Glossary

Academic Year Overload

When faculty perform work over and above their assigned University appointments during the academic year, it is termed 'AY overload.' Faculty are paid for overload through The University Corporation payroll.

Additional Compensation

( As defined by The Chancellor's Office Additional Employment policy HR2002-05) Additional compensation is for work above and beyond the employee's primary appointment where the work is of a substantially different nature from the employee's primary appointment. Additional employment is allowed up to a maximum of 125% time (not salary) for all campus activities, which includes work performed on grants and contracts.

Additional Employment

Any employment compensated by CSU, funded by the general fund or non-general funds including CSU auxiliaries, that is in addition to the primary or normal employment of a faculty unit employee. (Click here to read an excerpt from CFA (Unit 3) Collective Bargaining Agreement eff. 5/15/07)

Advance

Payments made to an employee on behalf of a project, in expectation of a future expenditure. Advance payments listed in internal reports have not yet been cleared, i.e. the proper supporting documentation has not yet been submitted.

Allocable Costs

A cost is "allocable" to a specific cost objective (i.e., a particular function, project, sponsored agreement) if the goods or services involved are chargeable or assignable to such cost objective in accordance with relative benefits received or other equitable relationships. For instance, supplies purchased to directly carry out the purpose of the project are allocable costs. Flowers purchased for a staff member or for the project office are not.

• Major considerations in determining the allocability of a cost are (a) whether it is incurred solely to advance the work under the sponsored agreement (b) whether it benefits both the sponsored agreement and other work of the institution, in proportions that can be approximated through use of reasonable methods (c) whether it is necessary to the overall operation of the institution and, in light of the principles provided in OMB Circular A-21, is deemed to be assignable in part to sponsored projects. Where the purchase of equipment or other capital items is specifically authorized under a sponsored agreement, these amounts are assignable to the sponsored agreement regardless of the use that may subsequently be made of the equipment or other capital items involved.
• An allocable cost can be a direct cost or a facilities & administration (indirect) cost. Award Action An action by the grantor that directly effects the substance of the award. Award actions can be: New Award, Continuation Award, Supplamental Award, Modification (budget revision, change of key personnel, administrative change, termination notice.) No-Cost Extension, Amendments, Subaward.

Award Notice

The typical elements of an Award Notice include: Awarding Entity, Award Number, Recipient, Name of the PI or Project director, Reference to Proposal or Project Title, Funding Amount, Cost Basis (reimbursement, fixed), Budget and Performance Periods, Reports and Deliverables, Terms and Conditions.

BBA (Budget Balance Available)

The amount available for expenditure for a project.

Note: BBA for Indirect Cost have to be deducted from Total BBA to determine the amount available for expenditure by the Principal Investigator

Calculation: BBA = Budget - Actual -Encumbrance

Benefits

Fringe Benefit =Non-Salary Employee Compensation

Benefits are expenses incurred during the course of employment, and contributions made on behalf of an employee.

Types of Benefits: Payroll Taxes, Workers Compensation, Unemployment, Insurance Benefits, Retirement

All expenditures for benefits are budgeted in account '60200 Benefits', however the actual expenditures are booked in the accounts 602110 Payroll Taxes, 602210 Workers Compensation, 602220 Unemployment, 602310 Insurance, 602320 Retirement, etc' As a result, all benefit accounts (602XXX) can be viewed as one budget item, and should be treated as such with regard to budget revisions. Presently, all benefits are the actual expenditures paid for the employees in the project, no allocation based on a fringe benefit rate is used. Presently, The University Corporation is working on developing fringe benefit rates, which we expect to be implemented by FY 2006/2007.

Budget Period

A specific interval of time for which funds are being provided to fund approved activities and budget. The Budget Period is determined by a Budget Start Date and a Budget End Date. Approved expenditures are only permissable during the Budget Period (see also: Performance Periods)

Carry-Over

Unobligated (unspent) award balances from a previous year's award are transferred to the current year's award, and are available to spend in addition to the current year's award. Carry-Overs must usually be requested by the grantee. (see also: Off-Set)

Cash Match

Expenses in support of a grant or contract These funds are usually committed in a formal engagement agreement or cash agreement and require the signature of the contributor of the funds.

CCR (Central Contractor Registration)

The U.S. Federal Government's primary registrant database for federal contractors. www.ccr.gov ; CCR Federal Service Desk: 533-606-8220 . The CCR registration for The University Corporation is administered by the Chief Financial Officer.

CFDA Number

Identifies the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) subprogram title and the associated subprogram number.

Contract

A contract is often called a procurement mechanism. The sponsor determines that a procurement contract is appropriate. The principal purpose is to acquire property or services for direct benefit or use of the sponsor. There are various types of contracts: Fixed Price Contract, Cost-reimbursement Contract, Time-and-Materials Contract, Labor-hour Contract, and variations of the following. (see also: Grant, Cooperative Agreement, Fixed Price Contract)

Cooperative Agreement

The principal purpose of a cooperative agreement is to tranfer funds to a recipient to accomplish a public purpose. Substantial involvement is anticipated between sponsor and recipient during the performance of the activity. (see also: Contract, Grant)

Cost-Reimbursement Contract

Cost Reimbursement Contracts are used for the procurement of non-commercial items, which cannot be based on reasonalby definite functional or detailed specifications (i.e., Research & Development). There is no incetive for the contractor to control cost, thus the government imposes a maximum amount and tight controls. (see also: Contract, Fixed Price Contract)

Cost-Sharing

Cost Sharing refers to the sharing of actual program or project costs. Whenever required, the University will show in the approved budget or other appropriate document which program or project costs will be borne by the University and which will be borne by the sponsor. Cost Matching is a specific form of cost sharing , which means that the institution must provide additional resources for the program or project expenses in some proportion to the amount to be externally funded.

(Click here to view the 'Cost Sharing' procedure and policy at The University Corporation)

Direct Costs

Costs that can be identified specifically with a particular sponsored project or that can be directly assigned relatively easily with a high degree of accuracy. (see also: Indirect Cost)

Dis-Encumbrance (see also Encumbrance)

Elimination of an obligations, which was previsously encumbered (obliged) through a Purchase Order. It usually occurs at the time of the booking of the actual expenditure. Purchase Order -> Encumbrance -> Obligation (Locking) of Funds -> Arrival of Vendor Invoice -> Disencumbrance -> Booking of Actual Expenditures

If the Purchase Order is partially or fully retracted, cannot be serviced or is obsolete, the Principal Investigator must notify The University Corporation and close out the Purchase Order any unused funds then become disencumbered and are available for other expenditures.

DUNS Number (Data Universal Numbering System)

The DUNS Number of The University Corporation is 055752331

EAR

Export Administration Regulations Title 15, sections 730-774 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) are promulgated and implemented by the Department of Commerce. The EAR regulates the export of goods and services identified on the Commodity Control List (CCL), Title 15 CFR section 774, Supp. 1. The complete text of the EAR and CCL are available online at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html.

Effective Date

A system generated date representing the last day of the month for which the report was generated.

Please note: Effective dates for past months contain the figures for the entire month. Effective dates of the current month, still show the last day of the month, but contain only data up to the day the report was generated

Encumbrance (see also Dis-Encumbrance)

The encumbrance is a preliminary charge to the project. It represents the funds oblidged through a Purchase Order, but not yet spent. It commits project funds at the time of the order and makes them unavailable for other expenditures. It is a vital tool to control expenditures and avoid overages.

Purchase Order -> Encumbrance -> Obligation (Locking) of Funds

At this time, The University Corporation encumbers funds only for:

• Purchases (Purchase Order)
• Subcontracts, Subawards
• State Invoices

Export

Generally, an export includes any of the following
(1) actual shipment of any covered goods or items;
(2) the electronic or digital transmission of any covered goods, items or related goods or items;
(3) any release or disclosure, including verbal disclosures or visual inspections, of any technology, software or technical data to any foreign national; or
(4) actual use or application of covered technology on behalf of or for the benefit of any foreign entity or person anywhere. The official definition of export under the EAR and ITAR should be consulted when determining whether a specific act constitutes an export. As is evident in many instances, export is defined so as to preclude the participation of foreign graduate students in research that involves covered technology without first obtaining a license from the appropriate government agency.

Facilities & Administrative Costs (F&A) also called Indirect Cost (IDC)

Costs that are incurred for common of joint objectives, and therfore , cannot be identified readily and specifically with a particular sponsored project.

FAR

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is the procedure manual for federal purchases; the FAR is the implementation of federal laws, as they pertain to federal procurement. FAR is codified at Title 48 of the Code of Feral REgulations (CFR), and consists of 63 chapters.

Fellowship

A fellowship grant generally is an amount paid for the benefit of an individual to aid in the pursuit of study or research.

(see also: Stipend, Scholarship)

Fixed Price Contract

A Fixed Price Contract is procurement of supplies or services on the basis of reasonably definite functional or detailed specifications. Cost can be estamted reasonably accurately. It imposes on the contractor maximum incentive to control costs, but with minimum administrative burden. It is the preferred method of contracting by the goverment. (see also: Contract, Cost-reimbursement Contract).

Foreign Person

Foreign person means any natural person who is not a lawful permanent resident as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20)[http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/8/1101.html] or who is not a protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324(a)(3)[http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/8/1324.html]. It also means any foreign corporation, business association, partnership, trust, society or any other entity or group that is not incorporated or organized to do business in the United States, as well as international organizations, foreign governments, and any agency or subdivision of foreign governments (e.g. diplomatic missions).

Fundamental Research

Fundamental Research as used in the export control regulations, includes basic or applied research in science and/or engineering at an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States where the resulting information is ordinarily published and shared broadly in the scientific community. Fundamental research is distinguished from research which results in information which is restricted for proprietary reasons or pursuant to specific U.S. Government access and dissemination controls. University research will not be deemed to qualify as Fundamental Research if:

(1) the University or research accepts any restrictions on the publication of the information resulting from the research, other than limited prepublication reviews by research sponsors to prevent inadvertent divulging of proprietary information provided to the researcher by sponsor or to insure that publication will not compromise patent rights of the sponsor; or

(2) the research is federally funded and specific access and dissemination controls regarding the resulting information have been accepted by University or the researcher. The citation for the official definition of Fundamental Research under the EAR is 15 CFR § 734.8. The ITAR citation is 22 CFR § 120.11.

G5

G5 (www.g5.gov) is a web-based system for use by authorized recipients of U.S. Dept. of Education funds, in support of grant managment and payment actvities. G5 replaced the Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS)

Grant

The purpose of a grant is to transfer money, property, services, or anything of value to a recipient in order to accomplish a pbulic purpose. The recipient is the 'performer' of the activities. No substantial involvement is anticipated between sponsor and recipient during the performance of the activity. (see also: Cooperative Agreement, Contract)

Honoraria

Honoraria are payments used to acknowledge guest speakers or lecturers. They are "thank you" gestures of good will and appreciation. In OMB Circular A-21, honoraria fall under "advertising and public relations," costs that are unallowable under federal cost accounting standards. Occasionally, however, an honorarium is allowed in the form of a gift, if it is purchased with non-public funds and approved in writing from the funding agency, or if it is paid from a discretionary fund or a campus program account.

Indirect Cost (IDC) also called: Facilities & Administrative Costs (F&A)

Costs that are incurred for common of joint objectives, and therfore , cannot be identified readily and specifically with a particular sponsored project.

In-Kind Match

The value of services, equipment or products contributed by the campus or another funding agency (third party) to a sponsored project in partial support for the project. Such support is in addition to the funds provided by the external sponsor of the project.

ITAR

International Traffic in Arms Regulations22 CFR sections 120-130, are promulgated and implemented by the Department of State and regulate defense articles and services and related technical data that are identified on the Munitions Control List (MCL), 22 CFR § 121.1. Complete, on-line versions of the ITAR and MCL are available online at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html (Gov’t Printing Office site) and at http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/offdocs/itar (Website for the Federation of American Scientists).

Journal Description

The description that was entered in PeopleSoft for a particular Journal Entry. The contents of the description depends on type of entry.

Journal ID

A unique identifying number for a particular Journal Entry in PeopleSoft

Journal Line Reference

Additional data, depending on the type of entry, to associate the Journal Entry

Major Programs

Major programs are defined as those requiring an amount of administrative or clerical support significantly greater than the routine level provided by academic departments. Direct charging of administrative or clerical costs may be appropriate where a major project or activity explicitly budgets for administrative or clerical services and individuals involved can be specifically identified with the project or activity. (For examples of a “major project” where direct charging of administrative or clerical staff salaries may be appropriate, go to Exhibit C at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a021/a021.html).

Off-Set

Unobligated (unspent) award balances from a previous year's award are transferred to the current year's award. However, they reduce the current year's award for the same amount that is transferred. Therefore and are no additional funds to spend. Off-Sets are internal fund allocations at the granting agency, with no benefit for the grantee. The unspent award balance from the previous year is effectively lost. (see also: Carry-Over)

Outside Employment (word) (Click here to read an excerpt from CFA (Unit 3) Collective Bargaining Agreement eff. 5/15/07)

Payroll Advances

The University Corporation does not advance any salary or wage payments to staff or faculty.

Performance Period

The complete length of time a recipient is funded to complete approved activities. A performance period may contain one or more budget periods. (see also: Budget Period)

Pre-Payments

The University Corporation generally does not process any pre-payments unless absolutely required by the vendor to conduct the purchase. Examples herefore are Internet purchases. In these cases, the payments are handled as advances, and it is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to ensure the receipt of the items and the forwarding of the appropriate documents to The University Corporation.

Project Director

The recipient staff person responsible for administering the project. This person represents the recipient to the granting agency.

Public Domain

Public Domain (22 CFR 120.11) means information that is published and that is generally accessible or available to the public:

1. through sales at newsstands and bookstores;
2. through subscriptions which are available without restriction to any individual who desires to obtain or purchase the published information;
3. through second class mailing privileges granted by the U.S. Government;
4. at libraries open to the public or from which the public can obtain documents;
5. through patents available at any patent office;
6. through unlimited distribution at a conference, meeting, seminar, trade show or exhibition, generally accessible to the public, in the United States;
7. through public release (i.e., unlimited distribution) in any form (e.g., not necessarily in published form) after approval by the cognizant U.S. government department or agency; and
8. through fundamental research
.

Reasonable Costs

A cost may be considered reasonable if the nature of the goods or services acquired or applied, and the amount involved, reflect the actions a prudent person would have taken under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision to incur the cost was made.

• Major considerations in determining the reasonableness of a cost are

(a) whether the cost is of a type generally recognized as necessary for the operation of the institution or the performance of the sponsored agreement
(b) the restraints or requirements imposed by such factors as arm's-length bargaining, federal and state laws and regulations, and sponsored agreement terms and conditions
(c) whether the individuals concerned acted with due prudence in the circumstances, considering their responsibilities to the institution, its employees, its students, the Federal Government, and the public at large
(d) the extent to which the actions taken with respect to the incurrence of the cost are consistent with established institutional policies and practices applicable to the work of the institution generally, including sponsored agreements.

Reimbursed Time/Released Time

These terms, used interchangeably, refer to when faculty or staff are assigned or released to work on a funded project, and the college or department is reimbursed from the project funds for this portion of time. The faculty or staff member continues to be paid by the University for his or her full appointment. The reimbursement takes place through an invoice and payment process between the University and funding agency via The University Corporation.

Report Date and Time (Run Time)

The date and time the report has been generated.

Reporting Period

The period a report is providing detailed Journal Entries for. All entries before the reporting period are summarized in the beginning balance.

Please note: Reporting periods for past months will contain the figures for the entire month. Reporting period of the current month, may contain only data up to the day the report was generated and may not include all expenditures such as payroll costs and indirect costs.

Periods are counted from July to June: 1=June, ... , 12=July

Stipends

Stipends are generally paid to students or attendees of a class for participation only or to provide support to student interns. Stipends are not for services rendered. An amount paid for services rendered is a “wage” under the IRS regulations and must be paid as salaries and wages.

A stipend is tax free if:

A. The recipient is

• an individual who is pursing a degree at a college or university, or
• an individual who attends an accredited educational institution that is authorized to provide a program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's or higher degree, or in a program of training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.

and

B. The stipend is used for:

• tuition and fees paid to enroll in or to attend an educational institution, or
• fees, books, supplies and equipment that are required for the courses at the educational institution.

Note: If the terms of the grant require that a stipend be used for other purposes, such as room and board, or specify that grant funds may not be used for tuition or course-related expenses, the amounts received under the grant are NOT tax free.

Prizes won in a contest, which does not require that the prize be used for educational purposes, are not stipends and are taxable regardless of how the money is used.(see also: Fellowship, Scholarship). (Click here to view the 'Stipend' procedure at The University Corporation)

Scholarship

A scholarship generally is an amount paid for the benefit of a student at an educational institution to aid in the pursuit of studies. The student may be in either a graduate or an undergraduate program. (see also: Stipend, Fellowship)

Subagreement

A subagreement is a contract that is written under the authority of, and is consistent with the terms and conditions of a prime award, that authorizes a portion of the research or substantive effort to be performed by another organization. The subagreement document outlines the rightrs and responsibility of each party.

TIN

(Tax Payer Identification Number)

Transaction Date

The date when a particular Journal Entry was booked in PeopleSoft

Vacation Accruals

The expenses for vacation are booked towards the project when the vacation-time is earned (usually at the end of each bi-weekly pay period), regardless when the actual vacation is taken. The funds are collected in a liability account until the employee actually takes the vacation. At that time the project is no longer affected, but the liability account is charged. Vacation accruals are not included in the Fringe Benefit Rate. It is considered paid time off .

(Note: Please go to Vacation Accruals to see how vacation accruals can negatively affect your budget, if employees don't take their vacation during the project period).

Workload (Word)

(Click here to read an excerpt from CFA (Unit 3) Collective Bargaining Agreement eff. 5/15/07)