Is the default Activity ID on converted awards always 01?
Existing awards converted to the new system have as many activities (funding periods) as determined in the CF1/CF2 attributing task done in early in 2014. If the converted award has only one funding period, it will have an activity of 01. If there is more than one activity associated with the project, there will be more Activity IDs.
Create a CF1 with the attribute "Non-C&G Attribute" for use with internal tracking (i.e., not important for sponsor reporting). This CF1+attribute will not interfere with tracking cost share, fabrication, etc., and will not create a project value in BFS. Please be sure to add a line with zero dollars in the budget upload - this will enable CGA to add the CF1 to the mapping table.
What happens if I can't meet the deadline to submit a budget?
For example: You just received the Phoebe Award Summary, but the awarded amount is substantially different from the original proposal and it will take more than two business days to revise your spending plan.
CGA cannot complete award setup in BFS without a budget, as the consequence of a delay in budget submission is a delay in activating the award fund to initiate spending.
Please take the time you need to submit an accurate budget to CGA, and if the budget is correct, spending can begin two business days after submission.
Total Costs for a sponsored award typically include both Direct Costs and Indirect Costs.
Direct Costs include:
Instruction Sponsored Research Other Sponsored Activities Other Institutional Activities
Please refer to Direct Costs for more information.
Indirect Costs include:
Building Use Allowance Equipment Use Allowance/Depreciation Operation and Maintenance General Administration Department Administration Sponsored Project Administration Library Student Administration
When a department is awarded a grant to pay salaries, but the grant will not allow payment of any benefits, can the department pay the benefits from a different fund source?
When an agency will not pay benefits, a department can charge them to a different source after the fact. The procedure for doing so is as follows:
Payroll should be set up and charged as usual The Dept/Account/Fund/Chartfield1/Chartfield2 for benefits should be identified SPO set-up documentation should indicate that benefits are to be charged to a different Dept/Account/Fund/Chartfield1/Chartfield2 and identify what that Dept/Account/Fund/Chartfield1/Chartfield2 is CGA will invoice everything except the benefits
A formal contract is an agreement between the university (signed by the Sponsored Projects Office (SPO)) and a funding organization or subaward recipient. The agreement documents the terms and conditions of the award and is essential for its financial administration as it defines allowable costs, overhead rates, payment terms, etc.
When a contract is signed, SPO sends a Phoebe Award Summary email to the Principal Investigator named on the award. Spending on the award may begin once the budget is set up in the Berkeley Financial System (BFS).
Is fabrication tracked in CF1 or CF2? Does it matter which CF is used to track this?
Although both CF1 and CF2 can map to a project in BFS, the best practice is to use CF1 to track Fabrication, as well as Task/Deliverable. Use CF2 to track PI/Faculty.
How will CGA determine the description field value when creating new projects? Will description fields be included in the budget template?
At this time, the CGA analyst will create a description based on the chartfiled combinations that indicate a new project should be created. For example:
Additional PI Award number 2nd PI Last Name Example: 123456 2nd PI Sailor Different Task Award number Task 1 PI Last Name if applicable Example: 123456 Task 1 Sailor Fabrication Award number FAB Plant Fund number Example: 123456 FAB 12345 F&A Award number F&A Rate 1 Example: 123456 F&A Rate 1
Currently we are unable to include a description field in the budget template. We are researching how this might be accomplished...
How are Project and Activity IDs generated in BFS?
When a budget is submitted, the CGA analyst begins by looking at the chartstrings to determine whether they are free from errors, and that all the costing elements of the award (subawards, cost sharing, funding periods, etc.) are represented in the budget. Then, based on the mapping between the CF1 and CF2 Ccartfields with the PC chartfields, each chartstring is assigned a Project and Activity ID.
What are the changes to Tempbudg and why won't it be used in FY15?
There are a set of funds that the budget office refers to as Contracts and Grant funds. These funds include federal appropriation funds and financial aid funds. These two fund groups are not managed by CGA and so are not in scope for the C&G project. For all sponsored award funds managed by CGA, the departments will use the TempBudg for all budget transactions hitting fiscal year 2014 and earlier. To access the funds list, please refer to the combo edit rule for the C&G funds and it will show what nodes on the EFA_FUND tree are considered CGA funds.
Rate increases that take effect after the award expiration date will be deleted from the award by CGA approximately 15 days prior to the award expiration date. When the actual expense posts, the system will calculate the F&A rate at the same rate as the accrual and the accrual reversal.
How does the award closeout timeline affect recharges?
Beginning July 1, 2014, all recharges incurred during the award period but posted after two ledger cycles from the award’s expiration date will be rejected and reversed back to the originating recharge center.
What are the consequences of RAs submitting Cost Share Reporting documents piece-meal before closing?
If the sponsor requires cost share reporting in increments (for example: quarterly, annually, etc.), then the cost share documents must be submitted in accordance with the sponsor requirements. If incremental reports are not required, then all cost sharing for the award should be submitted to CGA along with the Closeout Certification Form.
What happens if the NCE is approved after the award expiration date?
CGA can implement a No Cost Extention and adjust the close date of an award only when notified by SPO. Please refer to the Processing an NCE section on the SPO website.
Why isn’t the Cost Share Contribution Report available for submission via the RA Grants WorkCenter?
This will come at a future point in time. For the time being, please continue to complete this report outside of the BFS system, and submit it to CGA as an attachment to the Closeout Certification.
What can be done if a subcontractor does not submit their final invoice in time?
Use the Closeout Accruals process to record this anticipated expense in the GL in time to submit the Closeout Certification.
Please note: because subaward contracts now require the subawardee to submit their final invoice no later than 45 days after the award expires, a late invoice is a violation of the contract and the expenditure might be disallowed.
If the actual expense comes in during close-out and is greater than the accrual, where does the difference go?
The Closeout Exception Request process addresses this scenario. Depending on the reason for the incorrect accrual and the timing of the request, it might be possible to invoice the sponsor for the difference. If the exception cannot be approved, it will be deficit cleared to the department.
Is there a way to prevent recharge centers from using a chartstring beyond the award expiration date?
So long as the fund is active and the chartstring is correct, the system cannot prevent journal entries from a specific source (like a recharge center). RAs should notify recharge centers to discontinue using the award chartstring after the award expiration date. Recharge centers are obliged to discontinue recharges within two accounting cycles of notification.
How will donated equipment be recorded as cost share in the event it isn’t recorded in the system?
Sponsor-approved donated equipment will be treated like third party cost share after obtaining a letter from the donor with the estimated value.
Record it using the third party cost share fund 69961, the third party BudSum account 58027, and the cost share CF1 value set up for the award. Property Management should be informed so they can track it in their system.
Will departments be able to review cost sharing reports before they are distributed?
The RA or department submits the cost share report to CGA, and CGA reviews the report and distributes it to the sponsor. There is no change in this process. However, the CGA analyst may have more questions now about what is on the report, simply because there is more information available.
