Sponsored Research Training

Account Monitoring & Reconciliation

This workshop will provide a basic overview of account monitoring and reconciliation concepts. You will learn which roles and responsibilities are critical in the review and approval process; about subrecipient monitoring; how to determine what a cost allocation is versus a cost transfer and the importance of minimizing cost transfers.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, you will:

• Gain an overview of account monitoring and reconciliation
• Identify responsibilities in the review and approval processes of transactions
• Understand key concepts related to subrecipient monitoring
• Understand the differences between cost allocations and cost transfers
• Understand how to minimize cost transfers
• Prepare a cost transfer for seamless approval process

Presenters

• To be determined.

Award Closeout: Starting with the End in Mind

This session provides a detail overview of the award closeout process managed by OCG and SPA. Participants will understand that a well-managed award simplifies closeout. They will recognize the importance of account monitoring, why financial transactions should be reviewed throughout the lifecycle of an award and the significance of making sure all of the sponsor’s deliverables have been met. At the end of the training, you will learn how to properly close out a sponsored account.

Learning Objectives

In this course, you will:

• Understand what actions need to be taken before project end date
• Gain an overview of monitoring general project fund and the important tasks involved
• Learn about important tasks for closeout of property and equipment

Presenters

• Andrew Norman, Grant Accountant, Campus Controller's Office
• Betty Rasmussen, Compliance Closeout & Deliverables Officer, Office of Contracts and Grants

ePERs & PETs

An ePER is an Electronic Personnel Effort Report. These are certified online through the Effort Certification System (ePERs). Effort is defined as the amount of time spent by an employee on a particular activity during a certain period of time, expressed as a percentage of the total time worked by the employee during that same period. Certifying ePER is the process of verifying/confirming the work performed (e.g., effort). Read more about the CU Boulder ePERs Policy. 

Learning Objectives

ePERs is an online system used for certification of the effort a Principal Investigators (PIs), other faculty, staff or graduate students worked on a sponsored project. 

• This course focuses on Funds 30 and 31, ePERs fundamentals, certification and management.

If you have questions, please contact epers@colorado.edu.

The ePERs required online training course is required for every faculty member and staff employee working on a sponsored project. Click here to launch this ePERs course now.

Financial Compliance: Cost Share

Cost sharing is a commitment by CU Boulder (or a third party external to the university) to provide a portion of the direct costs necessary to fulfill the objectives of a sponsored project award. Cost share can be voluntary or mandatory; though once committed it becomes a mandatory component in support of the award.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop, you will:

• Understand how a cost share commitment is created
• Learn the proper procedures to follow before a proposal involving cost share can be submitted
• Understand the risks involved if cost share is not treated properly
• Identify the types of cost share and how each is tracked
• Understand how cost share is funded and spent

Presenters       

• To be determined.

Financial Compliance: Cost Transfers

The purpose of this class is to provide instruction on the cost transfer approval process as well as to discuss the Campus Controller’s Office’s role in this process.   

This training will cover the requirements of the CU Boulder cost transfer policy and explain how the Campus Controller’s Office evaluates cost transfers and determines what documentation is required. There will also be time to answer questions departments have regarding the cost transfer approval process. 

Learning Objectives

• Guidance pertaining to cost transfer approval
• Required documentation for all cost transfers
• Specific documentation required for cost transfers involving certain account codes
• Audit risks involved with cost transfers

Presenters

• Kristin Bruner, Grant Accountant, Campus Controller's Office

Financial Compliance: Key Risks

Department administrators are often presented with sponsored award issues that force them to balance getting the job done while staying compliant. This training session will address the key risks in sponsored compliance as it relates to financial research administration at the departmental level. Specific topics to be discussed: account oversight and internal controls.

Learning Objective

By the end of this workshop, department administrators will learn how to productively manage sponsored awards while adhering to compliance requirements.

Presenters       

• To be determined.

Making the Case for Allowability

It’s not about saying no, it’s how we get to yes. To get to yes, a case must be made. How do we make the case? By interpreting the sponsor’s guidelines, Colorado state regulations and the university’s policies.

Learning Objectives

This training session will focus on the Uniform Guidance Subpart E: Cost Principles, and CU Boulder’s Cost Principles policy and procedural statements on travel, computing devices, administrative salaries, and other areas. Join us for an in-depth session about “allowable, reasonable, allocable and treated consistently,” and the role they play when we are expensing sponsored funds.

Presenters       

• To be determined.