Contracts and Grants

How can I find out if Restricted Funds received a check that a sponsor said was sent to you?

Call Mary Miller at 6-6129. A search will be done based on the information that you supply. Be prepared to supply us with the following information: When and where the sponsor sent the check. Whether or not the check was cashed. With this information Restricted Funds will be able to determine if the payment was received and where it was posted.

Who should I contact regarding collections on an account?

Tammy L. Bloss #6-2431 tbloss@admin.umaryland.edu Mary Miller #6-6129 mmille@admin.umaryland.edu

When does the collection process begin?

Accounts that are billed/invoiced, 90 days after the invoice date. Accounts that receive automatic payments, 60 days after due date.

How does the collection process work?

Once an invoice is past due, the following takes place: A collection letter is mailed to the sponsor. If there is no response within 30 days, a 2nd request letter is sent by certified mail. A copy of this letter also goes to the PI/Dept. and ORD. If there is no response, communication is made with the sponsor via email, phone and/or fax. If there is still no response and/or if the sponsor neglects to pay, a "Final Request" letter is mailed to the sponsor. This letter informs the sponsor that the amount due will be sent to the State Central Collection Unit if payment is not received in 30 days. When the entire collection process has been conducted and all forms of communication have been exhausted, the account/amount due is reviewed and discussed by management for approval to be sent to the State Central Collection Unit.

Why isn't the indirect cost expense showing in FAS, calculated based on the total amount of expenditures?

The indirect costs are calculated once a month, during the month end processing cycle. Because of this, total indirect costs will be low, by the amount of the current month expense.

What does a Freeze Flag on an account do?

A freeze flag prevents any activity or term changes from posting to that account.

When will my grant accounts be closed?

All grants remain open for six months after the expiration date to allow for all open encumbrances to be liquidated and any other charges (telephone, sub-contracts, etc.) to appear on the account.  At that point, the closing process begins.  If all grant funds have been received and the budget has not been overspent, the grant will be closed.

What is the procedure if my account is in a deficit at the time of closing?

If the grant is in a deficit six months after its expiration, the reason for the deficit will be determined.  If the granting agency has not been fully billed, or if all funds have not been received, the appropriate action will be taken.  If the budget has been overspent, the department will be contacted to decide whether to transfer the overexpenditure to the new year of the grant (if there is one), or to transfer it to a revolving account.  If there is no resolution after three letters, the Dean's Office will be contacted.

What is the procedure if my account is in a surplus at the time of closing?

If the contract between UMB and the granting agency does not specifically state that unused funds must be returned, the department will be contacted to determine where to transfer the unspent balance.  If the granting agency requests a refund after the funds have been transferred to the department, it will be the department's responsibility to cite a funding source for the refund.

Why do I keep seeing old accounts that have been closed a year ago on FAS?

The FAS software is written so that every account must be frozen and then go through two fiscal year end closes before it will be dropped from the FAS database.  This means that an account can remain on FAS for anywhere from 13-23 months after is is closed, depending on when during the fiscal year this is completed.

How do I reconcile an FSR/ROE to my shadow system and how do I finalize an FSR/ROE?

The primary source of information for an FSR/ROE is the FAS ledgers. That is why every FSR/ROE is accompanied by a letter indicating the FAS ledgers on which the FSR/ROE is based. Reconciliation to the shadow system is therefore a two-step approach. First, the records of the shadow system MUST be reconciled to the FAS ledgers you intend to use for the finalization of the FSR/ROE. This step will identify differences such as IDTs, PTs or Payroll Retros, etc. in the shadow system but not yet in FAS, and automatic charges in FAS but not in the shadow system. On completion of this step and having determined your final figures for the FSR/ROE, the second step requires you to reconcile your final figures to the FSR/ROE stating clearly the FAS ledgers used and providing documentation (copies of IDTs, PTs, ProCard charges, etc) for charges in FAS that you have not included in the FSR/ROE and charges included in the FSR/ROE but not yet in FAS. Note: This procedure may also be applied to final invoice reports.

What is the difference between a budget subcode and an expense subcode?

A budget subcode is the category to which the budget is assigned (major headings). An expense subcode is for the expenses that have actually occurred under the appropriate budget subcode category.

If my representative in ORD has signed off on the necessary paperwork to establish a new account number, why has one not yet been assigned?

Once the paperwork has been signed by the representative, it is then passed on for review and entered into a database that ORD keeps. The time frame for this may take up to a week. Once ORD forwards everything to Restricted Funds, an FAS number will be assigned within 2 days.

If a department has requested a new account number, why was an extension granted (or the opposite)?

If a change was made in either requesting a new number or an extension, this was done in ORD. You should call your account representative there to find out the reason.

My carryover has not been processed yet. Who should I contact?

If the grant is under expanded authority and the carryover is less than 25% of that current year's budget, then contact your Senior Accountant in Restricted Funds. If the grant is not under expanded authority or the carryover is greater than 25% of that current year's budget, then speak with your contact in ORD.