DATE:            November 23, 2020

TO:                 Business Managers/Department Chairs/Center Directors/Faculty

FROM:           Stan Jackson

Director, Office of Sponsored Programs

RE:                 OSP deadlines over the Winter Break, Dec. 24, 2020 – Jan. 2, 2021

________________________________________________________________

This is a special announcement concerning the OSP schedule for reviewing/approving proposals with deadlines to federal and other agencies that occur during Winter Break this year. 

Please note:

1. All proposals with submission deadlines occurring between December 25, 2020 and January 3, 2021 must be fully routed, ready for submission, and released to the OSP office by close of business on December 18, 2020; and

1. All proposals with submission deadlines occurring between January 4thd and 6th, 2021 (the first 3 business days after the break) will be due to OSP by 9:00 a.m. on December 21, 2020.

This schedule is consistent with our current policy, which requires the submission of complete proposals to OSP at least three business days before the agency submission deadline. Since UMBC is closed during the Winter Break, OSP will also be closed. 

The campus closure during Winter Break will cause a heavy workload on OSP staff, so we will enforce our current policy more consistently.  Proposals received after the OSP deadlines specified above will be reviewed on a first-come/first-serve basis and will be submitted only if time permits.  In keeping with the deadline enforcement policy of OVPR, any proposal not fully routed and ready for submission by 9:00 a.m. of the deadline date will not be submitted to the agency.  If the deadline occurs over Winter Break this deadline is the last working day before the break.

Thank you for your understanding.

Effective October 5, 2020, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will begin enforcing the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 20-1) requirement to use NSF-approved formats for the preparation of the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support proposal documents. The NSF-approved formats are SciENcv: Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae and an NSF fillable PDF.

All other PAPPG (NSF 20-1) changes were effective on June 1, 2020. Please refer to the complete list of PAPPG (NSF 20-1) significant changes and clarifications which include the IT system changes and other policy-related changes. A set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on proposal preparation and award administration related to NSF PAPPG (NSF 20-1) is also available and includes Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support information.

Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support Websites

·  The NSF Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support websites include links to the NSF-fillable PDF formats, updated FAQs, and instructions.

·  For the fillable PDF formats, NSF recommends users download and save the blank PDF document prior to adding content. Populating content directly into a web browser (e.g., Chrome or Safari) may result in formatting inconsistencies. The completed and saved PDF can then be uploaded via FastLane, Research.gov, or Grants.gov.

·  Beginning on October 5, 2020, links to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support websites will also be located in FastLane (on the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support Personnel pages), in Research.gov (on the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support Upload pages), and in Grants.gov (on the NSF Senior Key Person Profile form version 2.0).

Change of Principal Investigator (PI) and Add/Change Co-PI Requests

·  Effective October 5, 2020, Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support documentation must also be in an NSF-approved format when uploaded with a Change of PI and an Add/Change co-PI request in FastLane.

Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) Submissions with Active Other Support Changes

·  Effective October 5, 2020, PIs and co-PIs must include an NSF-approved format for Current and Pending Support when notifying NSF that active other support has changed since the award was made, or since the most recent annual report.

·  This new requirement serves as NSF’s implementation of the revised RPPR, a uniform format for reporting performance progress on Federally-funded research projects and research-related activities.

·  Further details about the RPPR can be found on the Research.gov About Project Reports website.

Automated Compliance Checks for NSF-approved Formats

·  Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support documents not in an NSF-approved format will trigger a compliance error and ultimately will prevent proposal submission or completion of the post-award action. This compliance check applies to proposals, Change of PI requests, Add/Change co-PI requests, and relevant RPPR submissions.

·  The complete lists of FastLane and Research.gov automated proposal compliance checks effective October 5, 2020, are available on the Automated Compliance Checking of NSF Proposals website.

·  Note that automated compliance checks also apply when a proposal file update (PFU) is performed on a proposal. Proposers should be aware that if a proposal was previously submitted successfully, a PFU performed on the proposal will be prevented from submission if the proposal does not comply with the compliance checks in effect at the time.

NSF-approved Format Updates

Based on feedback from the research community, NSF has enhanced both approved formats, and users are encouraged to use the latest versions. Please see the system-related FAQs on using SciENcv and the system-related FAQs on using the NSF fillable PDF for a list of the improvements to each format. In particular, note the permitted use of “et al.” for publication citations in the Biographical Sketch when listing multiple authors. Senior personnel who wish to include publications in the products section of the Biographical Sketch that include multiple authors may, at their discretion, choose to list one or more of the authors and then "et al." in lieu of including the complete listing of authors' names.

SciENcv Enhancements

The SciENcv module for creating NSF Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support documents will be updated prior to October 5, 2020; however, all SciENcv-generated Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support PDF documents created on or after April 1, 2020 remain compliant in NSF systems.

Prior to the October 5th requirement to use the NSF-approved format, SciENcv will make a number of enhancements that include:

·  ability for users to reorder products and appointments in the Biographical Sketch

·  ability for users to edit long author citations imported from ORCID on the Biographical Sketch and add “et al.”

·  addition of a Current and Pending Support tool tip to provide clarification and guidance on how users should document support under a fiscal year calendar

Please see the system-related FAQs on using SciENcv for details.

As a reminder, the SciENcv tool integrates with ORCID, enabling users to populate the Biographical Sketch by importing data directly from ORCID records rather than having to manually enter all the required information. This helps reduce administrative burden associated with the Biographical Sketch preparation process. Additionally, SciENcv allows users to grant access to delegates to assist with maintaining and updating data. SciENcv also offers users a dynamic and more customized PDF. For example, users with fewer Current and Pending Support entries may elect to use SciENcv to generate their Current and Pending Support PDF document since SciENcv will produce a PDF without any blank pages. Conversely, the Current and Pending Support fillable PDF will always be 15 pages regardless of how much data is included.

Latest NSF Fillable PDF Version

·  Revised NSF fillable PDF formats were released on May 1, 2020; however, the previous versions remain compliant in NSF systems.

·  The May 1, 2020 version is indicated by "Revised 05/01/2020" printed on the first page of each form.

Additional Training Resources

To learn more about the NSF-approved formats for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support, please view the NSF PAPPG (NSF 20-1) webinar and NSF-Approved Formats for the Biographical Sketch & Current and Pending Support Sections of NSF Proposals webinar.

SciENcv has created the following materials to guide NSF users through the preparation of the NSF documents available in SciENcv:

·  NSF Biographical Sketch Video Tutorial

·  NSF Current and Pending Support Video Tutorial

·  NSF-specific Bookshelf Resource (includes screenshots and step-by-step instructions)

Other Updates for Proposers

A revised NSF Grants.gov Application Guide will be published on September 16th and effective October 5, 2020. The Guide will be updated to remove references and instructions for the Research & Related Personal Data Form. NSF will no longer require this form, and this form will no longer be included in NSF's packages effective October 5, 2020.

Questions? Policy-related questions should be directed to policy@nsf.gov. If you have IT system-related or technical questions regarding the SciENcv or NSF fillable PDF formats, please contact the NSF Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 (7:00 AM - 9:00 PM ET; Monday - Friday except federal holidays) or via fastlane@nsf.gov.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Takashi Yamashita (Assoc Prof, Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health) and his team on receiving a grant from The Institute of Education Sciences for their study: Literacy, Numeracy, and Problem-Solving Skills in Technology-Rich Environment in the STEM-Related Subbaccalaureate Programs in the United States

https://ies.ed.gov/funding/grantsearch/details.asp?ID=3392

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.

The following announcement from the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) contains information from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Dear Colleagues:

You are invited to participate in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Electronic Research Administration (ERA) Forum Webinar on May 14, 2020 from 1:00 - 2:30 PM Eastern Time. To participate in this forum, please Register Now.

The topics for this Forum webinar will cover:

• the new requirement beginning June 1, 2020, to use an NSF-approved format for the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support sections of NSF proposals;
• the new Award Notice; and
• a Research.gov Demo of Separately Submitted Collaborative Proposals from Multiple Organizations.

On April 1, 2020, NSF announced the availability of both NSF-approved formats for the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support sections of NSF proposals. NSF conducted a Webinar to discuss the policy and system implications for this new requirement. As a reminder we encourage you to send questions ahead of the May 14, 2020 ERA Forum webinar to nsferaforum@nsf.gov.

For more information about the NSF ERA Forum Webinar, please visit our website at https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/era_forum.jsp.

Please share this information with your colleagues. They can also subscribe to our ERA Forum listserv to receive future ERA Forum notifications by simply sending a blank email to NSF-ERA-FORUM-subscribe-request@listserv.nsf.gov to be automatically enrolled.

Best regards,
NSF ERA Forum Team
National Science Foundation
nsferaforum@nsf.gov

For more information, visit the post from OSP or contact OSP directly.

Announcement from the UMBC Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)

Foundation Directory Online (FDO) is now temporarily accessible and available from home/off campus via UMBC’s  Global Protect VPN. Instructions for using the Global Protect VPN can be found on the UMBC VPN Wiki at the link below:

https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=36766377

Once you are signed into the VPN, please navigate to my.umbc.edu. Go to "Guide" and then click on "Financial Services and Accounting". Scroll to the bottom of the page and under "Additional Resources" click on "Foundation Directory Online". 

That’s all you need to do!  You will have full access to ALL of the same information and features of FDO that you would have if you were using it on-campus. Please spread the word to your colleagues and let them know Foundation Directory can now be used from the comfort of one's home!

For more information, please visit the OSP posting or contact OSP directly.