October 25, 2001
Office of Management Accounting and Analysis
Name and title of unit head: Jane Wiseman, director
Unit’s location: Gilman Building, 4725 30th Ave. N.E. (east entrance of University Village)
Number of employees: Five, including Wiseman
Unit’s main function: The office prepares and negotiates the indirect cost rate for the University’s grants and contracts. Indirect costs are those not directly associated with the research but necessary for the research to continue, such as heat and lights for a lab. This is typically done every three years, although the University is currently in a five-year cycle. The job involves gathering and analyzing cost data from all across campus to come up with an indirect cost rate proposal. The rate proposal is then negotiated with the regional office of the Department of Health and Human Services. The office also is responsible for the faculty effort certification process whereby faculty document effort spent on grants and contracts, including cost sharing. Finally, the office oversees recharge and cost center accounting. This includes helping campus units that charge for providing services to determine the rates that are charged.
Unit’s day-to-day tasks: Employees perform data analysis and do computer modeling. They also provide training and meet one-on-one with clients. Not surprisingly, their educational backgrounds include accounting and system analysis. However, Wiseman says her employees need to be “big picture” people, so she has deliberately hired people with additional, nontechnical degrees, ranging from anthropology to linguistics.
Insider’s comment: “We understand the importance of research at the UW and our role to support that effort.”
– Jane Wiseman
