Under the leadership of Mike Mandl, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration, an initiative to improve the environment in which we all administer sponsored programs was introduced this past spring and is currently in progress. The Focused Initiative for Research Administration (FIRA) includes efforts that look at ways to improve the reporting, communication and training available for research administration as well as address the necessary cleanup for sponsored programs. OGCA is addressing cleanup as a part of FIRA. A designated FIRA Team has begun the process of analyzing all projects that ended on or before April 30, 2012. This clean-up involves collecting payments, clearing deficits, correcting conversion errors, and closing down projects. This separate team within OGCA is being managed by Marilyn Surbey and Christine Bullard. Departments can expect to be contacted for assistance by members of this team (who will not be their assigned OGCA accountant). Cleanup for projects ending after April 30, 2012 is being handled by OGCA non-FIRA staff and departments will also be receiving contacts from these individuals. We ask that everyone cooperate and assist all of these team members in as timely a manner as possible.
The clean-up is campus-wide and is being performed in the following manner. Cost reimbursable and Scheduled Payment accounts that appear to be missing payments equal to or greater than $1000 are being worked first followed by delinquent financial reports. Next will be clinical trials with cash deficits equal to or greater than $1000 followed by budget and cash deficits less than $1000. The last group will be all projects that do not fall into the above listed categories. Marilyn Surbey or Christine Bullard will be glad to answer any questions that you may have concerning the FIRA cleanup initiative.
Marilyn Surbey, msurbey@emory.edu, Christine Bullard, mbullar@emory.edu
Inquiries about non-FIRA cleanup can be addressed to Evelyn Balabis at evelyn.balabis@emory.edu or your assigned OGCA Accountant.