"Per diem rates for federal travelers could take a dive in fiscal 2013.

The General Services Administration reportedly is considering changes to the methodology it uses to calculate lodging rates for government travelers. The review is part of a governmentwide effort to comply with a May memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget that directs agencies to spend at least 30 percent less on travel than they did in fiscal 2010 for the next three fiscal years."

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Submarine Theater Removal from Educational Technology Center on Vimeo.

This update is applicable to any CJD grantee receiving funding through the following federal sources originating from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP):

·         Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)
·         Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG)
·         Residential Substance Abuse and Treatment Act (RSAT)
·         Title II Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDP)
·         Title V Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention
·         Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG)
 
The Department of Justice has just released new conference cost policies and procedures.  Effective June 7, 2012, CJD is responsible for ensuring that its grant recipients comply with the following food/beverage, meeting room/audio-visual, logistical planner and programmatic planner limitations and cost thresholds:

·         Meeting room/audio-visual services (Lesser of $25 per day per attendee or $20,000)
·         Logistical Planners (Lesser of $50 per attendee or $8,750)
·         Programmatic Planners (Lesser of $200 per attendee or $35,000)
·         Food and Beverage (generally not allowed)
·         Refreshments (generally not allowed)

Note:  Trinkets (items such as hats, mugs, portfolios, t-shirts, coins, gift bags, etc., regardless of whether they include the conference name or OJP/DOJ/CJD logo) must not be purchased with federal funds as giveaways for conferences. 

Please contact your grant manager or send a message to the eGrants Help Desk at eGrants@governor.state.tx.us if you currently have an active grant or pending application with CJD within one of the fund sources mentioned above that includes conference costs exceeding one or more of these thresholds.  We will assist you at that time with updating your budget.

ARRA Acceleration Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for NSF Principal Investigators with awards funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/arra/faqs_pi.jsp

RTI will no longer be requiring Semi-Annual Progress Reports on Research and Implementation Projects. This is effective immediately.  

RTI is reviewing our Program/Project Management process and we have decided that requesting SARs are not beneficial in regards to the format, and the information being requested and provided. If a different format or management tool is developed that requires input from the university, we will work with you accordingly.

Please contact Sylvia R. Medina at (512) 416-4740 if you have any questions.

Indirect costs can be a major source of confusion for grants professionals.  Even with a basic understanding of the applicable federal policies affecting indirect costs, interpreting the policies and putting them into practice can be a daunting task.

In this 90-minute webinar, attorney and grants law specialist Stacia Le Blanc will provide regulatory insight and best practices to help you navigate the challenging area of indirect costs.  Ms. Le Blanc will also be available to take your questions during the live Q&A portion of the webinar.

You’ll Learn:

• Overview of direct and indirect costs and key differences
• Current federal policies affecting indirect costs
• Tips for understanding the applicable policies and putting them into action
• Best practices for working with the federal government on indirect cost rates
• Common indirect cost mistakes you’ll want to avoid

To find out more about this webinar or to register, please go online to www.thompsoninteractive.com or call 1-800-925-1878 and mention priority code 00296201649 when registering.

You can download the presentations and watch the videos on YouTube.

		Presentations	Video
	U.S. Department of Agriculture
	U.S. Department of Education
	U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
	National Endowment for the Arts
	National Institutes of Health
	National Aeronautics & Space Administration
	Collaborations in Grant Development

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