What is research incentive distribution?
Research incentive distribution is the portion of the facilities and administrative revenue ASU recovers from sponsored grants/contracts that is returned to colleges and centers.
Are research incentive distribution and investigator incentive award the same?
No. They are wholly separate programs. Research incentive distribution is the portion of F&A returned to colleges and centers. Investigator incentive award is the portion of F&A which is returned to the investigators.
How much research incentive distribution is distributed to the college/center?
Twenty percent of the actual F&A recovered on account expenses are returned to the colleges. If the ERA funding proposal’s SmartForm 1.2.1 (Lead Unit, Investigators and Allocations) indicates an approved center’s involvement, then 4% may be distributed to the center with the balance of 16% going to the college.
Who decides the percentage of facilities and administrative revenue that will go back to the college/center?
The formula for calculating available research incentive distribution (and investigator incentive award funds) is determined by Knowledge Enterprise.
When are research incentive distribution funds distributed to the college/center?
Half of the funds due to the college/center are automatically distributed weekly and at month-end. The balance is provided in late summer/early fall, following reconciliation of the fiscal year just ended.
Do all centers receive research incentive distributions?
No. Only those approved to receive RID are eligible. Approval to establish a center RID account is jointly decided by the college dean and KE. There are times where a decision is made not to have RID go to the center. In that case, the account will be set up and used solely for recognition and the 4% which would normally go to the center will default to the college’s RID account.
What is the process for centers wanting research incentive distributions?
The center director will need to work with their dean to have a center approved to receive allocations. Once this is approved, the center will need to set up a local account dedicated to RID and notify KE Finance so the appropriate adjustments can be made.
Where is the research incentive distribution posted?
Colleges (and each center approved by KE and the dean to receive RID) have their own local account dedicated to this purpose. Research incentive distribution accounts all have fund numbers starting with 549X:
RID Fund Code
5490 Tempe campus
5491 West campus
5492 Polytechnic campus
5494 Downtown/extended campus
What are the steps for setting up a new account?
For a center to receive RID, obtain approval from the dean of the host college, request a unique HR code, and then set up a local account specifically for RID (see table above for the appropriate campus fund number). Once this is in place, contact KE Finance at [email protected] and they will enter in the RID allocation percentage and account number in ERA. Unless and until these steps are complete, the RID will go entirely to the college.
How does Knowledge Enterprise know which college/center should receive research incentive distributions?
The information resides in Coeus and is derived from the allocation percentages on the ERA funding proposal’s SmartForm 1.2.1 (Lead Unit, Investigators and Allocations), which faculty, chairs and deans agree upon at the time of proposal submission.
Can the allocations be change?
Yes. To request allocation changes, follow the Internal Allocation Change section of the WI-EP-130 work instruction to create and route an Investigator Allocation Change in ERA Awards. If the change is as a result of a person leaving the university, that person’s signature is not necessary. The year-end RID reconciliation transfers will use the current allocations in ERA at the time the report is done and apply those percentages to determine the funding allocations for the entire fiscal year.
Are there restrictions on how a college/center may use the research incentive distribution funds?
No. Research incentive distribution is intended to further research activities in the colleges/centers. Knowledge Enterprise does not place any special restrictions on the use of RID funds. However, all university rules for expenditure of funds must be followed.
What if a college/center wants to make an allocation to a unit of a principal investigator?
Distributions provided to units in the colleges are not monitored by Knowledge Enterprise. The colleges are responsible for further distributions to the units and investigators.
Which grants/contracts generate research incentive distributions?
Full recovery = uses the rates stipulated in the rate agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Yes, this generates RID.
Limited recovery (federal) = uses a rate in a program announcement which is different from the rate agreement with DHHS. Yes, this generates RID.
Limited recovery (non-federal/charitable) = uses the published rate of the sponsor and differs from the DHHS agreement. Yes, this generates RID.
Waiver of F&A (federal/non-federal/charitable) = ASU has granted a full or portal reduction in the amount of F&A being charged to the sponsor. No, this does not generate RID.
No recovery of F and A = ASU receives no F&A from the sponsor. No, this does not generate RID.
**For the definition of full recovery on charitable grants, see the F and A Rate Memorandum dated February 3, 2022.