Award procedures and policies

Setting up your award purchasing account:

As soon as you officially receive your award, please contact Carol Kessel in accounting. She will set up an account that is specific to your award. The account number she provides will be used for all purchasing on the award. 

Overhead award:

Trinity’s policy is to return 20% of the indirect costs to the faculty member. This account will be linked to your award but have its own account number (also provided by Carol Kessel).  

Award Budget:

Expenditures must adhere to federal guidelines for allowable costs (NSF, NIH) as well as Trinity’s spending policies. Please submit grant expenditures to your department’s administrator. If you have any questions about allowable costs, contact the Grants Office or the Associate Comptroller. 

Purchasing Guidelines:

Purchases on your grant will be handled through your administrative business office. Note: purchases of property over $5,000 are deemed equipment. Equipment purchased using federal funds is monitored annually in a visual inspection conducted by the Associate Comptroller (full policy detailed here: Grant and Expenditures)

Important note regarding purchasing for federal grants: For projects funded by any agency of the U.S. Government, goods and services may not be purchased from any entity that is excluded from receiving federal funds through contracts, subcontracts, and certain other forms of financial assistance. Before committing to any purchases under federal grants, the PI/PD must consult the Excluded Parties List System to ascertain that the prospective vendor has not been debarred.

Travel:

Fly America Act:  the FLY America Act requires any that government-funded travel be undertaken on air carriers flying under the U.S. flag. For further questions and assistance accessing the list, please contact the director of faculty grants.

Hiring of Research Personnel:

Please contact Mary-Susan Snyder ([email protected]) in Trinity’s HR department to initiate the hiring process of personnel for grant-funded positions. The hiring process can take several weeks to complete and should be initiated well in advance of your intended project start date. Note: Funds cannot be used towards student work-study matches.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR):

PIs and anyone conducting research (undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, paid or unpaid) are required by federal agencies (NSF, NIH) to complete RCR training. PIs are responsible for ensuring the completion of training for all individuals before their start date and agree to provide completion certificates to the Grants Office. 

Trinity College has a policy for the review of alleged unethical research practices. To view this policy and a list of infractions, please see Appendix 6 of the Faculty Manual.

Internal Review Board (IRB):

Approval and training is required for research with human subjects. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews and evaluates faculty and student research that involves the collection of information from human participants.  

Institutional Animal Care and Use (IACUC):

Approval and training is required for research with animal subjects. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) oversees the institution’s animal program, facilities, and procedures.  

Federal Conflict of Interest (FCOI):

PIs must update each year of the project. 

Off-site research:

NSF’s PAPPG (Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide) requires proposers with off-campus or off-site work, to certify that they have a plan in place for creating and maintaining a Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus and Off-Site Research for that project.

The NSF defines “off-campus or off-site research” as follows:

“Off-campus or off-site research” is defined as data/information/samples being collected off-campus or off-site, such as fieldwork, and research activities on vessels and aircraft. Each proposing organization must determine whether the proposed work is considered off-campus or off-site. This does not include off-campus or off-site research being done for education or outreach.

Before grant seekers planning to do off-site work submit applications to the NSF, they must complete Trinity’s Plan for Safe & Inclusive Off-Site Research.

Time and Effort reporting:

The federal government requires certification of time and effort to verify that federal funds were charged only for time worked on allowable cost activities of a grant project. 

Adjustments may be granted to project scope or budget with prior approval from the funding agency. Discuss any anticipated changes with the Grants Office and Associate Comptroller as soon as possible. This may include: 

• No-cost extensions; 
• Significant changes in methods, procedures or budget; 
• Significant changes, delays or events of unusual interest; 
• Conflicts of interests that cannot be satisfactorily managed, reduced or eliminated; and 
• Changes to PI/PDs level of effort or changes to employment at Trinity. 

Intellectual Property Policies:

For more information, please refer to Appendix 9 of the Faculty Manual. 

The College complies with all federal regulations and has the following assurances filed with DHHS: civil rights, misconduct in science, handicapped individuals, sex discrimination, age discrimination, drug-free workplace.

Public Access to Results:

Federal grants require that researchers provide immediate public access to research papers and data upon publication. Verify the specific of public access policy of the funding agency (NSF, NIH) 

Reports:

Federal grants require regular reports on a schedule mandated by the agency (NSF, NIH). Please note that failure to submit timely reports can result in federal agencies blocking all funding to the institution.