As of June 2017, carryover requests can be submitted electronically under the Prior Approval Module in Era Commons. The electronic submission method for Carryover requests is optional. Expanded authorities covers automatic carryover of funds when permissible and does not require a written request for permission.
Carryover requests are a financial function of the Post Award process, and only a Financial Signing Official can submit the requests on behalf of Emory University. The Office of Finance, Grants and Contracts (FGC) is the designated Financial Signing Official for Emory University. In the past, awards not covered under expanded authorities, were required to request a carryover from the assigned GMO for prior approval only. This new electronic process now offers another option to complete carry forward request. Your assigned GMO can be located within your NOA. The Office of Finance, Grants and Contracts (FGC) is responsible for reviewing, signing off, and submission of carryforward request to your assigned GMO.
The Office of Finance, Grants and Contracts (FGC) requires carryforward request in the form of a letter signed by your respective departmental/college signing officials that details the amount of your request, along with a budget justification, which is paired with the items below to complete submission to the sponsor.
To submit your request electronically in the Prior Approval Module in Era Commons requires:
- Prior year’s FFR (Federal Financial Report) has been submitted.
- The grant is still active, meaning the project period has not ended, a complete request of a no-cost extension (NCE), and the grant has not been closed.
As part of the process, several key pieces of information will be required to complete the request:
- Unobligated funds to be carried over
- Explanation of unobligated funds
- Budget Justification
- Scientific Justification
The Prior Approval Module in Era Commons allows request for Carryover made within 90 days of the project period end date to initiate a No-Cost Extension request simultaneously.
Within Emory University, there are two types of requests for carryover. The first type of carryover request is a request for carryover ONLY. This type of carryover request is for funding moving from one year to the next. The next type of carryover request is a request for carryover and additional funding. This type of carryover request is for funding that includes new funding combined with funding moving from one year to the next.
The steps below define Emory’s internal process for both types of carryover request once approval for the carryforward request is received from the sponsor.
SET-UP PROCESS – AWARD NOTICES FOR CARRYOVER APPROVAL ONLY:
- OSP/OTT will send the complete approval documentation from the agency to FGC via Salesforce.
- Log into Salesforce at https://eufinancesupportcenter.force.com/
- Under “Log A Ticket” select Finance: Grants and Contracts
- Under Sub Category, select “Carry Forward Request”
- In the Subject line, please identify the Award ID
- In the Description, note that you are sending an NGA which approves carryover.
- FGC Manager to distribute to FGC analyst
- FGC Analyst will reduce prior year project budget(s) and add carryover funds (using carryover budget entry type) to current period projects per attached agency documentation – within 5 business days (FGC turnaround time) of receipt of NGA or notification from sponsor.
- FGC Analyst will notate the FSR Milestone page by selecting N. Carryover under the Comments section and the carryover amounts should be added under the Unobligated Balance & Carryover section
- FGC Operations Manager will create an award modification in COMPASS using the ‘Other’ category to initiate the request to FGC PAS team for a new eNOA to be issued. (A brief comment should be added notating that this is to distribute the carryover documentation and the supporting documents should be uploaded as well for distribution.)
- Award set up team to add the following note on the NOA: This NOA approves carryover in the amount of $***,***. Carryover will be applied to project(s) per the attached budgets. See attached NGA.
SET-UP PROCESS – CARRYOVER AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING:
- OSP/OTT reviews award document.
- OSP will initiate an Award Set-up Request in Compass.
- OSP/OTT indicates in the Comments section of the request page that Carryover as well as additional funding is being requested.
- OSP/OTT provides award to Award Setup Team with the project/budget information attached.
- Award Setup Team will process NOA per usual procedures (adding projects as needed or awarding pre-created projects), including loading budget line items for items funded with new money.
- Award Setup Team will forward carry-forward portion to fgc@emory.edu and include the NOA.
- FGC Financial Manager to distribute to FGC Analyst
- FGC Analyst will reduce prior year project budget(s) and add carryover funds (using carryover budget entry type) to current period projects per attached agency documentation – within 5 business days (FGC turnaround time) of receipt of NGA or notification from sponsor.
- FGC Analyst will notate the FSR Milestone page by selecting N. Carryover under the Comments section and the carryover amounts should be added under the Unobligated Balance & Carryover section