Info for CS Faculty & Staff

The Bylaws for the Department of Computer Science at UVA were updated May 9, 2022. This update reflects changes to address new policies on Academic General Faculty (AGF), specifically SEAS Policy 2017.4 relating to AGF, as well as increased use of secondary and courtesy appointments (see SEAS policy 2017.6, Promotion and Tenure Policy for Tenured and Tenure Track Faculty), and to clarify voting prerogatives for faculty with secondary appointments. View the bylaws here: https://engineering.virginia.edu/department/computer-science/info/faculty-and-staff/cs-bylaws

FST main site link: https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/finance-strategic-transformation-0

In July 2022, UVA transitioned to Workday Financials.

Useful Links:

• WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING IN THE NEW SYSTEM?
• ENROLL IN TRAINING

Quick Reference Guides

Workday General

• APPROVE WORKDAY TRANSACTIONS
• DELEGATE WORKDAY TRANSACTIONS
• REPORTING FUNCTIONALITY
• WORKDAY NAVIGATION

Account Certification Process

The account certification process takes place monthly, where account owners (preparers and reviewers) must verify that they have reviewed reconciliations for all account balances under their authority and have ensured adjustments have been made where issues have been found. WORKDAY ACCOUNT CERTIFICATION | UVA FINANCE (VIRGINIA.EDU)

Accounting Journals and Adjustments

• CREATING ACCOUNTING JOURNAL
• EDIT ACCOUNTING JOURNAL
• PERFORM ACCOUNTING ADJUSTMENT
• REVERSE ACCOUNTING JOURNAL

Ad Hoc Bank Transactions (Cost Center Specialist Role)

• MISCELLANEOUS PAYMENT REQUEST

REVIEW AD HOC BANK TRANSACTIONS

UVA Human Resources Onboarding and Offboarding webpage includes helpful resources for those new to UVA or leaving. 

The ITS Checklist webpage is helpful for anyone leaving UVA. 

Any research requiring human subjects, known or unknown, in person or through online surveys, must be reviewed by the IRB (see link below).

Payment arrangements, including gift cards, Mturk or other service should be made through the CS Office (cs-office@virginia.edu).

Personal funds should never be used for human subject payments.  We will not be able to reimburse for personal purchases or online payments. 

University policy does not allow any reimbursement by UVA employee of these purchase. Please contact our Reimbursement Group by emailing cs-office@virginia.edu for assistance with this. Also, noncompliance with IRB protocols could jeopardize the university’s research funding.

HTTPS://RESEARCH.VIRGINIA.EDU/IRB-SBS

As part of the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) at the University of Virginia, the Institutional Review Board for the Social and Behavioral Sciences (IRB-SBS) is the IRB responsible for reviewing all non-medical behavioral human research (studies which are considered medically non-invasive) for compliance with federally-mandated research guidelines. Review of human subjects research is required for funded and non-funded research and for research conducted by faculty, students, and all those under the purview of the University of Virginia.

HTTPS://RESEARCH.VIRGINIA.EDU/IRB-SBS/PAYING-PARTICIPANTS

Any incentive given to a participant to encourage participation is considered a payment. This can include (but is not limited to): checks, cash, gift cards, event tickets, food items, computers, materials used in the study that are not returned to the researcher, etc.

Paying Research Participants (Human Subjects)

All payments for research participants must adhere to the requirements of the INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB)

Cash Payments

Cash payments must be made with a Payment Voucher through the Integrated System for employees and non-employees.  

Gift Card Payments

Gift Cards for research participation can either be purchased through the UVA Marketplace or with a T&E Card. University employees are not allowed to purchase gift cards with personal funds and seek reimbursement.

For payments by gift card, the department must maintain a record for each payment - name, address, and SSN of each participant - as well as the name and date of the study. It is the department's responsibility to complete 1099 reporting annually.

ExpenseUVA must be used for expensing the T&E transactions for the purchase of gift cards given to research participants.

If you have any questions about this, then please contact us BEFORE purchasing gift cards or sending out any surveys, etc.: cs-office@virginia.edu.

What is Participant Support? 

Participant support is funding provided to enable and encourage individuals to attend conferences or training programs without undo financial burden. REU funding is given to the University as Participant Support Costs. 

Participant support costs 

• Participant support costs means direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences, or training projects. 
• Participant support costs (PSC) are excluded from the Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) base 

Who is a participant? 

• A participant is defined as a non-employee who is the recipient, not the provider, of a service or training associated with a workshop, conference, seminar, symposium, or other short-term instructional or information sharing activity. 
• Participants are not required to provide any deliverable, other than meeting the program requirements (e.g. attendance, testing, etc.). 

A participant may be: 

• Students 
• Scholars 
• Scientists 
• Teachers 
• Private sector representatives 

A participant cannot be: 

• An employee of the grantee institution 
• Advisory board members 
• Interns who have paid appointments 
• Anyone who has a deliverable or is primarily providing a service to the project. 

Participant Support Cost Categories 

• Stipend 
• Travel 
• Subsistence 
• Fees 
• Other 

Stipend 

A set amount of money to be paid directly to the participant. Conditions for receiving a stipend should be in writing and program completion attested to by the project PI. Granting agencies may have specific guidelines for participant stipends. 

Travel 

Travel includes the costs of transportation and associated costs and must follow sponsor guidelines (e.g., U.S. flag carrier, coach class, most direct route) as well as university policies and guidelines. The sole purpose of the trip must be to participate in the project activity. If a training activity involves additional field trips, the costs of transportation of participants may be allowable. 

Subsistence Allowance 

The cost of housing and meal expenses necessary for the individual to participate in the project are generally allowed, provided these costs are reasonable and limited to the days of attendance. Although participants who live in the local area are not entitled to subsistence payments or per diem, they may participate in meals and refreshments provided at the meeting or conference. 

• Note: While employees are not normally considered participants, they may receive conference meals under this provision. 

Fees and Other 

• Fees: Costs directly associated with attending conferences, symposia, or training projects. Such costs include registration, conference and similar fees. 
• Other: Certain other costs may also be allowable if consistent with university policy and practice, and specified in the proposal approved by sponsor upon review. Example: training materials or laboratory supplies when approved by the sponsor.  

Participant Support Costs do not include: 

• Guest speaker or lecturer fees. 
• Conference support costs such as facility and audio/visual equipment rental. 
• Service or independent contractor agreements. 
• Incentives (prizes), memorabilia or gifts. 
• Employee compensation and expenses (Note: Exception for employee meals; they are allowable where provided to all attendees of a sponsored conference.) 

Managing Participant Support Costs 

• Federal agencies vary in their requirements for management of PSCs 
• Because participants do not provide services to a project it is not necessarily clear how they benefit the award. Therefore PSCs need to be part of the funding opportunity or agency rules and specifically included in the proposal. 
• Conditions or constraints for rebudgeting awarded participant support funds vary and are specific to the awarding agency. 
  • Any rebudgeting which changes the scope of the award must have agency approval, even if rebudgeting authority has been assigned to the grantee. 
  • The addition of a participant program, where not previously awarded, is generally considered a change in scope requiring an agency’s prior approval 
• Use of a separate account or sub-account is required when PSCs have been explicitly awarded and the agency requires approval for rebudgeting. 
  • Expenses beyond the budgeted amount should be in the already established participant support account/sub-account 
  • A separate account/sub-account is not required where costs are allowed by agency but not explicitly awarded 

Participant Support Budget and NSF 

NSF, unlike most other agencies, views training of participants as a significant component of their mission. For all other agencies, participant support needs to be specified in a funding solicitation and accepted in the proposal. 

Because NSF requires tracking of both participant budget and costs, the use of separate accounts or subaccounts is necessary. 

• Budget awarded for participant support cannot be transferred to other categories of expense unless approved in writing by the Program Officer. 
  • Budget can be moved into participant support costs 
  • Rebudgeting between the defined participant support cost categories is permitted 
• PSCs not defined in 2 CFR 200.75 are not allowable without prior approval. 
• Each meal associated with a conference award must be specifically listed in the proposal, and only beverages (i.e. not food) for session breaks are allowed. 

Participant Support Under NSF 

Participant support funding under NSF includes: 

• Funding as an integral component of a new grant. 
• NSF Research Traineeship Program (follow-on to Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship [IGERT]) 
  • Foreign students may participate in all IGERT activities, but they may not receive NSF IGERT funding. 
• Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site awards 
  • Participants in training programs must be US citizens or permanent residents. 
• Supplemental funding on an existing award: 
  • Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) 
  • Research Experience for Teacher (RET) 
  • Lab Experience for Faculty (LEF) 

 NSF Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) 

• REU programs, whether site awards or supplements, provide high-quality mentoring opportunities for undergraduate students. Principal Investigators (PI) give serious attention not only to developing the student’s research skills but also to involving them in the culture of research, in the discipline, and in connecting their research experience with their overall course of study. 
• REU participants are trainees and should not be considered (or appointed as) student employees in a PI’s lab. 
• Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. 
• Support for REU site and summer project students should allow the student to participate without undo financial burden. 
• Stipend for summer project students is expected to be comparable to those of REU site participants, approximately $500 per student per week. Other student costs include housing, meals, travel, and laboratory use fees, usually vary depending on location. Amounts for academic-year projects should be comparable on a pro rata basis. 
• Total costs for a summer are generally not expected to exceed $1,200 per student per week. However, projects that involve international activities, field work in remote locations, or other exceptional circumstances may exceed this limit. 

Results from any REU supplement activities must be included in the annual project report. This is part of the “documentation” of the expenditures. 

NSF Pre-Uniform Guidance (UG) Awards 

• Prior to the UG, different treatment was applied to NSF REU and Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) awards. 
• The solicitation and award should be reviewed to ensure appropriate treatment. 
  • NSF 07-569 and 09-598 allow 25% administrative allowance against the stipend portion of the award. 
  • NSF 12-569 allows full Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A) on the non-stipend participant costs. 
  • IGERT awards allow F&A of 8% on all costs excluding cost of education and capital equipment. 

Substantiation of Participant Support Costs 

• Stipend 
  • Written agreement prior to program stating the stipend amount 
  • Stipend rates must be consistently applied across the program and pro-rated where appropriate 
• Subsistence 
  • Payments should be documented in the same manner as stipends 
  • Reimbursements require the submission of receipts or a previously agreed-upon per diem 
• Program completion 
  • Documentation is required indicating successful program completion 
  • Classes or workshops require records indicating program attendance 

NSF PROPOSAL AND AWARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES GUIDE 

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER: RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES (REU) AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR TEACHERS (RET) SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING IN COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING  

10.31.19 

NSF REU Supplements 

Investigators with an active research award may request supplemental funding to involve an undergraduate in an existing project under the RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES (REU) program.  Because this program is funded as “Participant Support Costs”, it is often recommended by NSF program managers as a cost effective way to support students.  However, not all student support is eligible for funding under this program. 

• The REU student supported must be a US Citizen, national, or Permanent Resident. 
• The student must be an undergraduate 
• The student cannot also be a UVA Employee 

Full Instructions specific to REU site and supplement proposals can be found in the REU solicitation NSF 13-542 

How to Apply for an REU supplement to an existing award 

• First, contact the NSF Program officer for the award, and confirm that they will support the request if submitted.  It is not advisable to submit any supplemental funding request to the NSF without prior discussion. 
• In Fastlane, prepare a Supplemental Funding request (this function is located under “Award & Reporting Functions”), which will include the following documents to upload:  
  • “Summary of Proposed Work”: this document should include just the statement that “This is a request for an REU Supplement” 
  • “Justification for Supplement”: up to 3 pages, including the following information:  
    1. the nature of each prospective student's involvement in the research project; 
    2. the experience of the PI (or other prospective research mentors) in involving undergraduates in research, including any previous REU Supplement support and the outcomes from that support; 
    3. the nature of the mentoring that the student(s) will receive; and 
    4. the process and criteria for selecting the student(s). 
    5. Optional. If the student has been pre-selected then the grounds for selection and a brief biographical sketch of the student should be included.  
       • the biographical sketch may be attached as an “Other Supplementary Document”, and does not count towards the 3 page limit. 
  • Budgets should be entered under “Participant Support costs” (section F of the budget), and no overhead can be applied. 
  • Summer stipends are typically $500 per week, academic year stipends should be comparable on a pro-rated basis for the time commitment anticipated. 
  • Additional costs (such as housing, travel, lab fees, etc.) may also be included if needed, also under “participant support”.  
  • Include a budget justification with a detailed breakdown of all costs requested. 

NSF PROPOSAL AND AWARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES GUIDE

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) 

Sites and Supplements 

NSF Program Solicitation NSF 19-582 

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. 

Undergraduate student participants in either REU Sites or REU Supplements must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States. 

The REU experience is a research training experience paid via a stipend (NSF recommends  a minimum of $500 per student per week for summer, but see the prorated hourly breakdown below), not employment (work) paid with a salary or wage. This is just a guideline and you are welcome to adjust the stipend as needed. The student's training should consist of closely mentored independent research. 

• $500 / 40 hrs per week 
• $375 / 30 hrs per week 
• $250 / 20 hrs per week 
• $125 / 10 hrs per week 

To set up your student's stipend, please fill out this form: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/2100e0646b28440aa466293d21a44ba8 

Plan Ahead!

Our office staff can assist you in setting up your travel plans, and make sure you are getting our UVA contract rates. Simply email cs-office@virginia.edu to get started.

UVA also has an online booking system (TRAVELUVA), where you can login and set up a profile. A travel agent will assist you in setting up flights, hotels, etc. using UVA's contract rates. 

Reimbursements

Before you travel, email cs-office@virginia.edu for guidance on getting reimbursed when you return from your trip for any expenses you covered from personal funds. 

Here are some tips for what is needed in order to be reimbursed for your paid expenses in the case of travel, and examples of expenses that can be reibmursed after your trip...

• In general: Detailed, itemized reciepts are required in either PDF or JPEG formats (and separate PDFs for each receipt is preferred)
• Conference registration fees: Proof of purchase showing last 4 digits of credit card used
• Hotel cost: Final Itemized hotel receipt with proof of purchase (showing last 4 digits of credit card)
• Train/Flight - Airline/Train itinerary with proof of purchase (last 4 digits of credit card)
• Transportation receipts- (taxi/uber/lyft) from airport to hotel, hotel to conference location and back (if applicable)
• Itemized food receipts with proof of purchase/ or state you would like per diem for the days of the conference (which is calculated based on where the conference was held) and provide information if and when the conference provided meals (if applicable)
• Car transportation- Rental car contract + gas receipts + parking or Personal Vehicle with Mileage + parking (if applicable)