Happy Halloween!!

This issue of the Newsletter includes information about the following:

• Faculty Effort Certification (FEC) Adjustments
• FEC Calculators to the Rescue!
• Finance and Administrative (F&A) Base Year Update
• Indirect Cost Process Improvements
• Business Diversity Vendor Fair!
• Purchasing Small Equipment with eProcurement!
• MyFinancial.desktop Enhancement!
• Documentation for Salary Rates
• Course Packs Offered Through Publications Services
• Accounts Payable Listserve

Faculty Effort Certification (FEC) Adjustments

When submitting revisions to FECs already certified, please include a notation in the comment box documenting the reason the effort previously certified as accurate is no longer the case.  Where the note is not attached, departments may send an email documenting the reason for the adjustment, which will then be attached to the FEC.  As a reminder, the corresponding Retroactive Salary Transfer (RST) must be signed by the Principal Investigator (PI) or their designee.

Additional information can be found in Grants Information Memorandum (GIM) 15 at the following site:
http://www.washington.edu/research/osp/gim/gim15.html#documenting

FEC Calculators to the Rescue!

There are two calculator tools at the FEC website to assist departments in calculating effort and cost sharing commitments.

The ADS/ENS calculator enables departments to determine the correct percentage of effort and dollars to place in grant proposals and for OPUS entry when a faculty member's institutional base salary (IBS) includes administrative
supplements (ADS) and/or endowed supplements (ENS).  Also included is a salary cap calculator.

Cost Share Calculator:  This new calculator will enable departments to prorate cost share for grants that start at some point during a quarter, rather than at the start of the quarter.  Additional information can be found at:
http://www.washington.edu/research/maa/fec/#calculator

Finance and Administrative (F&A) Base Year Update

The University is currently in it's next F&A base year (FY 2008). Departments play a key role providing data to Management Accounting and Analysis (MAA) during the base year.  This data is critical to producing an accurate and timely F&A proposal.

During the fall 2007, departments should be reviewing the accuracy of their space inventory information in SIMS.  In addition, departments should be tracking unallowable expenditures on state, gift, and RCR budgets.  Later this
winter and spring, most departments will be required to functionalize their space.  MAA will provide campus-wide training starting in January.

In addition, a new listserv is available for campus questions and communications (fa-proposal@u.washington.edu).  You can subscribe to the listserv by following the instructions at the following website:
https://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/fa-proposal.

MAA is available to assist with the process and to provide specific departmental training.  If you are interested or have questions, please contact Cristi Chapman (cristic@u.washington.edu), Brion Norton (brionn@u.washington.edu), or Joe Nalley (jwfn@u.washington.edu).

Indirect Cost Process Improvements

Grant and Contract Accounting (GCA) and the Office of Information Management (OIM) have automated the indirect cost encumbrance process. Encumbrances are now updated automatically as the budget is established and adjusted as indirect cost charges/credits are posted, and liquidated when the budget is placed into status 3.  Next steps in the overall indirect cost improvement efforts will be focused on improving the process as it relates to subcontracts.

Questions can be referred to Mary Jo Hershly at 206-543-2794 or mjh@u.washington.edu.

Business Diversity Vendor Fair!

Do you buy catering, office furniture or equipment?  Do you purchase IT products or lab supplies or equipment?

If you are responsible for making purchases like these and are looking for some new qualified vendors this is the event for you!

The UW Business Diversity Program is pleased to invite you to the 2nd Annual Business Diversity Vendor Fair. This will be an opportunity for some of the UW's diverse suppliers to share information and showcase their products and services
with UW campus department representatives with "direct buy" (under $3,000) purchasing authority.

The event will be held:

• Tuesday, November 13, 2007
• 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
• Husky Union Building (HUB) West Ballroom UW Campus - Seattle WA

Additional information can be found at:
http://www.washington.edu/admin/bdp/avf.html

Purchasing Small Equipment with eProcurement!

This is an exciting time for eProcurement users with the launch of a new eProcurement feature.  In addition to supply items, users can now purchase equipment items from a full range of premier online vendors. Vendors include
Office Depot, Dell Computer, VWR, Fisher Scientific, Grainger, and A Daigger, as well as Gov Connections and the new Tech Depot catalog. Note that the Machinery and Equipment (M&E) tax exemption, may apply, as appropriate, to purchases may using eProcurement.

For more information or free hands-on training, please see:
http://www.washington.edu/admin/stores/eprocurement, or contact
eprocure@u.washington.edu or the help desk at 206-685-3558.

MyFinancial.desktop Enhancement!

In addition to the current biennium, MyFinancial.desktop now includes financial data for 3 complete biennia!  Online financial reports and transaction information are available for the full retention period for all funding sources.
This was the result of a joint effort with GCA, MyFinancial.desktop, OIM, and Records Management.  Paper BAR & BSR reports are no longer required for retention purposes, since financial reports meeting this need can be accessed
online. However, any reports used to document financial oversight or reconciliation activity should be kept for the retention period, i.e., BARS/BSRS used to document PI signature/evidence of review (GIM14 - http://www.washington.edu/research/osp/gim/gim14att.html).

Additional questions about records retention?  Contact Records Management at urc@u.washington.edu or 206-543-6512 or http://www.washington.edu/admin/recmgt/index/php.

Documentation for Salary Rates

Current audit activities have revealed the need to strengthen approvals, recordkeeping and documentation for employee salary rates.  For example, entries made into OPUS should be documented in letters to employees or other verifiable information.  Best practice would suggest that these documents are pasted into OPUS to be maintained with the actual salary entry record.

Assistance with using OPUS for this purpose can be provided by Payroll by contacting the Client Service and Training Team at 206-543-9215, or Christa Woodhull at crista@u.washington.edu.

Course Packs Offered Through Publications Services

Publications Services offers Course Packs that are timely, convenient and copyright compliant.  Advantages of this service maintains quality materials while keeping the University and its' faculty members free from copyright
infringement.

Publications Services will:

• Provide quality course materials in a timely manner
• Clear copyrights when appropriate
• Have Course Packs ready for purchase at the University Book Store  prior to the first day of class
• Utilize the licensing agreements provided by the UW Libraries to  produce less expensive Course Packs

For more information, please visit:
http://www.washington.edu/admin/pubserv/copy/coursepacks/copy.cp.index.html

Accounts Payable Listserve

Would you like to receive email updates regarding news, tips and procedural changes in Accounts Payable?  If so, please register for the Accounts Payable Listserv at:
https://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/ap-infolist.