|
For
an Introduction to Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units in the Midwest Region
click here.
The following information
will help to assist you when processing a project through the Great Plains CESU.
PROJECT INITIATION
A complete Task Agreement (TA) includes the following: Task Agreement
Form, Project Proposal, Application for Federal Assistance Form (SF424), and Budget
Information-Non-Construction Programs Form (SF424A).
1) Call or email the GP-CESU
Research Coordinator (RC) for a preliminary discussion. During this discussion
the RC will provide feedback as to whether your project is appropriate for the
CESU and how you should proceed.
Link
to “questions to think about early in your project planning”
2) NPS Agency Manager and
Partner Principal Investigator collaboratively prepare a draft task agreement,
to include:
A) Task
Agreement Form (TA Form): The TA
Form is the mechanism used for obligating funds, and when fully signed is the
official agreement between partners. The MWR Contract Specialist, Tonya Bradley
processes GP-CESU agreements. The MWR Assistance Officer, Theora McVay, is the
official signatory for the NPS.
B) Project Proposal: Generally identifies
the PI(s) and includes a statement of need/introduction, objectives,
methodology, the substantial involvement of each party, the project schedule,
specific deliverables, and budget outline. The budget outlines university or
partner institution costs of the project and includes a 17.5% indirect cost rate
which goes to the partner institution.
Role of Agency Manager:
a)
Work
with partner PI to develop project proposal; provide for peer review
(Interim Guidance on Peer Review)
b)
Prepare
preliminary TA Form. Be sure to fill in purchase request number, account
information, and send package to Research Coordinator for approval.
c) Prepare
a “statement of substantial involvement” to be included in the scope document.
This statement should have its own heading and identifies how the NPS will
ACTIVELY be involved in the project.
d) Complete "Justification for Use
of Cooperative Agreement" questionnaire
e) Initiate Purchase Request via “IDEAS”
Role of Partner PI:
a) Work
with agency manager to develop project proposal
b) Initiate
internal project proposal process with your sponsored programs administrative office
c) Prepare
Federal SF424, SF424A, SF424B and DI-2010 forms for the amount of money being funded during that
fiscal year (prepared by either PI or Sponsored Programs)
C) Once the Partner PI and Agency Manager have
completed the draft task agreement, the Agency Manager will forward the document
(task agreement form, scope of work including budget outline) to the Research
Coordinator. The RC will review the document and determine if additional peer
review is necessary.
4) Form Document
Routing: When all parties involved
have approved of the draft Task Agreement language and the RC is satisfied with
it (i.e. peer review and revision, substantial involvement, indirect costs,
Justification for Use, etc), he or she will send it via email attachment to the Partner PI for
signature. TA forms are routed for signature as follows:
A) Partner PI
B) Partner Sponsored Programs Administrator
(matches to internal application for approval and prepares SF424, SF424A,
FS424B, and DI-2010 if it has not
already been done)
C) NPS Research Coordinator (Gary Willson)
at 515 Hardin Hall, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska,
Lincoln, NE 68583-0985. Fax 402-472-2946.
D) NPS Midwest Region Assistance Officer
(NOTE: the NPS MWR Contract Specialist (Tonya Bradley) reviews and processes
the TA form. The NPS MWR Assistance Officer (Theora McVay) signs as the
authorized NPS official).
5) Fully Executed TA:
A) The University receives the signed task
agreement and establishes an account so that the project can begin.
B) The CESU NPS RC, NPS Project Manager, and
Partner PI receive copies of the fully signed TA form.
Role of Partner PI:
a) Provide project status reports to the NPS
Project Manager prior to or at time of invoicing
b) Provide electronic copies of interim and
final products/reports to the NPS Research Coordinator, Gary Willson, at
gwillson2@unl.edu
Role of Agency Manager:
a) Recommend payment of invoices (see
Invoice Procedures)
b) Ensure electronic copies of interim and
final products/reports are delivered to the RC
TASK AGREEMENT MODIFICATION TO OBLIGATE
ADDITIONAL FUNDS
The Task Agreement number
will remain the same, indicating it is a modification (TA numbering format:
Jxxxxxxxxxx/000x); the NPS Purchase Request number will change.
IF: The original scope of
the project is unchanged and the budget is funded over two or more years, the NPS Research Coordinator will prepare the TA and send it to the
Partner PI for routing.
NPS Project
Manager Responsibilities to Obligate Additional Funds:
1) Notify the NPS Research Coordinator
when additional year funds are available
2) Initiate Purchase Request process via
“IDEAS”
Partner PI Responsibilities to
Obligate Additional Funds:
1) Initiate internal project proposal
process with your sponsored projects administration office
2) Prepare SF424, SF424A,
SF424B, and DI-2010 forms for
the amount of money being funded during that fiscal year or remaining years
3) Sign and route the TA Form (received
from the Research Coordinator) and project proposal to sponsored projects
administration office, and instruct them to sign TA and route TA and SF424's to NPS Research
Coordinator.
IF: The original scope
of the project changes and/or new budget information is required.
NPS Project
Manager Responsibilities to Obligate Additional Funds:
1) Prepare revised TA Form. The
abstract will change to reflect the project proposal changes. Reference the original
project proposal if parts of the project remain unchanged.
2) Work with the Partner PI to develop a
revised project proposal and/or budget
3) If necessary, prepare a new “statement of
substantial involvement” to be included in the project proposal
4) Initiate Purchase Request process via
“IDEAS”
Partner PI Responsibilities to
Obtain Future Funding:
1) Initiate internal project proposal
process with your sponsored projects administration office
2) Prepare SF424, SF424A,
SF424B, and DI-2010 forms for
the amount of money being funded during that fiscal year or remaining years
3) Sign
and route the TA Form (received from Research Coordinator) and project proposal to sponsored projects
administration office, and instruct them to sign the TA and route TA and SF424's
and DI-2010 to NPS Research
Coordinator.
TASK AGREEMENT MODIFICATION TO CHANGE THE
EFFECTIVE PROJECT DATES (No Cost Extension)
Only the NPS MWR
Assistance Officer signature is required.
1) An email requesting a
change must be submitted by the PI or NPS Project Manager to the NPS Research
Coordinator (gary_willson@nps.gov). Provide justification for the change
and a new project proposal and timeline, if necessary.
2) The NPS Research
Coordinator will forward the request with approval to the the NPS MWR Contract
Specialist who will prepare the modification.
3) The NPS MWR Assistance
Officer will sign the TA modification, and copies will be sent to the partner
sponsored projects administration office, the NPS Research Coordinator, NPS
Project Manager, and Partner PI.
PROJECT FORMS
2000-2005 NPS Task Agreement Form
– use this form when you are modifying (either adding funds to or changing the
effective dates of) a project that was obligated under the original agreement,
Cooperative Agreement # CA6000A0100.
2005-2010 NPS Task Agreement Form
- use this form for any new projects, or modifications to projects that were
obligated under the renewed agreement, Cooperative Agreement # CAH6000060100.
Updated 1/8/2007 to assist in quantifying the number of
students supported by CESU projects.
Justification for
Use of a Cooperative Agreement - must be submitted for all new projects
SF424
SF424A
SF424B
DI-2010
INVOICING PROCEDURES
1) The partner university will
use a SF270 (Request for Advance or Reimbursement) form to submit quarterly
invoices to the NPS MWR Contracting Office in Omaha:
Tonya Bradley, Contract
Specialist
NPS, Midwest Region
601 Riverfront Dr.
Omaha, NE 68102
phone: (402) 661-1656
fax: (402) 661-1657
tonya_bradley@nps.gov
2) The Project Manager will
receive a copy of each invoice for payment recommendation. After reviewing the
invoice, the PM will write “payment recommended” on the invoice, sign and date
the invoice, and return it to the Contracting Office in Omaha who will make
payment.
Items to consider prior to
recommending payment:
a) Has
the PI documented satisfactory progress?
b) Does the invoice period
extend beyond the end date of project? If yes, a no-cost extension is necessary
before payment can be made.
c) Have final products been
received prior to paying final invoice?
Note: Final invoices are not always marked as such, check total program outlays
and cumulative totals.
3) The Contracting Office in
Omaha will provide the Research Coordinator with a copy of each invoice
recommended for payment. This will ensure that the Research Coordinator is
aware of progress on each project.
PROJECT PRODUCTS
The project PI and Project
Manager should ensure that the NPS Research Coordinator and the GP-CESU Office
at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln receive electronic copies (if applicable)
of all related project products upon completion. Files can be submitted to
Gary_Willson@nps.gov and
clockert2@unl.edu. As appropriate, project final report and products
will be posted on the GP-CESU web page.
Hard copies can be mailed
to:
GP-CESU
Christine Lockert
514 Hardin Hall
School of Natural Resources
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68583-0985
Back to top of page
|
