Wednesday, January 18, 2017

MAPP PI Handbook

This document describes the process of maintaining your MAPP award, including guidance for submitting your annual or final reports, information about requesting a no-cost extension on your project, and requests regarding journal publications produced as a result of your research project.

MAPP award recipients are expected to submit annual and final reports documenting research progress and achievements. These reports should include identification information about the project, research results and accomplishments for the previous year only (unless submitting a final report), resulting publications, next-year budget, and future work. Please follow the guidance below to ensure your work is duly represented as part of the MAPP program.

Contents:
Checklist
1. Annual Reporting
2. Journal publications from funded projects
3. Requesting a No-Cost Extension
4. Frequently Asked Questions
5. Contact Information


Checklist

ANNUAL REPORTS
  • Submit one report inclusive of entire project team’s activity submitted by the lead PI; co-PIs submit identical report
  • Send e-mail to oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov in addition to submitting to Grants Online, if project is a grant
  • Follow report preparation and submission guidance in section 1 “Annual Reporting”
    • Include bulleted list of accomplishments
  • Name report file with following convention: PIname_GC#_FY16
  • Read through guidance in section 4 “Frequently Asked Questions” before contacting program staff

NO-COST EXTENSION REQUESTS
  • For Grants, submit no-cost extension (NCE) request >30 days before project expiration; choose “prior approval waived” if first NCE; choose “prior approval required” if second NCE

TIME-SENSITIVE PUBLICATION REPORTS
1. Annual Reporting
Due dates for annual reports are specified in the MAPP projects FY16 reports table at the bottom of this document. The dates may not be exact for grants; dates posted in Grants Online are regarded as official.

For all MAPP awards:
See Report Preparation and Submission Guidelines (below) for instructions on how to prepare and submit your report. The lead PI is responsible for sending a report on behalf of all project collaborators to oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov. If there are any issues with the information in the table, please notify Will Chong (william.chong@noaa.gov). For grants, please note the grant ID # (NA...) in the subject line of your e-mail. Please note that final reports will be posted on the public-facing MAPP website.

For grants:
In addition to emailing their report to the Program Managers, grantees MUST also submit their report via the NOAA Grants Online system. The Program Manager cannot approve your continuation of funding without the Grants Online report submission and approval. The Grants Online System will send an automated report request to a representative at the grant recipient organization 30 days before the official due date (note: Grants Online due dates may differ slightly from those in the table included here; please consider the Grants Online due dates as official). Delinquent reports are grounds for action against the recipient.

Report Preparation and Submission Guidelines

The report should be one single file (pdf or word) with the following naming convention: PIname_GC#_reportyear
When emailing the report, please state PI name, GC# and Report Year in the subject line. The GC#, which is an internal tracking identifier, can be used to help you identify various parts of one project:

GC12-432d
Proposal number (only one per project)
Project component (one per funded co-investigator; in this case, there would also be parts a, b, and c, and perhaps more)

The report must include the following elements:

  1. Header The Project Title, PI/co-PI names, Report Year (Progress Report Year or Final Report), Grant # (if available -- NA...)
  2. Results and Accomplishments Format: Max 4 pages of 12 pt font text, not including figures. Lead PIs of projects involving multiple investigators should consolidate reports from contributing PIs and submit a single report for the project. For grants holders, each PI will still need to submit a report via the Grants Online System. Results and accomplishments described should be limited to the current funding period and should explicitly link back to the stated tasks and goals of the project. Final reports should be comprehensive, covering the entire project duration.  You are highly encouraged to include key figures to illustrate achievements.
  3. Highlights of Accomplishments Format: Bullet-style summary list of accomplishments. Half page max, 12 pt font.
  4. Publications from the Project Format: Authors, Year: Title. Journal name and specifications/status. PIs may include papers in preparation/press, etc.
  5. PI Contact Information.
  6. Budget for Coming Year (annual progress reports only).
  7. Future Work (annual progress reports only).
2. Journal publications from funded projects

Acknowledgements
We request that you acknowledge MAPP program support (including the award number, if applicable) in all publications supported by MAPP. A suggested statement: “This study was supported by NOAA’s Climate Program Office’s Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections program.” You should include the grant #, if applicable. We also request that you acknowledge your participation in any of MAPP’s Task Forces.

Publication notice
Navigate to the publication notification page to send us information when ANY papers supported through your MAPP award are accepted for publication (within 2 weeks of acceptance).

Prior notice for major papers and events
Send MAPP program management (oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov) notice of upcoming major papers (and press releases) for MAPP funded work 2-3 weeks prior to their publication date (this is intended for major findings or papers in journals like Science, Nature, etc.). Such publications will be promoted to NOAA leadership and in some cases, to Department of Commerce or Executive Branch offices.

Also give us prior notice for any other major events of relevance to your MAPP project (special sessions/meetings that you are convening, special issues that will appear, etc.) that demonstrate your MAPP work and accomplishments.

If we receive prior notice we are able to alert CPO and OAR communication offices in a way that ensures maximum coverage for your papers/events. Also, please let us know if your work/event receives news coverage so we can highlight such coverage on the MAPP webpage.
3. Requesting a No-Cost Extension

If your project is in its final year, it is your organization’s responsibility to ensure the funds are utilized before the end of the project. If funds will not be utilized before the project’s expiration, a no-cost extension to finish planned work may be requested. A “No-Cost Extension” request must be submitted 30 days prior the end of the project -- no exceptions or extensions are possible if submitted past this deadline, and funds will be permanently de-obligated after this period. Each co-investigator is responsible for requesting his or her own no-cost extension; the lead PI cannot request one on behalf of the entire team. The request should include a progress report and financial spending plan for the leftover funds. For grants, this request MUST be submitted through the Grants Online System before the deadline. Grants Online will not approve No-cost Extension requests submitted outside of this window.

Failing to correctly submit a No-Cost Extension request will result in the expiration of the award and the closure of any leftover funds by NOAA’s Grants Management Division. For all awards, also send the request directly to the responsible Program Manager. A second no-cost extension may be granted in view of exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Program Managers. If you are requesting the grant’s first no-cost extension, select the “prior approval waived” option in Grants Online. If you are requesting a second no-cost extension, select the “prior approval required” option.
4. Frequently Asked Questions

This informal guidance regarding administrative issues is based on program management’s past experience. However, NOAA’s current rules and regulations and special award conditions will take precedence if different from what is stated in this document.

General
I am having trouble accessing my Grants Online account or performing actions on this account; whom should I contact?
You should call the Grants Online Help Desk at 1-877-662-2478.

I need to re-budget some of the costs for my award; whom should I contact?
For grants, you should submit an award action request (AAR) through Grants Online to rebudget. This request should include a new budget table, a new budget description, and a letter explaining the need for and nature of the budgetary change and a statement ensuring that the rebudgeting will help and not interfere with the team meeting the project’s objectives.

How do I know if my award is a grant?
If you have a Grant # in the MAPP Projects Reports Table at the end of this document, your award is a grant that needs to be handled through the Grants Online System.

Reports
Do I really have to submit a report, and if yes, what’s the exact process?
Yes, anyone who receives funding of any non-zero amount from the MAPP program, whether they are federal or non-federal staff, are expected to submit a report on annual accomplishments. Note that all report requirements including formatting and content, described elsewhere in this document, pertain to all of the following. Here are the explicit submission process expectations:

  • If you are a federal project lead -- It is your responsibility to submit a comprehensive report covering your and any related co-investigators work to oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov.
  • If you are a non-federal project lead -- It is your responsibility to submit a comprehensive report covering your and any related co-investigators work to Grants Online and also to send that report to oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov.
  • If you are a federal co-investigator (but not project lead) -- It is your responsibility to contribute to the report the lead investigator is preparing for the project. You do not have to submit a report to Grants Online or by e-mail.
  • If you are a non-federal co-investigator (but not the project lead) -- It is your responsibility to contribute to the report the lead investigator is preparing for the project, and to submit that identical report to Grants Online to fulfill your reporting requirements. You do not have to submit the report by e-mail.
I have questions regarding how to prepare and submit my progress report, due dates or any other information in the table; whom should I contact?
You should contact Will Chong (william.chong@noaa.gov).

My award is a grant. How many progress reports should I expect to submit?
Generally, for 3-year grants there is a first progress report 9 months after the start of the project, a second year progress report 12 months after that, and a third progress report 12 months later. A Final Comprehensive report is due 3 months after the end of the project. This may be different for particular awards.

What happens if I don’t submit a report for my grant?
Grants Online will continue to send emails regarding your report notifying all relevant parties in your organization and at NOAA that your report is delinquent and your funding continuation will not be processed.

A report that is never submitted is subject to enforcement action by NOAA and may impact the eligibility of your institution to receive future funding.

My project is funded through a Cooperative Institute (CI); do I still need to submit a report directly to the MAPP program?
Yes, we ask that you submit a report according to the instructions in this document in addition to any report prepared for your respective CI, following any special award condition requirements.

Continuation of Funding and requesting No-cost Extensions
I have submitted my report but I still have not received continuation of funding for my project; whom should I contact regarding my funding?
After you submit your progress report, it may still take several months for the funding to arrive at your institution. You can contact Diane Brown (diane.brown@noaa.gov) for information regarding the status of funding for your project.

I asked for a no-cost extension before the deadline. This was approved, but I still don’t see a change in the project duration in Grants Online; why is that?
There may be a lag between the no-cost extension approval and the change in the final date of the project in the Grants Online System. Ask the program manager responsible for your award to double check that the no-cost extension has indeed been approved and if so, just wait for it to appear in Grants Online. You can also call the Grants Online help desk with questions.

I asked for a no-cost extension after the deadline; is this likely to be approved?
No, no-cost extension requests that are made after the prior 30-day deadline will not be approved.
5. Contact Information

MAPP Program Staff
To email the entire MAPP staff use: oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov
Annarita Mariotti (Program Director), annarita.mariotti@noaa.gov
Dan Barrie (Program Manager), daniel.barrie@noaa.gov
Heather Archambault (Program Manager), heather.archambault@noaa.gov
Will Chong (Program Assistant), william.chong@noaa.gov

CPO Administrative Staff
Diane Brown (Grants Administration Team Leader), diane.brown@noaa.gov
Grants Online: https://grantsonline.rdc.noaa.gov
Grants Online Help: Toll free: 1-877-662-2478 | Local (DC area): 301-444-2112 | Email: GrantsOnline.HelpDesk@noaa.gov | Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern

The Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections (MAPP) Program's mission is to enhance the Nation's capability to understand and predict natural variability and changes in Earth's climate system. The MAPP Program supports development of advanced climate modeling technologies to improve simulation of climate variability, prediction of future climate variations from weeks to decades, and projection of long-term future climate conditions. To achieve its mission, the MAPP Program supports research focused on the coupling, integration, and application of Earth system models and analyses across NOAA, among partner agencies, and with the external research community.

Learn more...

Download our program brochure (pdf). 

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