Follow these steps to help principal investigators (PIs) in your DLC manage salaries in compliance with federal and Institute requirements.
Confirm roles and authorizations

If your job responsibilities require you to review, change, or monitor salary distributions, you will be assigned one or more roles that include the necessary authorizations. Within your department, lab, or center (DLC), the HR Primary Authorizer is responsible for assigning roles for salary distribution activities, such as

  • eDACCA Certifier
  • eDACCA Administrator
  • eSDS Administrator

Go to the Atlas full menu and see eDACCA Salary Distribution Inbox under Financial Inboxes.

See VPF policies on salary distribution roles and authorizations for details.

Verify labor charges

When you review salary distributions, you must verify that direct labor charges to federally sponsored agreements are reasonable and reflect actual work performed. This process is used to demonstrate—as a percentage of total salaries—the distribution of individuals’ efforts among the various activities they perform. These may be categorized as direct charges or as committed cost sharing.

View the VPF policy on salary certification for details.

Cap salary rate (optional)

Within a given monthly salary review period, the salary for any individual within your DLC must not exceed the proportionate share of the base salary for a particular activity. For example, if someone is working on a 10-month project with a base salary of $10,000, that individual’s total monthly salary for that project must never exceed $1,000.

View the VPF policy on institutional base salary for details.

Notify sponsor of reduced effort

If a principal investigator (PI) working on a federally sponsored project within your DLC plans to reduce the effort on a project by 25% or more below the award level, the PI must notify the sponsor in writing to request permission prior to reducing the effort. Such notifications must be routed through and coordinated with Research Administration Services (RAS).

Adjust salary charges

If a PI in your area is reducing the effort on a project, review salary charges and cost-sharing commitments (if applicable) for appropriate adjustments. You must coordinate all such adjustments with Research Administration Services (RAS).

The Details

Confirm roles and authorizations

If your job responsibilities require you to review, change, or monitor salary distributions, you will be assigned one or more roles that include the necessary authorizations. Within your department, lab, or center (DLC), the HR Primary Authorizer is responsible for assigning roles for salary distribution activities, such as

  • eDACCA Certifier
  • eDACCA Administrator
  • eSDS Administrator

Go to the Atlas full menu and see eDACCA Salary Distribution Inbox under Financial Inboxes.

See VPF policies on salary distribution roles and authorizations for details.

Verify labor charges

When you review salary distributions, you must verify that direct labor charges to federally sponsored agreements are reasonable and reflect actual work performed. This process is used to demonstrate—as a percentage of total salaries—the distribution of individuals’ efforts among the various activities they perform. These may be categorized as direct charges or as committed cost sharing.

View the VPF policy on salary certification for details.

Cap salary rate (optional)

Within a given monthly salary review period, the salary for any individual within your DLC must not exceed the proportionate share of the base salary for a particular activity. For example, if someone is working on a 10-month project with a base salary of $10,000, that individual’s total monthly salary for that project must never exceed $1,000.

View the VPF policy on institutional base salary for details.

Notify sponsor of reduced effort

If a principal investigator (PI) working on a federally sponsored project within your DLC plans to reduce the effort on a project by 25% or more below the award level, the PI must notify the sponsor in writing to request permission prior to reducing the effort. Such notifications must be routed through and coordinated with Research Administration Services (RAS).

Adjust salary charges

If a PI in your area is reducing the effort on a project, review salary charges and cost-sharing commitments (if applicable) for appropriate adjustments. You must coordinate all such adjustments with Research Administration Services (RAS).