SPA/OCA On-Campus/Remote Work Arrangements after August 2, 2021

Memo sent from Pamela Webb, Associate Vice President for Research, on July 22, 2021

Colleagues, 

We are writing to update you on Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) and Office of Cost Analysis (OCA)'s on-campus and remote work arrangements beginning August 2, 2021. SPA and OCA staff continue to be available via email (preferred) or gchat. 

  • Most SPA and OCA staff are available to meet in-person by appointment. (SPA has a few out-of-state employees who can only meet via zoom, but their supervisor would be available if needed.) While we presume that most meetings will continue via zoom, if you need to meet in-person, please let your Grant and Contract Officer ("GA") or other SPA/OCA contact person know when you are scheduling the appointment. Not sure who to contact? As a reminder, SPA staff assignments (including a GA by Department list) may be found at:  SPA Staff Contact List.
  • Most SPA and OCA staff will continue to work on a fully-remote basis. For the safety and security of the SPA and OCA staff who have chosen to work in-person, SPA/OCA's front door at 450 McNamara will remain locked, but a sign on the front door will provide an email list as a ready reference for you to contact your SPA/OCA staff member when you arrive for an appointment. You should also feel free to exchange phone numbers when the appointment is set up. 
  • SPA's main "Help" number, (612) 624-5599, remains available for voice messages; expect a call-back within 2-3 hours. Our general "Help" number transmits voicemails as electronic files which are forwarded to the applicable person in SPA or OCA throughout the day. (This method has worked successfully for the past 16+ months so we are continuing it at this time.)
  • SPA has discontinued receiving hard copy proposals via walk-in. This also means that SPA is no longer express mailing or messengering hard-copy proposals. (Neither of these has been needed for the past 16+ months.) Please continue to submit your proposals electronically following the instructions on the Quick Guide for Proposal Preparation and Submission located on the SPA website. 
  • SPA signatories remain available by appointment to do mandatory "wet-ink signatures." Please make arrangements through your normal SPA contact if a wet-ink (non-electronic) signature is required by a sponsor. Most sponsors will accept electronic signatures, and that remains the preferred option. 

Finally, you will notice a new title for many of your assigned SPA staff members. On July 1st, SPA's Grant Administrator ("GA") positions were reclassified and re-titled. GAs now hold the title of "Grant and Contract Officer" with the added designation of "Senior" or "Principal" where applicable. This change reflects titles that are commonly used among federal agencies for similar staff positions. You should feel free to continue to refer to your assigned personnel as a "GA" but for correspondence, please use your assigned staff member's new title (see their signature line on emails.)

If you have any questions or face an emergency situation that must be solved by action in less than 3 hours, please don't hesitate to contact any SPA or OCA manager, including:

  • Amy Rollinger, Associate Director (amyg@umn.edu)
  • David Hagen, Director, Office of Cost Analysis (hagen027@umn.edu)
  • April Coon, Director, Sponsored Projects Administration (john5885@umn.edu)
  • Pamela A. Webb, Associate Vice President for Research (pwebb@umn.edu)

With thanks, Pamela