hoffman, Director of Budget and Business

Operations, WSU Extension

ASAP AND GRANTS.GOV FOR FORMULA FUNDS

-Background: Understanding how the move to Grants.gov and ASAP has affected Land Grant Institutions administration of Formula Funds.

-DUNS #’s: Definition, how it is used; what decisions need to be made at LGIs?

-Brief overview of Application process for Grants.gov and ASAP accounts.

BACKGROUND

• Formula Funds: Treated as “State Appropriated Federal Grants”.

• Administration: Extension and Research personnel fully authorized to administer all aspects – proposals did not flow through pre-award offices; cash draw downs not handled at post award office.

GRANTS.GOV

• Not new to universities – most have been using grants.gov for many years.

• Usually have one account per location, all proposals flow through pre-award office for review and submission.

• Formula funds – intro of grants.gov raised questions. Should/must awards flow through pre-award office?

ASAP

• Not new to universities – most have been using ASAP for many years.

• Usually have one account per location, all proposals flow through pre-award office for review and submission.

• Formula funds – intro of ASAP raised questions. Should/must awards flow through post-award office?

GRANTS.GOV/ASAP

• Decision to retain/change administrative structure entirely up to institution.

• Benefits of separate accounts: – Grant submission done directly from

Ext/Research office by folks with the expertise and knowledge. Avoids steps where no value is added.

– ASAP, reports contain only formula funds; easy monitoring and reconciliation by Ext/Research office.

GRANTS.GOV/ASAP

• Alternative: Request authority on existing Grants.gov and ASAP accounts. But institution may not want this because gives full access to all accounts.

• If want to maintain existing structure then must have a separate Grants.gov account (which then results in a separate ASAP account).

• Key is a distinct DUNS number

GRANTS.GOV/ASAP

• DUNS: Data Universal Number System; It identifies your organization and is a tool of the federal government to track how federal money is distributed. Created in 1962, the Data Universal Numbering System or D-U-N-S® Number is D&B's copyrighted, proprietary means of identifying business entities on a location-specific basis.

GRANTS.GOV/ASAP

• Why do I need a DUNS?

– Required on all federal grant applications

– To register with CCR (grants.gov)

– To tie ASAP with grants.gov awards

GRANTS.GOV/ASAP

• How do I get a DUNS? – Online registration or phone call –

usually w/in 24 hours• How many DUNS should an

institution have?– As few as possible – ideally one

per location. However, specific needs (i.e. separation of formula funds pre and post award administrative processes) may justify multiple numbers.

GRANTS.GOV REGISTRATION

– Need DUNS number to register with CCR.

– Must register with CCR to use Grants.gov

– CCR is the primary registration database for US government; CCR validates, stores and disiminates data in support of agency acquisition missions.

GRANTS.GOV REGISTRATION

• CCR – Questions on application regarding organization (i.e. total number of employees, head of organization). Use same as “main” DUNS or limit to Research/Extension?

• Internal decision – depends on desired org structure. Who should have access/receive correspondence, etc.

ASAP REGISTRATION FOR FORMULA FUNDS

• Tied to DUNS number. One DUNS per ASAP account.

• Questions on application regarding point of contact etc. Same as main ASAP?

• Internal decision – depends on desired org structure. Who should have access/receive correspondence, etc.

GRANTS.GOV/ASAP ACCOUNTS

• When completing the applications the main concern is answering the questions so that in the end result is that access and authority is provided to the individuals in the organization that should have it. There are no right or wrong answers in the eyes of the government.

GRANTS.GOV/ASAP SUMMARY

• Move to Grants.Gov and ASAP challenged administrative structure at institutions that manage federal formula funds.

• Institutions need to decide if they want to retain existing structure of change.

• If maintain, then need a distinct DUNS number so that separate Grants.Gov and ASAP accounts can be created

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