Related Policies and Guidelines

TBR Guideline G-030 Contracts 

NeSCC Policy 04:10:01 Grant Development

 NeSCC Policy 04:10:02 Grant Administration

Northeast State Community College may apply for externally funded grants or contracts which support the College’s mission. Grants/contracts sought by the College should enrich and supplement rather than supplant the educational and service programs offered by the College. Grants/contracts entered into by the College must be made for specific periods of time. In all instances where the College enters into such arrangements with external agencies, the College must retain control of research, instruction, and other college functions.

If the grant is intended to fund personnel of any kind, a draft job description or list of anticipated job duties and desired qualifications should be submitted to Human Resources for review during the budget development phase of the proposal development process. Human Resources will determine the most appropriate job classification and corresponding pay range and fringe benefit costs. Care should be taken to account for anticipated salary increases or other adjustments that might occur during the grant period. Because grant-funded positions have a specified start date and end date, these positions may not continue beyond the state contract period, unless other funding is identified and approved for this purpose.

When the grant/contract budget is activated, the Project Director should complete and submit Personnel Requisition forms for each new grant-funded position. Staffing and compensation specifications will be described in the grant proposal and budget narrative. All project staffing and compensation must be consistent with appropriate Northeast State Community College hiring practices and salary grade structure as well as with all applicable state and federal regulations

Types of Project Personnel 

There are several types of project personnel: college faculty and staff, new temporary staff hired full or part time to carry out specified project responsibilities, and consultants and professional services providers. 

Staff who are assigned to manage an externally funded grant/contract may be assigned the responsibility as an additional duty or may have a realignment of duties. Depending on the size of the grant/contract and the scope of work, a stipend may be awarded for managing the grant/contract. The realignment of duties and/or the amount of a stipend will be recommended by the appropriate Vice President to the President with the President having final approval of the realignment or stipend. 

Faculty members who teach during the academic year may be assigned to manage an externally funded grant/contract as a part of their regular duties if the faculty member does not have a full-time teaching load. If the faculty member has a full-time teaching load, release time from teaching duties sufficient to effectively manage the grant/contract may be provided. Faculty assuming responsibility for grant/contract management may also be paid a stipend. If the grant/contract extends through the fiscal year, the faculty member will be paid according to existing policy regarding pay for summer teaching. The amount of the release time and/or stipend will be recommended by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and approved by the President. Stipends and release time not included in the project budget will be charged to institutional funds.

Full-time and part-time project staff may be hired by the College to implement and manage multi-year grants. Standard college hiring practices apply for these positions. Grant funded project positions are temporary, with clearly stated start and end dates that correspond with specifications in the approved grant contract. Each grant-funded staff member must complete and submit a monthly Time and Effort Report (see below). 

Professional Services and Consulting Personnel are often contracted to deliver specified services (e.g., conduct evaluation, provide a lecture). Project personnel perform services in accordance with a clearly written agreement and details outlined in the College’s professional services contract. Agreements include specific services to be rendered, starting and ending dates, deliverables to be provided, payment schedule, and frequency of reporting. 

Time and Effort Reporting 

Northeast State is committed to ensuring that time and effort given to sponsored projects is appropriately documented through reliable records of actual time and effort, certified by authorized personnel in a timely manner, and in compliance with sponsor requirements and Federal regulations (2 CFR 200.430(i) Standards for Documentation of Personnel Services).

Any employee whose salary (wage) is supported in whole or in part by grant funds shall complete and submit monthly time and effort forms, certifying after-the-fact that the time charged to the grant is consistent with the actual work performed in support of grant objectives.

Any employee whose effort is committed as in-kind contribution for a grant award shall complete and submit monthly time and effort forms, certifying after-the-fact that the time claimed as match for the grant project is consistent with the actual work performed in support of grant objectives. 

Employees subject to this policy are required to submit a monthly Time and Effort Certification to the Sponsored Programs & Strategic Initiatives Office by the 15^th of each month (or the last working day prior to the 15^th). Time and Effort Certifications shall be submitted using either (1) a standard Northeast State Time and Effort Certification form or (2) a certification form issued by the funding agency.

Time and Effort Certifications shall reflect an accurate distribution of all compensated activities for the previous calendar month, including grant-funded and non-grant-funded activities. Effort shall be reported in terms of percentage of total effort, which cannot exceed 100% of an employee’s compensated time.

Employees devoting effort to more than one sponsored project must complete and submit a separate time and effort certification for each sponsored project.

The employee must sign the certification form certifying its accuracy. The employee’s supervisor must sign the form indicating that to the best of their knowledge the information recorded on the form represents an accurate report of actual work performed. The completed and signed Time and Effort Certification shall be submitted to the Sponsored Programs & Strategic Initiatives Office to be retained in the institution’s official grant records, as required by Federal regulations and state records retention policies. 

The Grant Coordinator will review Time and Effort Certification forms at least semiannually for compliance. Failure to comply with Time & Effort certification requirements could result in disallowed costs, termination of grant awards, returning grant funds to the sponsoring agency, and/or financial penalties. Any corrections to effort certification reports should be submitted in writing to the Sponsored Programs & Strategic Initiatives Office.

The Sponsored Programs & Strategic Initiatives Office will provide training on Time and Effort Certification for all employees involved with sponsored projects and will review reporting requirements at post-award orientation meetings for all new grant awards.

Employee Benefits 

Full-time grant-funded personnel are eligible for the same employee benefits as those provided for non-grant funded personnel, subject to the limitations of the grant budget. Exceptions are listed below. 

Grant-funded employees will accrue annual leave at the same rate as regular College employees. Employees employed under multi-year grant contracts may accrue and carryover annual leave balances not to exceed 37.5 hours on June 30 of each contract year. Supervisors and employees should work together to ensure that earned leave is taken and the accumulated annual leave balance does not exceed 37.5 hours on June 30, the end of the academic year. Annual leave must be used in a manner so that grant activities and operations are not adversely affected. 

During the last year of a grant-funded position, and/or it is clear that additional grant funding is not forthcoming, the supervisor will take the following actions: provide the employee(s) with a minimum notice period of two months and work with employees to use all remaining annual leave prior to the last month of employment.

Continuation of Employment 

Grant-funded employees are subject to all College personnel policies including corrective action. Nothing in this policy shall require the College to continue the employment for the duration of the grant. An employee who anticipates resignation or separation from employment is responsible for working with their supervisor to use accumulated annual leave prior to leaving employment.