Announcements

Does the project include publication restrictions or working with controlled unclassified information (CUI) or potentially restricted items, information, or technology? Please reach out early to your Export Control experts Ellie Kurth and Oliver Waldman so they can help navigate the additional requirements that sometimes accompany DoD funding.

Federal agencies are increasingly requiring researchers to have a unique, persistent identifier (ORCiD ID) to apply for funding. The NSF now requires that grant applicants use SciENcv to generate their biographical sketch and current and pending files. ORCiD is integrated with SciENcv to populate those files. UMass Libraries has great resources on ORCiD and managing your ORCiD ID profile and SciENcv.

As of January 25, 2024, NIH requires all Senior/Key Personnel and Other Significant Contributors listed on the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile Form to have a valid eRA Commons ID in order to submit applications (see NOT-OD-24-042).

Based on feedback from the campus research community, the Controller’s Office is pleased to announce that the updated Non-Payroll Cost Transfer (NPCT) form is now available as a Kuali Build form! The Kuali version allows for tracking, editing and deletion of prepared NPCT forms in addition to more advanced features like recognizing valid email addresses.

The NPCT form is now live on the Kuali Build home page and accessible from the Controller’s Office home page as well.

We are phasing out the power form and will remove the link from our website on Friday, February 9, 2024. This coincides with January month-end close. If you saved the NPCT power form link as a bookmark, please start using the Kuali Build version instead.

For questions on this conversion and/or the Kuali Build NPCT form, please contact Sibyl Jayne at the Compliance Office

Internal applications for the FY24 Office of Technology Commercialization & Ventures (OTCV) Technology Development Fund are due Thursday, January 25, 2024.

Full details: OTCV Technology Development Fund FY24 Research grants (Word)

Please email applications to bjaklevic@research.umass.edu by Thursday, January 25, 2024.

The fund was established by OTCV in the President's Office in 2004 to provide UMass researchers with supplemental funding to advance previously disclosed university technology toward commercialization.

Note: We'd like to point out that participation in the I-Corps @ UMass Amherst program has led to increased success rates in earlier funding rounds.

As we approach the coming winter holidays, we would like to remind you of some upcoming due dates that will make the holidays merry for all campus faculty and staff. All proposals scheduled to be submitted between December 25, 2023 and January 2, 2024 should target submission before the holidays as we encourage our staff to spend this period with their family and friends.

  • All proposals due between December 25, 2023 and January 2, 2024 should arrive at the Office of Pre-Award Services (OPAS) by 9:00 a.m. on December 18, 2023.

The schedule for submissions due between January 3 and January 5, 2024 will be adjusted as follows:

  • Proposals due Wednesday January 3, 2024 should arrive at OPAS by 9am on December 19, 2023.  
  • Proposals due Thursday January 4, 2024 should arrive at OPAS by 9am on December 20, 2023.
  • Proposals Due Friday January 5, 2024 should arrive at OPAS by 9am on December 21, 2023.

To strengthen current partnerships between the University of Massachusetts and University College of Dublin (UCD), the UMass Amherst International Programs Office (IPO) and the Office of Research and Engagement are excited to announce a call for seed funding. Collaborating with UCD Global, both institutions are providing grants for their faculty to take part in activities such as researcher mobility (travel), organization of joint symposia, or other joint activities. Priority areas for engagement will focus on novel, multidisciplinary projects tackling three strategic themes: Sustainability, Empowering Societies and Communities, or Advanced Materials and Manufacturing.

Grants up to $5,000 are available per applicant and the call is open to faculty from all disciplines. The application deadline is January 19, 2024. Application and more information can be found here. Please direct any inquiries to Eric Wirth, Manager of Global Partnerships: ewirth@umass.edu.

TO: UMass Amherst Faculty, Campus Leadership Council, Deans, Directors, Department Chairs, Associate Deans for Research, Business Managers, and Research & Engagement Staff

FROM: Laura Vandenberg, Acting Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement

DATE: November 15, 2023

SUBJECT: Appointment of Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement, Compliance & Support Services


Dear Colleagues,

It is my great pleasure to announce the appointment of Professor Jesse Mager as Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement, Compliance & Support Services, effective November 6, 2023. Dr. Mager succeeds Jen Donais, who recently retired from the university. Jen provided exceptional service to the UMass Amherst campus community for 30 years and played an instrumental role in Research and Engagement. She led the Office of Research Compliance for more than ten years. We wish her well.

In his role as Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor, Dr. Mager will be overseeing areas of compliance including the administration of the Animal and Human Subjects offices, Animal Care Services, Institutional Biosafety, and Research Facilities Infrastructure.

Dr. Mager has been at UMass Amherst since 2007 and is currently a Professor in the Department of Veterinary & Animal Sciences. He held the role of the Chair of the UMass Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for 10 years. A geneticist by training, Dr. Mager’s NIH-funded research program focuses on reproductive sciences, development of the early embryo, and epigenetics. He has been a strong advocate for students, supporting both undergraduate and graduate student researchers, and is a member of the Animal Biotech & Biomedical Sciences and Molecular & Cellular Biology graduate programs.

Dr. Mager holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, MA and at the University of Pennsylvania.

Please join me in welcoming Jesse to this role.

Best,

Laura Vandenberg
Acting Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement
Office of Research & Engagement
www.umass.edu/research

Email from the Chancellor on 11/15/23

The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) maintains, updates, and implements UMass Amherst's policies and procedures regarding U.S. export controls under the direction of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement. This memo provides basic information about export controls, campus export control policies and procedures, and the resources that are available to help comply with them.

Export controls are U.S. laws and regulations that restrict the release of certain items, information, and services to foreign nationals, within and outside of the United States, and foreign countries for foreign policy and national security reasons. These laws and regulations, which include international sanctions programs, also restrict activities within certain countries and with designated institutions, entities, and individualseven if no controlled items are involved. Among the sanctioned countries, the following are currently subject to comprehensive sanctions programs: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Russia-occupied regions of Ukraine. Any potential University-related activities in or with parties in these countries require advance consideration by and planning with ORC. Export controls, given their purpose, are subject to frequent additions and amendments in response to rapidly-changing international affairs.

The term “export” is defined broadly within U.S. export controls and includes, but is not limited to, releasing identified items and information to foreign nationals within the U.S. UMass Amherst’s Export Control Compliance Program Guidelines, training materials, resources, and guidance on the laws and regulations are available on the ORC export controls website.

It is the responsibility of all campus community members to be familiar with and adhere to the requirements of export control regulations. Individuals and institutions that violate federal regulations governing export-controlled activities may be subject to civil and criminal penalties that can include significant fines, jail terms, denial of export or research privileges, and debarment from government contracting.

Because of the broad scope of export-controlled items, which includes, but is not limited to, equipment, software code, chemical and biological materials, and technical data, these laws and regulations apply to virtually all fields of science and engineering and restrict both physical shipments and electronic transmission of information. Further, country-specific sanctions programs and entity-based restrictions apply regardless of research subject matter. Export control laws apply to all activities—not just sponsored research projects.

University of Massachusetts policy requires compliance with all U.S. export control laws and regulations, which apply to both individual researchers and their institutions. Therefore, all faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduates involved in export-controlled research are required to have training before beginning work on those projects. Further, it is strongly suggested that all community members involved in sponsored or international research take advantage of two export control training modules available through the CITI program:

  • Export Compliance for Researchers: Part I, and
  • Export Compliance and United States Sanctions Programs.

For more information, see Export Control Training Program. Should you have questions, or to schedule training on the application of export controls to your research area, please contact Ellie Kurth in the Office of Research Compliance at gkurth@umass.edu  or the Office of Research Compliance general email at rescomp@research.umass.edu

The FY24 fringe rates have been approved by the state and are now live in Kuali. Any proposals currently in progress will be submitted at the previous rates through December 1, 2023. Starting Monday, December 4, 2023, all proposals will be required to utilize the new rates. To update your current records to the new rate, click “Sync all rates” on the Rates tab in the budget module. The Kuali Salary Guide has also been updated. If you see an old version, please clear your browser's cache.

 

We are happy to share with you that Joseph Jerry, Professor, Veterinary & Animal Sciences, and Science Director, Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI), has stepped into the role of IACUC chair, effective November 1, 2023. He replaces Jesse Mager, Professor, Veterinary & Animal Sciences, who served as IACUC chair for 10 years. We thank Jesse for his excellent and extended service to the IACUC and university.
 
The UMass Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) reviews all classroom and research projects involving animals, whether sponsored or unsponsored, to ensure their humane care and use. This includes classroom exercises and demonstrations as well as all research projects, including student projects.

The Office of Pre-Award Services (OPAS) will be closed on Thursday, November 23, 2023 in observance of Thanksgiving Day. OPAS will provide minimum staffing on Friday, November 24, 2023 to respond to emergencies, as needed. Any proposals that are due on Thursday the 23rd or Friday the 24th will need to arrive at OPAS no later than 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 16, 2023 and final documents need to be finished by 9 a.m. on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 to comply with the 5-day review procedure. All proposals due on these days will be submitted prior to the office closure. Please make adjustments to your routing calendars accordingly.

The Controller’s Office Staging Form has been replaced with a Kuali Build form, now called the Research Accounting Award Set Up Form. Starting November 1, 2023, the link contained in the email notification that a proposal has been awarded will direct you to our new form. This new form provides certain data already entered/approved from your proposal and helps to populate the additional data required to setup your new award.

Some highlights of the new form:

  • Look up feature to find PI, Department, and College Dept IDs.
  • Provides Kuali RTF % distributions as entered for the PI(s), Department(s) and Dean(s).
  • Allows for approved changes to be indicated.
  • Provides Kuali post-award contact (Business Manager), and the ability to change or add to as needed.

A new tool has also been developed and is located on the Controller’s Office website: Faculty / PI DeptID Lookup. The link is also provided on the new form. This helps to identify a PI’s department ID and their associated department/dean department IDs.

We hope having this additional information on the form will assist in timely submittal.

If you have any questions or concerns when completing this form, please reach out to Liz Ortiz at lortiz@admin.umass.edu or at 413-545-1416.
 

The Office of Pre-Award Services (OPAS) will be closed on Friday, November 10, 2023 in observance of Veteran’s Day. Any proposals that are due on this day need to arrive at OPAS no later than 9 a.m. on Friday, November 3, 2023 and final documents need to be finished by 9 a.m. on Wednesday, November 8, 2023 to comply with the 5-day review procedure. All proposals due on this day will be submitted prior to the office closure. Please make adjustments to your routing calendars accordingly.

The Controller’s Office has some important changes to announce with regard to Cost Transfers on sponsored grants:

  • The Cost Transfer Policy is updated and available in the campus policy library.
  • The form used for Non-Payroll Cost Transfers is updated and available on the Controller’s Office website as a PowerForm with instructions and a job aid. The old PDF forms will be accepted by Research Accounting through December 6, 2023, for the November month-end close. After that time, the new PowerForm must be used.

Please join us at one of the upcoming PRO series training sessions, “Cost Transfers in FY24” where the new PowerForm will be introduced and policy updates will be discussed in detail. Click here to register through WLD. Thank you for your cooperation.

The Office of Pre-Award Services (OPAS) will be closed for Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, October 9, 2023. Any proposals that are due on this day need to arrive at OPAS no later than 9 a.m. on October 2, 2023 and final documents need to be finished by 9 a.m. on October 5, 2023 to comply with the 5-day review procedure. All proposals due on this day will be submitted prior to the office closure. Please make adjustments to your routing calendars accordingly.

The Office of Research and Engagement, in collaboration with the Controller’s Office and A&F systems, is pleased to announce the fall 2023 Research Administration Core Curriculum Training Program.

Register now through Workplace Learning and Development (WLD).

The goal of this program is to offer a comprehensive overview of research administration for new staff, as well as members of the campus community looking for a refresher or interested in learning new job skills. The program is broken down into six core topic sessions that will be presented by various content experts. More detail and program descriptions.

 

As UMass Press celebrates its 60th anniversary, a generous anonymous donor has once again pledged a 2-to-1 match for the Regional Books Fund, which includes books about New England as well as Bright Leaf Books, UMass Press’s imprint dedicated to our region.

As we begin the new semester, faculty and departments may find that some international students are encountering challenges getting to the U.S. due to consular service suspensions or delays. The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) would like to remind you of guidance related to United States Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) country-specific regulatory programs that restrict the remote delivery of courses and other forms of instruction by U.S. institutions of higher education. Such comprehensive regulatory programs currently restrict our ability to deliver remote instruction to students and other audiences from Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and occupied regions of Ukraine.

Under these regulations, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is prohibited from “exporting” online or remotely delivered graduate level courses to nationals of those countries when they are outside of the U.S., whether they are in their home country or elsewhere. In other words, unless such students are physically present in the U.S., UMass Amherst is prohibited, by OFAC regulations, from enrolling them in graduate courses remotely. These restrictions apply to courses and content being delivered remotely due to visa-related circumstances as well as to programs originally intended for remote delivery, such as online graduate degree programs, webinars, and virtual conferences. The regulations also prohibit the delivery of instructional content through webinars and participation in virtual conferences to or in the sanctioned countries. In addition to considering country-based restrictions, we must also screen remote international students and scholars against restricted-party lists issued by OFAC and other government departments and agencies. The penalties for violating OFAC regulations are severe and may include, among others, significant monetary penalties and disqualification from receiving Federal research funding.

If you are or become aware of any courses or presentations intended for remote delivery to international students or other audiences outside of the U.S., it is critical that you notify the Office of Research Compliance in advance so that we can ensure that remote participants are not from (or located in) an OFAC comprehensively-sanctioned country or on a restricted-party list before the program begins.

Should you need assistance with analyzing a circumstance for compliance with OFAC or other regulatory restrictions, please contact the ORC at rescomp@research.umass.edu or 413-545-5283 and we will be happy to help you.

Starting Friday, September 8, 2023, the Office of Research Compliance will start offering monthly drop in virtual office hours the second Friday of each month at 10 a.m. Representatives from the Human Research Protection Office (HRPO), Institutional Animal Care and Use (IACUC), Research Risk (Export Control, Data Security) and Conflict of Interest (COI) will be on hand to answer questions. The Zoom link is here.

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