Certain items continue to be scrutinized by funding agencies and their
auditors and are subject to varying degrees of restriction. Before a
project director makes a commitment in any of these areas, please check agency
regulations for applicable restrictions or check with the appropriate project
officer in Contract and Grant Administration, the Research and University
Graduate School Office (for projects originating in units reporting to the
Vice President-Bloomington), or Research and Sponsored Programs Office (for
projects originating in units reporting to the Vice President-Indianapolis) to
be certain the appropriate procedures are followed. This can save you,
the department, and Indiana University from embarrassing situations such as
delayed payments, requests for after the fact approvals, etc.
Potential Problem Areas
- Compensation
A. Overtime payments
B. Supplemental and overload payments
C. Payments for services to staff performed outside their normal
work day
D. Consultant payments (University and non-university project
personnel)
E. Summer salary appointments
- General purpose equipment acquisitions (e.g., typewriters, calculators,
file cabinets, computers and /or accessories, etc.)
- Foreign Travel
- Repair/maintenance agreements for equipment
- Telephone instrument rental charges (normally only long distance tolls
are allowable)
- Subcontracts
- Participant expenses (e.g., stipend, travel, fees, room and board, etc.)
- Rebudgeting or special request letters to a granting agency; includes
budget modifications, changes in senior project staff, etc. (All
correspondence and internal route sheets should list grant number and the
Indiana University Account Number; letters should be written by
project director, reviewed for clarity and countersigned by the
appropriate campus office).
- Meals and/or conference arrangements (both on and off-campus)
- Requisitions for large purchases being processed during the last month
or two of a project
- Purchase of books, journals, subscriptions, etc.
- Documentation/justification to support consultant payments
- Transfer of charges from one account to another
- Deviations in the line item budgets (especially travel and equipment).
