The Office of Sponsored Programs is  pleased to report that Unfunded Agreements (Data Use Agreements, Teaming Agreements, and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements) are now being routed through Kuali Research.  If your unit has one of these types of Agreements, they are now to be routed through Kuali.  Please go to the following link for the Training Guide and instructions on Unfunded Agreements as well as  a separate and distinct Training Guide for Data Use Agreements:

https://research.umbc.edu/kuali-training/

Do note that at this time (Summer 2020), Material Transfer Agreements and Non-Disclosure Agreements are not yet operational in Kuali and will not be routed in Kuali at this juncture.   Please see the following link for instructions and forms for MTAs and NDAs :

https://research.umbc.edu/documents-forms-and-agreements/

Should you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contract your OSP Manager and Specialist.

NIH Summary Statement Available to the Signing Officials (SO) through the eRA Commons

Notice Number: NOT-OD-20-126

National Institutes of Health

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-126.html

New Process: “To facilitate award management and communications with applicant organizations via Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs), NIH has modified the system of records by adding a new routine use to clarify that information may be shared with applicant organizations."

"Effective June 24, 2020, the overall impact score and the NIH Summary Statement will be made available in the eRA Commons to the Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs) of the applicant organization with the Signing Official (SO) user role in the eRA Commons.”

Please review full notice or contact your OSP representative for further assistance.

View on myUMBC »

Kuali COI Module Updates

Starts Saturday, June 13, 2020!

Dear PI’s & Faculty,

The ORPC wants to inform you we have been working with Kuali to update UMBC’s conflict of interest disclosure form and processes. This next stage in the COI disclosure process makes the form easier to read, removes Master Contract duplicate reporting, provides more complete disclosures of projects (awards and proposals), and improves financial entity data capture to ensure COI management plans capture potential conflicts. Subsequently, an upgrade to the existing Kuali module is scheduled for June 12, 2020.

We ask that you do not log into Kuali COI beginning 12:00 am Friday, June 12, 2020 through 12:00 am June 13, 2020. This will allow the system to correctly transfer your disclosure records in the COI upgrade.

What this means for you

In general, the processes of COI disclosure for proposals and awards (projects) have not changed. Kuali COI will continue to send you emails requesting you to update annual disclosure when you are identified in project(s) as a “key person, such as the Principal Investigator.  Beginning with the upgrade, as you log into Kuali COI,  a new reporting format with an updated list of your disclosed projects(s) will appear.  Kuali COI will highlight any new projects that require action from you, including relationships to financial entities.  Nothing is required from "negative disclosures" of COI or for projects previously disclosed.   

Next Steps

Again, as a reminder, do not login Kuali COI anytime on June 12, 2020. Starting June 13, 2020 log into your Kuali COI dashboard to become familiar with the changes and to review your disclosure record. Then, update as requested.  The OPRC will update the COI User Guide with screenshots to assist with your disclosures. Of course, if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at compliance@umbc.edu.

Unfunded Agreements

Our COI and OSP teams have been working with Kuali to create a one-stop reporting portal for your entire Research and Creative Achievement (RCA) portfolio. This involves transitioning unfunded agreements into Kuali.  We started with Data Use Agreements and CRADA’s and will be transitioning to others such as Material Transfer Agreements (MTA’s), Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA’s), etc. as well.  Please review our Kuali implementation schedule for more information.

Dear Investigators

In February 2017, the ORPC forwarded information from the Department of Energy regarding the exemption (DOE Order 142.3A) from the Foreign Nationals prior approval for universities for such persons in UMBC awarded fundamental research projects. As a reminder, this exemption allows for persons who are not U.S. citizens to participate in fundamental research sponsored by one of the below DOE programs  or national laboratories. 

This past month, the Council on Governmental Relations provided an update to member institutions that the DOE removed this exemption. This removal would potentially impact the willingness of some institutions to continue to perform DOE-funded research. COGR is in conversations with management from the DOE and will provide updates when available

As investigators work with the Office of Sponsored Programs in the development and routing of DOE agreements, please keep in mind proposed funding agreements with these programs or national labs using identified foreign nationals may be limited.  The ORPC will continue to monitor this information and update the campus as information becomes available.

Foreign nationals who participate in DOE research – originally February 3, 2017

Investigators planning or currently performing Department of Energy (DOE) work, please read the below:

The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued an amendment to the DOE Order 142.3a, which provides for an exemption from the Foreign Nationals prior approval requirements for universities conducting fundamental research. 

"Portions of this Order relating to approval for foreign national access to DOE information do not apply to research conducted under grants and funding opportunities sponsored by the program offices that report to the Under Secretary for Science and Energy, performed at institutions of higher education, and for which results will be published for access by the general public. Performance of this research is not considered access to DOE sites, information, technologies, equipment, programs, or personnel for purposes of this Order. The work products of this research are not considered DOE information during the performance of the research and after completion of the research. However, the Order does apply to visits by any foreign nationals to DOE sites and any access to DOE information, equipment or personnel not exempted in this paragraph."

This exemption allows for persons who are not U.S. citizens to participate in fundamental research sponsored by one of the below DOE programs or with the below national laboratories. 

As investigators work with the Office of Sponsored Programs in the development and routing of DOE agreements, please be aware this amendment will be useful in the performance of fundamental research.

 Under Secretary of Science and Energy Programs

*         Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability

*         Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

*         Fossil Energy

*         Indian Energy Policy and Programs

*         Nuclear Energy

*         Science

*         Technology Transitions

 DOE offices and national laboratories 

*         Ames Laboratory (AMES)

*         Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)

*         Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)

*         Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNL)

*         Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

*         LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY (LBNL)

*         National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)

*         National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

*         Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)

*         Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

*         Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)

*         SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC)

*         Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF)

The new PAPPG (NSF 20-1) will  go into effect on June 1, 2020.  However due to the disruption caused by COVID-19 in doing proper outreach and training on the new requirements for the Biographical Sketch, and Current and Pending documents, the requirement to use NSF approved generation tools has been delayed to October 1, 2020.

NIH Late Application Policy for Institutional Training Grants to PA-20-142 and PA-20-162 Due to Public Health Emergency for United States Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Notice Number:  NOT-OD-20-105

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-105.html

Training grant applications submitted to the Parent Funding Opportunity Announcements PA-20-142 and PA-20-162 with a due date of May 25 will be accepted through June 30, 2020.

Institutions need not request advance permission to submit late due to this declared emergency and a cover letter providing a justification is not required.

Please review full notice to additional details.