Audit 29592

FY End
2022-11-30
Total Expended
$27.08M
Findings
8
Programs
24
Year: 2022 Accepted: 2023-04-30

Organization Exclusion Status:

Checking exclusion status...

Findings

ID Ref Severity Repeat Requirement
37627 2022-001 Significant Deficiency - C
37628 2022-001 Significant Deficiency - C
37629 2022-001 Significant Deficiency - C
37630 2022-001 Significant Deficiency - C
614069 2022-001 Significant Deficiency - C
614070 2022-001 Significant Deficiency - C
614071 2022-001 Significant Deficiency - C
614072 2022-001 Significant Deficiency - C

Programs

ALN Program Spent Major Findings
93.837 Cardiovascular Diseases Research $567,982 Yes 0
93.846 Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research $463,519 Yes 0
93.395 Cancer Treatment Research $395,067 Yes 0
93.173 Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders $374,014 Yes 1
93.839 Blood Diseases and Resources Research $358,456 Yes 0
93.172 Human Genome Research $330,917 Yes 0
93.859 Biomedical Research and Research Training $273,027 Yes 0
81.049 Office of Science Financial Assistance Program $209,063 Yes 0
93.397 Cancer Centers Support Grants $189,845 Yes 0
47.074 Biological Sciences $143,872 Yes 0
93.121 Oral Diseases and Disorders Research $126,359 Yes 0
93.113 Environmental Health $98,948 Yes 0
93.855 Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation Research $93,568 Yes 0
93.398 Cancer Research Manpower $89,653 Yes 0
93.866 Aging Research $86,512 Yes 0
93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research $70,288 Yes 0
93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research $64,830 Yes 0
93.853 Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders $58,674 Yes 0
93.310 Trans-Nih Research Support $31,323 Yes 0
93.396 Cancer Biology Research $23,702 Yes 0
93.394 Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research $22,621 Yes 0
12.420 Military Medical Research and Development $1,815 Yes 0
93.242 Mental Health Research Grants $592 Yes 0
47.083 Integrative Activities $264 Yes 0

Contacts

Name Title Type
QLRCUJ8JTN53 Jeff Richardson Auditee
6162345000 Christina Hardy Auditor
No contacts on file

Notes to SEFA

Accounting Policies: The accompanying schedule of expenditures of federal awards (the "Schedule") includes the federal grant activity of Van Andel Institute and Affiliates ("VAIA") under programs of the federal government for the year ended November 30, 2022. The information in this Schedule is presented in accordance with the requirements of Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (the "Uniform Guidance"). Because the Schedule presents only a selected portion of the operations of VAIA, it is not intended to and does not present the financial position, changes in net assets, or cash flows of VAIA. The accompanying Schedule includes the federal award programs administered by VAIA for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2022. Expenditures reported on the Schedule are reported on the same basis of accounting as the consolidated financial statements. Such expenditures are recognized following the cost principles contained in Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, wherein certain types of expenditures are not allowable or are limited as to reimbursement. Pass through entity identifying numbers are presented where available. VAIA has elected not to use the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate to recover indirect costs, as allowed under the Uniform Guidance. De Minimis Rate Used: N Rate Explanation: The auditee did not use the de minimis cost rate.

Finding Details

Assistance Listing Number, Federal Agency, and Program Name ? 93.395, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Treatment Research, Research and Development Cluster; 93.173, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders, Research and Development Cluster; 93.393, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Cause and Prevention Research, Targeting DNA Methylation and Cancer Epigenome, Research and Development Cluster Federal Award Identification Number and Year ? R01 CA255506, R01 CA268440, R01 DC016519, R35 CA209859 Pass through Entity ? N/A ? direct award Finding Type ? Significant deficiency Repeat Finding No Criteria ? In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 2 (b), for nonfederal entities other than states, payment methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury or the pass through entity and the disbursement by the nonfederal entity whether the payment is made by electronic funds transfers, or issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payments by other means. In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 (3), when the reimbursement method is used, the federal awarding agency or pass through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of billing, unless it is believed the request to be improper. Condition ? Controls in place did not minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement to VAIA?s subrecipients. Questioned Costs None Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed ? Not applicable as there are no questioned costs. Context ? In 4 out of 7 transactions sampled for testing, it took VAIA greater than 30 calendar days to make payment to a subrecipient after receipt of billing. Cause and Effect ? For a period of the year, the controls in place were not followed in the normal timeline, resulting in VAIA not making payments within 30 calendar days to its subrecipients, after receipt of billing. It took VAIA between 41 and 75 days to make payment to its subrecipients. Late payments could impact the subrecipients abilities to continue the programmatic activities if not paid timely. Recommendation ? We recommend that VAIA review its procedures and controls to ensure disbursement of funds to its subrecipients is consistent with laws and regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan Prior to the auditor?s testing that resulted in this finding, the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) had created a new Sponsored Research Administrator role dedicated, in part, to proactive subrecipient monitoring and invoicing. This individual reports directly to the Director of Sponsored Research and meets with the Director monthly to monitor the subaward invoicing and routing process. Subaward invoicing activities were fully transitioned to the Sponsored Research Administrator (SRA) in October 2022. As part of the transition to this new SRA role, existing subaward checklists and process documentation were reviewed and improved. OSR also updated the subrecipient payment process document to include an explicit statement indicating invoices must be paid within 30 days of receipt unless the invoice is reasonably believed to be improper. Additional planned corrective actions include: - Further refining policies and procedures and roles and responsibilities related to subrecipient monitoring and invoice payments. - Implementing a formal backup plan for subrecipient payments to ensure timely payment during the absence or work overload of the SRA. - Weekly reporting on subaward invoices and payments by the SRA to OSR leadership. - Updating OSR?s invoice tracking tools to include `Invoice Date ? Received? and `Invoice Date ? Paid? fields to highlight aged invoices and enable expedited resolution plans. - Providing continuing education for the OSR team on subrecipient compliance and regulatory timelines.
Assistance Listing Number, Federal Agency, and Program Name ? 93.395, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Treatment Research, Research and Development Cluster; 93.173, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders, Research and Development Cluster; 93.393, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Cause and Prevention Research, Targeting DNA Methylation and Cancer Epigenome, Research and Development Cluster Federal Award Identification Number and Year ? R01 CA255506, R01 CA268440, R01 DC016519, R35 CA209859 Pass through Entity ? N/A ? direct award Finding Type ? Significant deficiency Repeat Finding No Criteria ? In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 2 (b), for nonfederal entities other than states, payment methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury or the pass through entity and the disbursement by the nonfederal entity whether the payment is made by electronic funds transfers, or issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payments by other means. In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 (3), when the reimbursement method is used, the federal awarding agency or pass through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of billing, unless it is believed the request to be improper. Condition ? Controls in place did not minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement to VAIA?s subrecipients. Questioned Costs None Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed ? Not applicable as there are no questioned costs. Context ? In 4 out of 7 transactions sampled for testing, it took VAIA greater than 30 calendar days to make payment to a subrecipient after receipt of billing. Cause and Effect ? For a period of the year, the controls in place were not followed in the normal timeline, resulting in VAIA not making payments within 30 calendar days to its subrecipients, after receipt of billing. It took VAIA between 41 and 75 days to make payment to its subrecipients. Late payments could impact the subrecipients abilities to continue the programmatic activities if not paid timely. Recommendation ? We recommend that VAIA review its procedures and controls to ensure disbursement of funds to its subrecipients is consistent with laws and regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan Prior to the auditor?s testing that resulted in this finding, the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) had created a new Sponsored Research Administrator role dedicated, in part, to proactive subrecipient monitoring and invoicing. This individual reports directly to the Director of Sponsored Research and meets with the Director monthly to monitor the subaward invoicing and routing process. Subaward invoicing activities were fully transitioned to the Sponsored Research Administrator (SRA) in October 2022. As part of the transition to this new SRA role, existing subaward checklists and process documentation were reviewed and improved. OSR also updated the subrecipient payment process document to include an explicit statement indicating invoices must be paid within 30 days of receipt unless the invoice is reasonably believed to be improper. Additional planned corrective actions include: - Further refining policies and procedures and roles and responsibilities related to subrecipient monitoring and invoice payments. - Implementing a formal backup plan for subrecipient payments to ensure timely payment during the absence or work overload of the SRA. - Weekly reporting on subaward invoices and payments by the SRA to OSR leadership. - Updating OSR?s invoice tracking tools to include `Invoice Date ? Received? and `Invoice Date ? Paid? fields to highlight aged invoices and enable expedited resolution plans. - Providing continuing education for the OSR team on subrecipient compliance and regulatory timelines.
Assistance Listing Number, Federal Agency, and Program Name ? 93.395, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Treatment Research, Research and Development Cluster; 93.173, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders, Research and Development Cluster; 93.393, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Cause and Prevention Research, Targeting DNA Methylation and Cancer Epigenome, Research and Development Cluster Federal Award Identification Number and Year ? R01 CA255506, R01 CA268440, R01 DC016519, R35 CA209859 Pass through Entity ? N/A ? direct award Finding Type ? Significant deficiency Repeat Finding No Criteria ? In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 2 (b), for nonfederal entities other than states, payment methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury or the pass through entity and the disbursement by the nonfederal entity whether the payment is made by electronic funds transfers, or issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payments by other means. In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 (3), when the reimbursement method is used, the federal awarding agency or pass through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of billing, unless it is believed the request to be improper. Condition ? Controls in place did not minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement to VAIA?s subrecipients. Questioned Costs None Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed ? Not applicable as there are no questioned costs. Context ? In 4 out of 7 transactions sampled for testing, it took VAIA greater than 30 calendar days to make payment to a subrecipient after receipt of billing. Cause and Effect ? For a period of the year, the controls in place were not followed in the normal timeline, resulting in VAIA not making payments within 30 calendar days to its subrecipients, after receipt of billing. It took VAIA between 41 and 75 days to make payment to its subrecipients. Late payments could impact the subrecipients abilities to continue the programmatic activities if not paid timely. Recommendation ? We recommend that VAIA review its procedures and controls to ensure disbursement of funds to its subrecipients is consistent with laws and regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan Prior to the auditor?s testing that resulted in this finding, the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) had created a new Sponsored Research Administrator role dedicated, in part, to proactive subrecipient monitoring and invoicing. This individual reports directly to the Director of Sponsored Research and meets with the Director monthly to monitor the subaward invoicing and routing process. Subaward invoicing activities were fully transitioned to the Sponsored Research Administrator (SRA) in October 2022. As part of the transition to this new SRA role, existing subaward checklists and process documentation were reviewed and improved. OSR also updated the subrecipient payment process document to include an explicit statement indicating invoices must be paid within 30 days of receipt unless the invoice is reasonably believed to be improper. Additional planned corrective actions include: - Further refining policies and procedures and roles and responsibilities related to subrecipient monitoring and invoice payments. - Implementing a formal backup plan for subrecipient payments to ensure timely payment during the absence or work overload of the SRA. - Weekly reporting on subaward invoices and payments by the SRA to OSR leadership. - Updating OSR?s invoice tracking tools to include `Invoice Date ? Received? and `Invoice Date ? Paid? fields to highlight aged invoices and enable expedited resolution plans. - Providing continuing education for the OSR team on subrecipient compliance and regulatory timelines.
Assistance Listing Number, Federal Agency, and Program Name ? 93.395, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Treatment Research, Research and Development Cluster; 93.173, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders, Research and Development Cluster; 93.393, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Cause and Prevention Research, Targeting DNA Methylation and Cancer Epigenome, Research and Development Cluster Federal Award Identification Number and Year ? R01 CA255506, R01 CA268440, R01 DC016519, R35 CA209859 Pass through Entity ? N/A ? direct award Finding Type ? Significant deficiency Repeat Finding No Criteria ? In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 2 (b), for nonfederal entities other than states, payment methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury or the pass through entity and the disbursement by the nonfederal entity whether the payment is made by electronic funds transfers, or issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payments by other means. In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 (3), when the reimbursement method is used, the federal awarding agency or pass through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of billing, unless it is believed the request to be improper. Condition ? Controls in place did not minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement to VAIA?s subrecipients. Questioned Costs None Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed ? Not applicable as there are no questioned costs. Context ? In 4 out of 7 transactions sampled for testing, it took VAIA greater than 30 calendar days to make payment to a subrecipient after receipt of billing. Cause and Effect ? For a period of the year, the controls in place were not followed in the normal timeline, resulting in VAIA not making payments within 30 calendar days to its subrecipients, after receipt of billing. It took VAIA between 41 and 75 days to make payment to its subrecipients. Late payments could impact the subrecipients abilities to continue the programmatic activities if not paid timely. Recommendation ? We recommend that VAIA review its procedures and controls to ensure disbursement of funds to its subrecipients is consistent with laws and regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan Prior to the auditor?s testing that resulted in this finding, the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) had created a new Sponsored Research Administrator role dedicated, in part, to proactive subrecipient monitoring and invoicing. This individual reports directly to the Director of Sponsored Research and meets with the Director monthly to monitor the subaward invoicing and routing process. Subaward invoicing activities were fully transitioned to the Sponsored Research Administrator (SRA) in October 2022. As part of the transition to this new SRA role, existing subaward checklists and process documentation were reviewed and improved. OSR also updated the subrecipient payment process document to include an explicit statement indicating invoices must be paid within 30 days of receipt unless the invoice is reasonably believed to be improper. Additional planned corrective actions include: - Further refining policies and procedures and roles and responsibilities related to subrecipient monitoring and invoice payments. - Implementing a formal backup plan for subrecipient payments to ensure timely payment during the absence or work overload of the SRA. - Weekly reporting on subaward invoices and payments by the SRA to OSR leadership. - Updating OSR?s invoice tracking tools to include `Invoice Date ? Received? and `Invoice Date ? Paid? fields to highlight aged invoices and enable expedited resolution plans. - Providing continuing education for the OSR team on subrecipient compliance and regulatory timelines.
Assistance Listing Number, Federal Agency, and Program Name ? 93.395, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Treatment Research, Research and Development Cluster; 93.173, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders, Research and Development Cluster; 93.393, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Cause and Prevention Research, Targeting DNA Methylation and Cancer Epigenome, Research and Development Cluster Federal Award Identification Number and Year ? R01 CA255506, R01 CA268440, R01 DC016519, R35 CA209859 Pass through Entity ? N/A ? direct award Finding Type ? Significant deficiency Repeat Finding No Criteria ? In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 2 (b), for nonfederal entities other than states, payment methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury or the pass through entity and the disbursement by the nonfederal entity whether the payment is made by electronic funds transfers, or issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payments by other means. In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 (3), when the reimbursement method is used, the federal awarding agency or pass through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of billing, unless it is believed the request to be improper. Condition ? Controls in place did not minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement to VAIA?s subrecipients. Questioned Costs None Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed ? Not applicable as there are no questioned costs. Context ? In 4 out of 7 transactions sampled for testing, it took VAIA greater than 30 calendar days to make payment to a subrecipient after receipt of billing. Cause and Effect ? For a period of the year, the controls in place were not followed in the normal timeline, resulting in VAIA not making payments within 30 calendar days to its subrecipients, after receipt of billing. It took VAIA between 41 and 75 days to make payment to its subrecipients. Late payments could impact the subrecipients abilities to continue the programmatic activities if not paid timely. Recommendation ? We recommend that VAIA review its procedures and controls to ensure disbursement of funds to its subrecipients is consistent with laws and regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan Prior to the auditor?s testing that resulted in this finding, the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) had created a new Sponsored Research Administrator role dedicated, in part, to proactive subrecipient monitoring and invoicing. This individual reports directly to the Director of Sponsored Research and meets with the Director monthly to monitor the subaward invoicing and routing process. Subaward invoicing activities were fully transitioned to the Sponsored Research Administrator (SRA) in October 2022. As part of the transition to this new SRA role, existing subaward checklists and process documentation were reviewed and improved. OSR also updated the subrecipient payment process document to include an explicit statement indicating invoices must be paid within 30 days of receipt unless the invoice is reasonably believed to be improper. Additional planned corrective actions include: - Further refining policies and procedures and roles and responsibilities related to subrecipient monitoring and invoice payments. - Implementing a formal backup plan for subrecipient payments to ensure timely payment during the absence or work overload of the SRA. - Weekly reporting on subaward invoices and payments by the SRA to OSR leadership. - Updating OSR?s invoice tracking tools to include `Invoice Date ? Received? and `Invoice Date ? Paid? fields to highlight aged invoices and enable expedited resolution plans. - Providing continuing education for the OSR team on subrecipient compliance and regulatory timelines.
Assistance Listing Number, Federal Agency, and Program Name ? 93.395, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Treatment Research, Research and Development Cluster; 93.173, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders, Research and Development Cluster; 93.393, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Cause and Prevention Research, Targeting DNA Methylation and Cancer Epigenome, Research and Development Cluster Federal Award Identification Number and Year ? R01 CA255506, R01 CA268440, R01 DC016519, R35 CA209859 Pass through Entity ? N/A ? direct award Finding Type ? Significant deficiency Repeat Finding No Criteria ? In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 2 (b), for nonfederal entities other than states, payment methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury or the pass through entity and the disbursement by the nonfederal entity whether the payment is made by electronic funds transfers, or issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payments by other means. In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 (3), when the reimbursement method is used, the federal awarding agency or pass through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of billing, unless it is believed the request to be improper. Condition ? Controls in place did not minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement to VAIA?s subrecipients. Questioned Costs None Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed ? Not applicable as there are no questioned costs. Context ? In 4 out of 7 transactions sampled for testing, it took VAIA greater than 30 calendar days to make payment to a subrecipient after receipt of billing. Cause and Effect ? For a period of the year, the controls in place were not followed in the normal timeline, resulting in VAIA not making payments within 30 calendar days to its subrecipients, after receipt of billing. It took VAIA between 41 and 75 days to make payment to its subrecipients. Late payments could impact the subrecipients abilities to continue the programmatic activities if not paid timely. Recommendation ? We recommend that VAIA review its procedures and controls to ensure disbursement of funds to its subrecipients is consistent with laws and regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan Prior to the auditor?s testing that resulted in this finding, the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) had created a new Sponsored Research Administrator role dedicated, in part, to proactive subrecipient monitoring and invoicing. This individual reports directly to the Director of Sponsored Research and meets with the Director monthly to monitor the subaward invoicing and routing process. Subaward invoicing activities were fully transitioned to the Sponsored Research Administrator (SRA) in October 2022. As part of the transition to this new SRA role, existing subaward checklists and process documentation were reviewed and improved. OSR also updated the subrecipient payment process document to include an explicit statement indicating invoices must be paid within 30 days of receipt unless the invoice is reasonably believed to be improper. Additional planned corrective actions include: - Further refining policies and procedures and roles and responsibilities related to subrecipient monitoring and invoice payments. - Implementing a formal backup plan for subrecipient payments to ensure timely payment during the absence or work overload of the SRA. - Weekly reporting on subaward invoices and payments by the SRA to OSR leadership. - Updating OSR?s invoice tracking tools to include `Invoice Date ? Received? and `Invoice Date ? Paid? fields to highlight aged invoices and enable expedited resolution plans. - Providing continuing education for the OSR team on subrecipient compliance and regulatory timelines.
Assistance Listing Number, Federal Agency, and Program Name ? 93.395, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Treatment Research, Research and Development Cluster; 93.173, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders, Research and Development Cluster; 93.393, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Cause and Prevention Research, Targeting DNA Methylation and Cancer Epigenome, Research and Development Cluster Federal Award Identification Number and Year ? R01 CA255506, R01 CA268440, R01 DC016519, R35 CA209859 Pass through Entity ? N/A ? direct award Finding Type ? Significant deficiency Repeat Finding No Criteria ? In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 2 (b), for nonfederal entities other than states, payment methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury or the pass through entity and the disbursement by the nonfederal entity whether the payment is made by electronic funds transfers, or issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payments by other means. In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 (3), when the reimbursement method is used, the federal awarding agency or pass through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of billing, unless it is believed the request to be improper. Condition ? Controls in place did not minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement to VAIA?s subrecipients. Questioned Costs None Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed ? Not applicable as there are no questioned costs. Context ? In 4 out of 7 transactions sampled for testing, it took VAIA greater than 30 calendar days to make payment to a subrecipient after receipt of billing. Cause and Effect ? For a period of the year, the controls in place were not followed in the normal timeline, resulting in VAIA not making payments within 30 calendar days to its subrecipients, after receipt of billing. It took VAIA between 41 and 75 days to make payment to its subrecipients. Late payments could impact the subrecipients abilities to continue the programmatic activities if not paid timely. Recommendation ? We recommend that VAIA review its procedures and controls to ensure disbursement of funds to its subrecipients is consistent with laws and regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan Prior to the auditor?s testing that resulted in this finding, the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) had created a new Sponsored Research Administrator role dedicated, in part, to proactive subrecipient monitoring and invoicing. This individual reports directly to the Director of Sponsored Research and meets with the Director monthly to monitor the subaward invoicing and routing process. Subaward invoicing activities were fully transitioned to the Sponsored Research Administrator (SRA) in October 2022. As part of the transition to this new SRA role, existing subaward checklists and process documentation were reviewed and improved. OSR also updated the subrecipient payment process document to include an explicit statement indicating invoices must be paid within 30 days of receipt unless the invoice is reasonably believed to be improper. Additional planned corrective actions include: - Further refining policies and procedures and roles and responsibilities related to subrecipient monitoring and invoice payments. - Implementing a formal backup plan for subrecipient payments to ensure timely payment during the absence or work overload of the SRA. - Weekly reporting on subaward invoices and payments by the SRA to OSR leadership. - Updating OSR?s invoice tracking tools to include `Invoice Date ? Received? and `Invoice Date ? Paid? fields to highlight aged invoices and enable expedited resolution plans. - Providing continuing education for the OSR team on subrecipient compliance and regulatory timelines.
Assistance Listing Number, Federal Agency, and Program Name ? 93.395, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Treatment Research, Research and Development Cluster; 93.173, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders, Research and Development Cluster; 93.393, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cancer Cause and Prevention Research, Targeting DNA Methylation and Cancer Epigenome, Research and Development Cluster Federal Award Identification Number and Year ? R01 CA255506, R01 CA268440, R01 DC016519, R35 CA209859 Pass through Entity ? N/A ? direct award Finding Type ? Significant deficiency Repeat Finding No Criteria ? In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 2 (b), for nonfederal entities other than states, payment methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury or the pass through entity and the disbursement by the nonfederal entity whether the payment is made by electronic funds transfers, or issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payments by other means. In accordance with 45 CFR 75.305 (3), when the reimbursement method is used, the federal awarding agency or pass through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of billing, unless it is believed the request to be improper. Condition ? Controls in place did not minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement to VAIA?s subrecipients. Questioned Costs None Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed ? Not applicable as there are no questioned costs. Context ? In 4 out of 7 transactions sampled for testing, it took VAIA greater than 30 calendar days to make payment to a subrecipient after receipt of billing. Cause and Effect ? For a period of the year, the controls in place were not followed in the normal timeline, resulting in VAIA not making payments within 30 calendar days to its subrecipients, after receipt of billing. It took VAIA between 41 and 75 days to make payment to its subrecipients. Late payments could impact the subrecipients abilities to continue the programmatic activities if not paid timely. Recommendation ? We recommend that VAIA review its procedures and controls to ensure disbursement of funds to its subrecipients is consistent with laws and regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan Prior to the auditor?s testing that resulted in this finding, the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) had created a new Sponsored Research Administrator role dedicated, in part, to proactive subrecipient monitoring and invoicing. This individual reports directly to the Director of Sponsored Research and meets with the Director monthly to monitor the subaward invoicing and routing process. Subaward invoicing activities were fully transitioned to the Sponsored Research Administrator (SRA) in October 2022. As part of the transition to this new SRA role, existing subaward checklists and process documentation were reviewed and improved. OSR also updated the subrecipient payment process document to include an explicit statement indicating invoices must be paid within 30 days of receipt unless the invoice is reasonably believed to be improper. Additional planned corrective actions include: - Further refining policies and procedures and roles and responsibilities related to subrecipient monitoring and invoice payments. - Implementing a formal backup plan for subrecipient payments to ensure timely payment during the absence or work overload of the SRA. - Weekly reporting on subaward invoices and payments by the SRA to OSR leadership. - Updating OSR?s invoice tracking tools to include `Invoice Date ? Received? and `Invoice Date ? Paid? fields to highlight aged invoices and enable expedited resolution plans. - Providing continuing education for the OSR team on subrecipient compliance and regulatory timelines.