To the UC Merced research community:
Faculty are having a difficult time obtaining account balances in order for them to manage the use of resources to support their research. Looking into this further, we have identified two different types of financial reporting that faculty need to support their research: contract/grant reports and non-contract/grant reports These financial reports are provided by two separate groups on campus.
Financial reports for contracts/grants are provided by your post-award research administrator in Contract and Grant Administration (CGA). We have learned that research administrators were not able to provide regular grant account information to the faculty using their monthly reports until summer 2022. Prior to that time, it was not possible for them to provide reliable reports until the Oracle Data Integrity Project (ODIP) was completed. Since the completion of ODIP, you are now in a position to validate these reports to ensure they are accurate. Please work with your research administrators, who in turn will work with staff in the Division of Finance and Administration, to rectify any spending that occurred that does not align with your intended use.
Though the transition to our new financial system has been difficult and we continue to make progress to address lingering issues, there has been considerable progress with the reporting provided by research administrators in the Office of Research and Economic Development. However, it has become evident you have not been receiving comparable reports from your school staff on non-contract/grant funds (e.g., start-up, incidentals, etc..) that are managed in the schools. Among many concerns that have been raised, staff capacity within the schools has challenged their ability to provide these reports locally. Because of this, we have worked with the Chancellor to immediately release funding to support one staff member in each of the schools who will be dedicated to meeting your non-contract/grant fund reporting needs.
In a memo issued to the deans April 6, they have been authorized to search for these positions immediately and to not delay until the completion of the annual budget call cycle. They have been asked to develop job descriptions that outline filling this immediate need and to search for these positions as soon as possible. We also will work with Human Resources to ensure the positions are prioritized. Funding for these positions will come from the recent $2.5 million temporary funding that the Chancellor released to increase the level of research staff support. As mentioned in the budget call memo, should the campus reach performance measures that align with our fiscal sustainability in four years’ time, these funds will become permanent. These measures are being developed in partnership with Academic Affairs.
Please note this is part of a broader collaboration between Academic Affairs, the Office of Research and Economic Development, and the Division of Finance and Administration focused on programming the balance of the $2.5 million temporary funding to ensure faculty research needs are met where they are needed – locally in the schools and departments. More details about this will be provided following the FY24 budget call.
We look forward to filling these positions and ensuring the schools have the requisite staff to support your financial reporting and research needs.
Kurt Schnier | Interim Vice Chancellor, Chief Financial Officer
Gillian Wilson | Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Economic Development
