Sponsored Projects Policy
Western New Mexico University

Sponsored Projects Procedure

This document concerns the rights and obligations of faculty, staff and students pertaining to privately and governmentally sponsored projects (i.e., grant and contract funded) at WNMU.

1. The University recognizes the right of faculty, staff and students to solicit, conduct, or participate in privately and governmentally sponsored research, whether such research is classified or not, so long as it is within the limits of existing WNMU policies as detailed in the faculty, staff and student handbooks.

2. Sponsored work at WNMU is justified when it is derived from the WNMU mission, contributes toward the professional development of the faculty or staff, or provides opportunities for enriching students' educational experience.

3. The President has designated the Director of Grants and Contracts as the reviewing and coordinating officer for all sponsored project proposals submitted to outside agencies. The Office of Grants and Contracts provides access to grant materials, helps locate sources of potential funding, advises and assists with proposal presentation and University administrative procedures, and reviews the work plan, commitments and budget. The Director of Grants and Contracts, in conjunction with the Grants Accountant, will also coordinate negotiations between the sponsoring agency and the University.

4. The President has designated the Vice Presidents (according to the nature of the proposal and the identity of the Project Director or Principal Investigator) as the University's certifying officers for all sponsored project proposals submitted to outside agencies.

5. The University has established supplemental procedures (Procedures for Sponsored Projects), available from the Office of Grants and Contracts, to ensure the effective implementation of the University's policy concerning sponsored work.

6. The Grants Accountant is designated the prior fiscal approval authority for the University. In this capacity, the Grants Accountant will coordinate closely with the Project Director or Principal Investigator and Director of Grants and Contracts. The Grants Accountant will ensure that modification of grant and contract budgets in force and prior approval requirements are in accordance with the regulations of the sponsoring agency. The Grants Accountant is also responsible for all fiscal billing for sponsored projects.

7. Final authority for accepting and signing contracts and grants is vested in the President of the University, who may designate such responsibility to the certifying officer (i.e., appropriate Vice President).

8. A faculty member (during the regular academic year) or staff person (year round) whose salary is paid in full by the University may not engage in sponsored projects for extra remuneration except under specific conditions and when deemed by the administration to be in the best interests of the University and the individual involved. Conditions that must be met for extra compensation are:

a. Funds must be provided in the grant or contract to compensate the specific responsibilities to be assumed by the faculty or staff person; and

b. The sponsored project responsibilities are clearly above and beyond the individual's current responsibilities and will be conducted largely outside the individual's regular work hours, as determined by the employee, his/her supervisor and the appropriate Vice President; and

Adopted November 6, 1997

c. Such exceptions require written approval of the dean, chairperson or department director and the appropriate Vice President, in coordination with the Human Resources Department.

9. When the contract or grant calls for faculty release time from regular University duties during the regular academic year, the basic nine‑month salary from the instructional budget will be reduced proportionally. The reassigned time will be compensated from contract or grant funds at the basic salary rate. Conditions that must be met for reassigned time are:

a. Funds must be provided in the grant or contract to compensate the faculty member for his/her reassigned time, freeing instructional budget funds to pay alternate instructor(s) to teach those course(s); and

b. The faculty member seeking reassigned time and his/her department must assist in identifying and recruiting appropriate instructor(s) for the course(s); and

The written approval of the dean or department chairperson and the Vice President for Academic Affairs is required.

10. Any and all income and expenses generated by a sponsored project shall be assigned specific accounts established through the Grants Accountant. Use and allocation of income shall be determined by applicable regulations of the sponsoring agency and/or an agreement between the Project Director or Principal Investigator, the Grants and Contracts Director and the certifying officer for the project. All expenditures of project income must be approved by the Grants Accountant.

11. Any and all equipment purchased with external funds is the property of Western New Mexico University unless otherwise specified by the sponsoring agency. Upon request, the Grants and Contracts Director will negotiate equipment ownership issues with sponsoring agencies.

12. The Project Director or Principal Investigator must conform to all sponsor imposed policies and procedures as well as applicable University policies and procedures in the management of the project, with special emphasis on the Procedures for Sponsored Projects, Procurement and Reimbursement Policy, the Travel Policy and Procedures, the Procurement Procedures and the Reimbursement Procedures.

13. For the purposes of this policy, sponsored projects shall be construed to include sponsored research, service and training projects, and other categories of awards for all except basic capital construction and maintenance projects. Sponsored projects refers only to those grants and contracts entered into by the University. Grants and contracts involving WNMU personnel that do not involve University resources and do not contractually bind the University are exempt from this policy.

14. This policy, in whole or in any part, is subject to review, update and change.

Project Directors/Principal Investigators preparing proposals should also contact the Director of Grants and Contracts for information if any of the following are applicable to a proposal:

Adopted November 6, 1997