STAR METRICS Full Steam Forward!

Posted on Behalf of Stefano Bertuzzi (National Institute of Health) and Julia Lane (National Science Foundation)

The STAR METRICS program is a voluntary collaboration among federal science and technology (S&T) agencies and research institutions. It is the first large scale effort to document the results of federal S&T investments by directly linking inputs and outputs, beginning by using direct calculations from the administrative records of research institutions.

Grants.gov Update

Posted on behalf of Judy Ceresa, Grants.gov PMO

The Grants.gov Program Management Office (PMO) is happy to report that the new system integrator contract will be awarded in early September. Boris DeSouza was recently named as the new Program Manager for Grants.gov. Mr. DeSouza had been serving as the Acting Program Manager since the departure of Phil Clark back in March of this year. The PMO is hopeful that a new Program Manager will be on board in the near future. Disaster recovery efforts also continue to be a high priority for the PMO. The system remained stable during both the recent earthquake and hurricane Irene.

Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2011

On June 13, 2011, the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (hereafter DATA Act) was introduced to the House of Representatives. If enacted, the DATA Act would require every recipient of federal funds, including grants, contracts, loans, and agencies’ internal expenses, to report each receipt and use of such funds at least quarterly.

Grants Events

To view upcoming events in the grants community, click “Read the Rest of This Entry” below.

SAM Development Underway: Prepare Now to Maintain Your Ability to Process Grant Awards

Posted on Behalf of Meredith Whitehead, General Services Administration

In late July 2011, the General Services Administration (GSA) awarded the software development contract for the first phase of the new, government-wide System for Award Management (SAM).  Development is underway!

Accelerating Spending of Remaining Recovery Act Funds for Grant Programs

When the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) was enacted in February 2009, Congress directed federal agencies to “manage and expend the funds made available in this Act so as to achieve the purposes [of the Act] including commencing expenditures and activities as quickly as possible consistent with prudent management.” To emphasize the importance of expending Recovery Act funds, the President set a goal of spending 70% of Recovery Act funds by September 20, 2010. This goal was met and, as of mid-September, nearly 85% of Recovery Act funds have been spent.

Retrospective Analysis of Existing Significant Regulations

In April 2011, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Memorandum M-11-19: Retrospective Analysis of Existing Significant Regulations. The purpose of the Memorandum is to provide guidance to agencies on the process for finalizing preliminary plans, which will establish  periodic reviews of agency regulations to determine whether regulations should be modified, streamlined, expanded, or repealed.

Issuance of Revised Parts I and II to Appendix C of OMB Circular A-123

On April 14, 2011, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued government-wide guidance on the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA) in OMB Memorandum M-11-16: Issuance of Revised Parts I and II to Appendix C of OMB Circular A-123. The guidance is the latest in a plethora of initiatives aimed at reducing improper payments made by the federal government. In fiscal year (FY) 2010 alone, the government released an estimated $125 billion in improper payments.

Grants.gov Update

Posted on Behalf of Judy Ceresa, Grants.gov PMO

The Grants.gov Program Management Office (PMO) continues to work on disaster recovery efforts, as this is a high-priority requirement for maintaining system reliability and availability for all users, including applicants, grant-making agencies, and other grants community stakeholders.

The PMO is currently in the process of recompeting the contract for the system integrator. The PMO’s goal is to award a new contract in September 2011.

Final Guidance on Implementing the Plain Writing Act

In April, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Memorandum M-11-15: Final Guidance on Implementing the Plain Writing Act of 2010, which became law on October 13, 2010. The purpose of the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (hereafter the Act) is to implement plain writing standards within federal agencies to ensure government documents are written in a clear, concise, and well-organized manner. This final guidance on implementing the Act rescinds and replaces previous guidance issued by OMB in November 2010 in Memorandum M-11-05: Preliminary Guidance for the Plain Writing Act of 2010 and outlines agency requirements and deadlines for implementing the Plain Writing Act.