How can I receive a no-cost extension?

If additional time is needed to complete a sponsored research project without additional funding, a no-cost extension can be requested from OSP (Office of Sponsored Programs). OSP asks that requests for no-cost extensions be received by their office at least 10 working days prior to the expiration date of the grant. The form for requesting the no-cost extension can be found at: http://www.washington.edu/research/osp/nocost.php.

To extend an Advance budget, the request will be made through SAGE (System to Administer Grants Electronically). Print a copy of the request, have the appropriate signature obtained on the form, and send the signed form to GCA (Grant and Contract Accounting). Once GCA receives the completed form the extension will be made. Advance budgets can be extended for an additional six months from the start of the advance, but the extension increments are to be made in 3 month intervals.

Where is my eFA (electronic funding action - formerly NEA - Notice to Establish Account)?

The status of an eFA (electronic funding action), whether it is a new award or a modification on an existing award, can be found by using OSP's (Office of Sponsored Programs) "Status Checker". Status Checker stores information on all transactions relating to grants and contracts approved by OSP AND have been entered into OSP's online system, or have been modified within the past 60 days. The Status Checker can be found at: https://ucs.admin.washington.edu/era/uwnetid/reports/awardTracker/tracker.aspx

Will my budget be entered into FIN/BGT in time for payroll cutoff?

GCA (Grant and Contract Accounting) has a goal of processing eFAs (electronic funding action) within 24 hours of receipt of the eFA. As long as GCA receives the eFA at least 24 hours prior to a payroll cutoff, the budget should be established in time for payroll transactions to post. Payroll Schedules and Deadlines can be found at: http://www.washington.edu/admin/payroll/pcguide.html

When a budget is relying on an ePAC (electronic Post Award Change) such as a project date extension, the ePAC would need to be in GCA five business days before a payroll cutoff. GCA has a goal of processing ePACs within five business days of receipt of the ePAC.

What is a payroll unit code?

A Payroll Unit Code is a four digit code that identifies what department a particular budget belongs to. This four digit code is also used for generating reports and sorting payroll checks. The Payroll office can provide more information and can be reached at: payroll@u.washington.edu, or 206.543.9202.

How do I change a payroll unit code?

Payroll Unit Code changes are handled in the Payroll Office. Mike Fleming in the Payroll Office handles these changes and can be reached at: tticd@u.washington.edu, or 206.543.9213. The payroll back up is Lynn Duong and she can be reached at: lynnsued@u.washington.edu, or 206.543.9216.

How do I get access to MyFD (MyFinancial.desktop)?

MyFD is a tool that allows users to access financial information from their desktops. It is a web-based system that has both detail and summary reports along with some download capabilities. MyFD displays data which has been downloaded from FIN (Online Financial Accounting System). More information regarding MyFD can be found at: http://ucs.admin.washington.edu/myfd/Home.aspx

What is a Salary Encumbrance and what do I do if I need to fix one?

An encumbrance is a commitment to use funds for a specific purpose. By earmarking funds it helps assist departments in planning expenditures during the life of a budget. Salary encumbrances are set up automatically upon entry into OPUS (Online Payroll Update System). Corrections for Salary Encumbrances are handled in the Financial Accounting department. The Financial Accounting department can be reached at: accountg@u.washington.edu, or 206.221.7845.

What is an encumbrance and how do I know what it is specifically for?

An encumbrance is a commitment to use funds for a specific purpose. By earmarking funds it helps assist departments in planning expenditures during the life of a budget. The University uses various encumbrance codes for its financial activity. A list of encumbrance codes can be found at: http://www.washington.edu/research/gca/spend/encumbrancecodes.html

How can I extend an Advance budget?

A budget in advance status is a result of an award either not being received by OSP (Office of Sponsored Programs) by the effective date of the award, or OSP is still negotiating and/or processing the award. A PI (Principal Investigator) of the intended award may request authorization to spend a limited amount of funds prior to the completion of the award. The need may arise to extend the Advance budget. The request to extend will be made through SAGE (System to Administer Grants Electronically). Print a copy of the request, have the appropriate signature obtained on the form, and send the signed form to GCA (Grant and Contract Accounting). Once GCA receives the completed form the extension will be made. Advance budgets can be extended for an additional six months from the start of the advance, but the extension increments are to be made in 3 month intervals.

Can I rebudget?

The rebudgeting of funds can sometimes be necessary if it is determined that an approved budget is not going to be consistent with actual project needs. The rebudgeting process reallocates funds from one expenditure object code to another, resulting in a budget that better reflects its project requirements. Departments should be aware of the rebudgeting stipulations in the grant or contract agreement. Rebudgeting procedures are different for awards needing prior sponsor approval than those that do not require prior approval. Further information regarding rebudgeting funds on a grant or contract can be found at: http://www.washington.edu/research/gca/spend/rebudget.html

How do I get a budget in status 3?

Changing a grant or contract budget to status 3 signifies the beginning of the budget close-out process. After a budget is changed to status 3 direct expenditure and revenue transactions will not post. JVs (Journal Vouchers) need to be used to process accounting activity. Status 3 changes can be a result of a completed NOE (Notice of Expiration), or an email from a department requesting GCA (Grant and Contract Accounting) to close the budget. There is a specific review process for departments to follow before requesting the status change. The review process and its associated questions can be found at: http://www.washington.edu/research/gca/closing/

Has my eFA (electronic funding action - formerly NEA - Notice to Establish Account) been sent to GCA (Grant and Contract Accounting)?

The status of an eFA (electronic funding action), whether it is a new award or a modification on an existing award, can be found by using OSP's (Office of Sponsored Programs) "Status Checker". Status Checker stores information on all transactions relating to grants and contracts approved by OSP AND have been entered into OSP's online system, or have been modified within the past 60 days. The Status Checker can be found at: https://ucs.admin.washington.edu/era/uwnetid/reports/awardTracker/tracker.aspx

Why is my new budget not displaying on MyFD (MyFinancial.desktop)?

MyFD is a tool that allows users to access financial information from their desktops. It is a web-based system that has both detail and summary reports along with some download capabilities. MyFD displays data which has been downloaded from FIN (Online Financial Accounting System). The upload happens each weeknight. A new budget will display on MyFD the day after it has been entered into FIN. http://ucs.admin.washington.edu/myfd/Home.aspx

Why am I getting email notifications for eFAs and ePACs related to my past job?

Once GCA has processed an eFA (Funding Action) or ePAC (Post Award Change), an email announcement is automatically sent to:

* PI
* Current reviewers in ASTRA for the org code receiving funding
* eGC1 Admin Contact
* eGC1 Budget Contact
* eGC1 Creator

PI and current reviewers for the org code receiving funding (unit level only) are accurate every time since this data can be modified after the eFA or ePAC is created. However, if staff turnover occurs, the Admin & Budget Contacts and the eGC1 Creator may become out of date.

If you have moved to a new position, please either forward these messages to the correct person or delete them.

There is no mechanism in SAGE to update the eGC1 contacts because contact data is locked down at the time of approval. Once this functionality is added to SAGE, current data will be available and the above issue will be eliminated.

I'm not getting email notifications for eFAs and ePACs because I'm not listed not the eGC1. What can I do? Why does this happen?

If you are missing an email, you can monitor the progress of an eFA or ePAC using the OSP Status Checker, located on the OSP homepage: http://www.washington.edu/research/osp/index.php

This PDF explains how to use the Status Checker: http://www.washington.edu/research/.SITEPARTS/.documents/.learning/.jobAids/statusChecker.pdf

Why does this happen?
Once GCA has processed an eFA (Funding Action) or ePAC (Post Award Change), an email announcement is automatically sent to:
• PI
• Current reviewers in ASTRA for the org code receiving funding
• eGC1 Admin Contact
• eGC1 Budget Contact
• eGC1 Creator

PI and current reviewers for the org code receiving funding (unit level only) are accurate every time since this data can be modified after the eFA or ePAC is created. However, if staff turnover occurs, the Admin & Budget Contacts and the eGC1 Creator may become out of date.

There is no mechanism in SAGE to update the eGC1 contacts because contact data is locked down at the time of approval. Once this functionality is added to SAGE, current data will be available and the above issue will be eliminated.

How do I obtain food approval for a grant budget?

To obtain food approval for a grant or gift budget administered by GCA, submit an email request to GCA Compliance at gcafco@u.washington.edu that explains why food approval is needed. The full process and criteria for food approval is covered on this web page:

http://www.washington.edu/research/gca/uwin/food.html

GCA does not handle food approvals for non-grant budgets. The process for obtaining food approval for a non-grant budget is covered on this web page:

http://www.washington.edu/admin/finserv/payables/food2.html

How do I change a payroll unit code?

Payroll Unit Code changes are handled in the Payroll Office. Anna Mirza in the Payroll Office handles these changes and can be reached at annm@u.washington.edu or 206-543-9268. You can also contact the Payroll Office at payroll@u.washington.edu or 206-543-9202.