March 2020 Updates
March 27, 2020 • Newsletter
OSP News
Farewell from Andrea
As many of you know, I have accepted a position with the University of Michigan. Over the last 7 years, the HSC has become my home and the people here my family, which made the decision to leave all that much harder. It is especially difficult not to be able to say goodbye in person to all of you.
The research program has grown in so many ways during my time here, and I will be watching and cheering you on as you continue on this extraordinary trajectory. I am grateful to have been a part of this growth. Research is a small community, and I hope that there will be opportunities to continue to work together through collaborations in the future.
My last day with HSC will be April 6. Please don’t hesitate to reach out between now and then if there is anything I can do to assist as I transition out.
Donate PPE from your lab to Healthcare Workers on the Frontline
The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in short supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other materials in a number of areas. While we do not currently have lists of items that are needed locally, we can anticipate the most likely items. These would include such things as masks (…of any kind, but particularly N95 masks), disposable coveralls, gloves, etc., as well as reagents and supplies needed for diagnostic testing (i.e. cotton swabs, Qiagen RNA extraction kits, etc.). In an effort to assess what potentially needed medical supplies might be stored on campus in our respective labs, and with the ultimate goal of donating those supplies and getting them to where they can do the most good, Dr. Stella Goulopoulou and Dr. Mike Allen have been working with University officials to ascertain what we collectively have and what we can make available. To that end, we have created an online form for anyone who wishes to donate to sign up.
When deciding whether or not to donate your excess supplies, please consider the following:
We understand that the health, safety, and well-being of your staff is your first priority, and that different groups on campus will remain active. However, for those researchers with a temporary shut-down of research activities, many supplies on hand can be replaced later. If items were purchased on a grant that is currently active, it may be necessary to move those charges to another account. NIH has specifically allowed donation of PPE which have been purchased on their grants, and you may rebudget later to replenish supplies. Regardless of funding source, it will ultimately be important to be able to document the source of funds used to purchase the supplies and if/when/where they were donated, in case of a later audit. Finally, while your help is greatly appreciated, you are under no obligation to participate.
Please go to the OSP webpage to sign up to donate: https://www.unthsc.edu/sponsored-programs/
We Moved (and we are working remote)!
The Office of Sponsored Programs has moved to the 6th floor of the new Bailey building. However, due to the current social distancing recommendations and “Stay Home Y’all” order in Fort Worth, the team is working remotely. If you need us, please reach out via email or skype, we are all still available and working. The team has set up remote work phone information in their signature blocks so be sure to check there for a phone number if you want to connect via phone.
Website Updates
OSP has updated our website to add content related to COVID 19.
- Link: OSP Homepage
February Monthly Report in PowerBI
The Monthly Report data for December is now available in Power BI. If you have any questions, or suggestions for improvement to this report, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via email at OSP-Grants-IT@unthsc.edu. If you would like to dig into your data in Power BI, but don’t know where to start, we have our handy instruction guide here.
- Link: Insite reporting page
Time and Effort for Q2 is Coming
The Office of Sponsored Programs will be distributing FY20 second-quarter effort reports (January – March) on April 30, 2020, in ECC. Please review your pending effort report in ECC now with your FRST/ORS/ITR team member now and make any corrections necessary prior to the ePar deadline to avoid delays in. certification. You can find a link to the new ECC system on our effort reporting page.
Looking forward to the next cycle, please check ECC or Grant Workcenter to review your payroll allocations now to ensure they are in line with your project effort.
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