Yale Bulletin and Calendar

November 17, 2006|Volume 35, Number 11|Two-Week Issue

University begins mandatory training
for faculty involved with grants

In a letter to Yale faculty on Oct. 27 President Richard C. Levin announced that all faculty with sponsored research will be required to attend training regarding the financial administration of sponsored research.

In his letter Levin noted "the University's absolute commitment to administering its sponsored research with the utmost integrity, highest ethical standards and fullest regulatory compliance."

"We take pride in the many contributions made at Yale to advance scientific understanding and human well-being through research, and we recognize the responsibilities that accompany government research support," Levin announced to faculty. "Financial stewardship is one such responsibility, and I thank you in advance for your participation and support as we attempt to fulfill it."

The University training will begin in December. Sessions are planned through March 2007. Levin noted that business managers and other administrators involved with grants have already been advised they will be required to attend similar training sessions.

As a leading research university Yale is one of the largest recipients of sponsored research funding, having received $525 million from federal and non-federal sponsors in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006. Yale has close to 1,700 faculty members working on 2,700 federal and non-federal sponsored awards.

The training was announced as the University was completing the "100-Day Plan" to accelerate improvements in Yale's administration of sponsored research.

"Over the past several months, under the strong leadership of Vice President (for Finance and Administration) Shauna King and Associate Vice President (for Research Administration) Andy Rudczynski, we have made significant improvements in our policies, procedures and training," Levin said. The 100-Day Plan followed an announcement by the University last July that it had received subpoenas from three federal agencies seeking documents relating to the administration of research grants.

Among the other announcements resulting from the 100-Day Plan were the following:

* Cost transfers (the practice of moving a charge to or from a sponsored project) are now subject to advance review and approval by the Grants & Contracts Financial Administration office;

* A new effort reporting policy, procedure and form will be introduced;

* A new electronic purchasing tool (SciQuest) is now the required approach for most routine purchases; and

* The Account Holder Report is now the University's standard report for principal investigators to review the financial status of their awards on a regular basis.

While the 100-Day Plan, which ended on Nov. 8, succeeded in accelerating improvements in research administration, King noted: "We realize this is only the beginning of a long-term effort to improve our accounting practices and systems. This will take time, and it won't be easy. In the end I am confident we will be successful at providing the finest administrative services to the finest University."

Rudczynski commented that "the next 100-200 days" will be characterized by communications about the new policies and procedures; training for faculty and staff; and continued improvements in the policies, organizational design, business processes and systems that form the foundation of the research administration environment at Yale.

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Campus Notes