RAS / FGC GUIDANCE – FSR TOOLKIT
Effective Date: 11 October 2017
Version Information: 17 October 2017 by Rashonda Harris, Amanda Riley, and Denise Ehlen version 3
FSR TIPS/FAQs
I. FSR Tips (from Rashonda Harris, FGC Associate Director of Operations)
· A best practice when submitting your FSR for a “T” award is to leave a note in the remarks section when you have “no unliquidated obligations.” This will inform the sponsored reviewer of your FSR that you have not made an error. Having “no unliquidated obligations” on a “T” award is unusual. Here is an example statement, “trainees’ appointment and budget dates match, there are no unliquidated obligations.”
· If your FSR is returned noting overspending of funds, your award may have an outstanding carryforward request pending approval or requiring submission. Although funding appears to be available in Compass, it does not mean all funds are available for use. If permission to carry forward funding is required, a formal request must be made to the sponsor. This request to carry forward funds should also be noted on your FSR. Carry forward requests are permissible in most cases as long as the award is active and not expiring within six months.
· Did you know that any funds requested 90 days after the end date through NIHs Payment Management System (PMS) are reviewed and approved on an individual basis? As a best practice, be sure all of your FSR expenses post to the GL timely to ensure payment.
· When completing an FSR for a multi-year award, as a best practice, verify the F&A rate used throughout the life of the project to ensure that you have not over/under charged your award.
· A best practice for all current FSR submissions is to confirm that all prior years are reconciled. Reconciliation of prior years will safeguard all funding and confirm balances, if cumulative are accurate for concurrent future funding.
· Fully review your draft FSR to confirm all items are populated, accurately (e.g., Report Period, Type, and F&A rates).
II. Common FSR Errors
· Late
· PI confirmation not received
· Report type not selected
· The ART was submitted with the PI approval for an amount different than ART and adjustments in Column M (of the ART) were not noted in remarks and/or journal number provided.
· F&A rate does not match base calculation
· Credit is still needed to draw to match
· Wrong period end date used
· FSR page does not contain doc#
· PMS information is not appended to the PDF
· Carryforward requires prior approval, not noted on FSR (Or approval for carryforward not requested)
· Report type not selected, no PMS, FA base ad expenses filled wrong
· Cumulative totals and unobligated balances do not match.
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