MESSAGE FROM CENTRAL PAYEROLL BUREAU 

2022 FICA Tax Withholding (PPE 01/01/22)

Through a post-audit process, Central Payroll Bureau (CPB) learned that highly compensated employees’ January 7th paychecks had FICA tax withholding amounts that were less than they should have been.  CPB discovered that a glitch in its system prevented the full FICA tax amount from being withheld.  FICA taxes are calculated based on Social Security wage limits.  For tax year 2021, the limit was $142,800.  For tax year 2022, the limit is $147,000.  Our system captured 2021’s YTD Social Security wage balance and only calculated Social Security taxes on $4,200 which is the difference between the 2 years. 

 Please note that this issue has been fixed.  In PPE 01/15/22 (pay date 01/21/22), impacted employees will see an increase in their FICA taxes to collect all FICA tax shortfalls that were missed in the previous pay.  In PPE 01/29/22 (pay date 02/04/22), impacted employees will see their correct FICA tax withholdings.  Employees and agencies do not need to do anything to correct PPE 01/01/22 because FICA taxes will self-adjust through their paychecks dated 01/21/22. 

 If you have any questions, please contact our CPB Accounting Team via email CPBACCTG@marylandtaxes.gov or phone (410) 260-7964.

Below is information extracted from the Grants Policy that's specific to human subjects use in grant proposals.  For more information, click on: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/HTML5/section_4/4.1.15_human_subjects_protections.htm

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4.1.15 Human Subjects Protections

Following proposal submission, the NIH will review the materials submitted, including the Protection of Human Subjects attachment of PHS CT Form, to determine if the NIH can concur with the statement of exempt category research

Upon accepting an award that supports human subjects research, institutions assume responsibility for all research conducted under the award, including those from consortium sites. Recipient institutions assume responsibility that all institutions under the award engaged in non-exempt human subjects research have a current, approved FWA and must obtain certification from engaged institutions of approval by an IRB registered with OHRP.

Applications will be considered incomplete if they do not address the involvement of human subjects in the protection of human subjects in attachment of PHS HS CT Form. If human subjects research is anticipated within the period of the award but definite plans for involvement of human subjects cannot be described in the application, applicants must provide a detailed explanation of why it is not possible to develop definite plans and why such research is delayed.

The ORPC has a webpage page to request planning phase approval for NIH submissions if plans have yet been developed. Click on this link for more information.

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4.1.15.10 NIH Policy on the Use of a Single Institutional Review Board for Multi-Site Research

NIH requires sites engaged in NIH-funded, multi-site research conducted at more than one domestic site to rely upon approval by a single Institutional Review Board (sIRB). NIH applicants whose research is subject to the sIRB requirements must provide the name of the sIRB during the Just-in-Time period, before the award is issued. If, in delayed-onset research, an sIRB has not yet been identified, the recipient will provide the name of the sIRB to the funding NIH Institute/Center (IC) prior to initiating the multi-site research study/project.

 Recipients are responsible for ensuring that authorization agreements are in place. Copies of authorization agreements and other necessary documentation should be maintained to document compliance, as needed. As appropriate, recipients are responsible for ensuring that a mechanism for communication between the sIRB and participating sites is established.

 The ORPC can assist investigators with creating reliance agreements. Click on this link for more information.

 If you have any questions, please contact us at compliance@umbc.edu. 

New episode live Monday, January 24

Featuring Dr. Jacquelyn Gill, Associate Professor of Paleoecology & Plant Ecology, School of Biology & Ecology, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, and host of Warm Regards, a podcast about life on a warming planet.

Dr. Gill was a guest lecturer for GES's seminar series last spring. 
Listen to her full talk from March 31, 2021 here.   

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or Amazon!

About The Series

Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson, our director is Dr. Christine Mallinson, our associate director is Dr. Felipe Filomeno and our production assistant is Jefferson Rivas. Our theme music was composed and recorded by D’Juan Moreland.  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance. Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.

NIH Operates Under a Continuing Resolution

Notice Number:  NOT-OD-22-045

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-22-045.html

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including National Institutes of Health (NIH), operates under the Further Extending Government Funding Act (Public Law 117-70) signed by President Biden on December 3, 2021. This Act (CR) continues government operations through February 18, 2022 at the FY 2021 enacted level, with no reduction.

Continuing the procedures identified under NOT-OD-21-058 and consistent with NIH practices during the CRs of FYs 2006 - 2021, NIH Institutes and/or Centers may, at their discretion, issue non-competing research grant awards at a level below that indicated on the most recent Notice of Award. Upward adjustments to awarded levels will be considered after FY 2022 appropriations are enacted, but NIH expects institutions to monitor their expenditures carefully during this period. All legislative mandates that were in effect in FY 2021 (see NOT-OD-21-056) remain in effect under this CR, as well as the salary limitation set at Executive Level II of the Federal Pay Scale (see NOT-OD-21-057) and the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award predoctoral and postdoctoral stipend levels and tuition/fees as described in NOT-OD-21-049.

Revised NIH Grants Policy Statement (NIHGPS) for FY 2022

https://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2022/01/11/revised-nih-grants-policy-statement-for-fy-2022/

The revised NIH Grants Policy Statement (NIHGPS) has been published, replacing the April 2021 version as standard terms and conditions of award. This revision applies to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements with budget periods beginning on or after October 1, 2021.

Extending Existing Guidance for Preparing Applications During COVID-19

https://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2022/01/11/extending-existing-guidance-for-preparing-applications-during-covid-19/

For Spring 2022 due dates, NIH recently extended the guidance that while grant applications should not include contingency or recovery plans for problems resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, investigators may address effects due to the pandemic on productivity or other scoreable issues in the personal statement of the biosketch. Reviewers will be instructed to take these pandemic-related circumstances into account when assessing applicants’ productivity and other score-driving factors. If needed, NIH staff will request and assess plans to resolve specific problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic prior to funding.

NIH also extended the special exception for post-submission material to applications submitted for the August/October 2022 Council rounds. For applications submitted for the August/October 2022 Council rounds (beginning with applications submitted for the January 25, 2022 due date), the NIH, AHRQ, and NIOSH will accept a one-page update with preliminary data as post-submission materials for applications submitted under all activity codes, ONLY if the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) used for submission allowed preliminary data in the application. One page of preliminary data will be accepted for single component applications or for each component of a multi-component application.

The deadline for submitting all post-submission materials, including preliminary data, will be 30 days before the study section meeting, unless specified otherwise in the FOA. Because applications for emergency competitive revisions and urgent competitive revisions undergo expedited review, post-submission materials will not be accepted for those applications.

NIH Pre- and Post-Award Disclosures

https://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2022/01/11/nih-pre-and-post-award-disclosures/

Not sure whether a particular activity should be reported in the biosketch, other support, or annual project reports? Check out this new resource – NIH Pre-award and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Other Support.

Link here is to the consolidated table.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/NIH-Disclosures-Table.pdf

REPOST and REMINDER:

Expanding Requirement for eRA Commons IDs to All Senior/Key Personnel

Notice Number: NOT-OD-21-109

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-21-109.html

Targeting due dates on or after January 25, 2022, NIH, AHRQ, FDA, and ORD/VA will require all individuals listed on the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form to have an eRA Commons username (Commons ID). Extension of the existing eRA Commons ID requirement to include all senior/key personnel will facilitate better data collection for individuals contributing to federally funded research as well as assist in disambiguating data on applications and facilitating the identification of conflicts of interest in peer review.

Clarification and Guidance for Applicants Preparing Applications for the Spring 2022 Due Dates During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Notice Number:  NOT-OD-22-046

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-22-046.html

The purpose of this Notice is to extend the guidance provided earlier (NOT-OD-21-180) for applicants preparing applications for the August/October 2022 Council round, beginning with the January 25, 2022 due date.

Reviewers will continue to receive instructions to assume that constraints arising from the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., lab occupancy restrictions, declines in patient accrual, etc.) will be resolved during the project period and thus should not affect their scores.

Therefore, NIH grant applications should NOT include contingency or recovery plans for problems resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, applicants may address effects due to the pandemic on productivity or other scoreable issues in their Personal Statement in the NIH Biosketch. Reviewers will be instructed to take these pandemic-related circumstances into account when assessing applicants' productivity and other score-driving factors.

As with previous instructions, if needed, NIH staff will request and assess plans to resolve specific problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic prior to funding.

Please refer the full notice(s) for further details.

Should you have any questions, please contact the Office of Sponsored Programs.

To the UMBC Grant Community,

This is a reminder that Effort Reports for Fall 2021 are available and ready for certification. The Fall 2021 period includes Payroll 2022-001 through Payroll 2022-014 (from June 20, 2021 through January 1, 2022). Certifications are due March 30, 2022.

Please remember that Effort Reports are both a Compliance Tool and a Grants Management Tool. After reviewing payroll charges, work with your business managers if any changes are needed. Payroll cost transfers (retros) should be processed prior to certification of Effort Reports.  

To find out whether you have open effort reports (see page 6, Year: 2020 Period: Spring) and to learn how to certify them, see the attached updated Effort Report Quick Reference Guide with screenshots and contact information for your convenience. This guide also provides instructions on how to access the Effort Reports.

Your timely commitment to this process is appreciated.

New episode LIVE!

Featuring UMBC alum Lt. Col. Bradley Waite, US Army  

View LTC Waite's full lecture from  March 9, 2021 here.   

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or Amazon!

About The Series

Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson, our director is Dr. Christine Mallinson, our associate director is Dr. Felipe Filomeno and our production assistant is Jefferson Rivas. Our theme music was composed and recorded by D’Juan Moreland.  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance. Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.