Addendum for Sponsored Programs Office
Administrative details for CSU STEM Collaboratives
RFP for Subawards under Helmsley Charitable Trust award to the Chancellor’s Office
Updated August 11, 2014
Updated August 21, 2014
Proposal due date:
September 15, 2014, 5:00pm, by email to kodonnell@calstate.edu.
Prime Sponsor:
Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
Project Dates:
Period 1: 11/1/2014 to 7/31/2015
Period 2: 8/1/2015 to 7/31/2016
Period 3: 8/1/2016 to 12/31/2016
* Note: Initial RFP indicated a 30-month timeline. While we will explore the possibility of a no-cost
extension with the Helmsley Charitable Trust, we can only commit to a 26-month project period at this
time. Updates will be posted on the STEM Collaboratives website (www.calstate.edu/stem).
Amount of award: Funds may be requested for up to $375,000/total costs. Total costs in any individual period cannot
exceed $150,000/total costs. Only one proposal may be submitted from each campus.
FAQs
August 21st Update
1. Will including cost match provide an advantage to our proposal?
A. No, additional cost match outside of the $7,500/project commitment is not required, and will not be used as a
factor to score proposals. However, we do want to demonstrate to Helmsley that there is institutional support
that will be leveraged on this project, so we encourage you to estimate the resources that will be leveraged to
support your proposed project in addition to the $7,500.
2. What is the purpose of the $7,500 cost match?
A. Funds received from campuses will be used to hire administrative support for the Helmsley award, as
administrative costs are prohibited per sponsor guidelines.
3. When does the $7,500 cost match need to be sent to the CO?
A. Campuses can choose to send a one-time payment at the beginning of the project for $7,500, or choose to send
$2,500 at the beginning of each project period. Funds should be sent within 30 days of the start of each project
period.
4. Do we need to track or report all cost match financial commitments?
A. No, in-kind resources provided by the campus will be leveraged to support the project and should not be
considered official cost match. These resources do not need to be tracked or reported, but we will use the
estimated leveraged resources in narrative reports to the Helmsley Charitable Trust.
5. Does our proposal need to go through our office of sponsored programs?
A. Yes. In addition to signatures required under #5 of the Proposal Guidelines in the RFP, the proposal will also need
to go through your campus internal clearance process and be approved by your director of sponsored programs
(or other authorized approver).
6. Is IRB review/approval required?
A. Yes, since this project will involve students and student data, IRB review and approval will be required prior to
campus/auxiliary acceptance of a subaward.
7. How will the funds be distributed to each campus?
A. The Chancellor’s Office will issue a subaward to the selected campus/auxiliary and funds will be sent following a
payment schedule. While invoices will not be required, a financial report will be due at the end of each period.
8. Does the Helmsley Charitable Trust have a limit on the F&A (Indirect) Cost percentage allowed?
A. Yes, the limit is 10% on Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC). MTDC excludes scholarships, tuition, rent,
equipment (over $5,000) and subawards over the first 25k.
9. Will faculty released time be reimbursed at the replacement/vacant rate or at full reimbursed cost of salary plus
benefits?
A. Full salary and benefits for released/reimbursed time is allowable. However, if the salary and benefits full cost is
not included in the grant budget, then the difference between the vacant rate and the full salary and benefit cost
should be included as cost match/leveraging (see revised budget template).
10. Is cost matching/sharing required?
A. Yes, a $7,500 total cost match is required from unrestricted funds. These funds will be sent to CO independent of
grant funds to be used for project administration. Project directors should already be aware of this requirement.
Additional cost matching is not required. However, if included in the budget request, completion of the Cost
Match budget spreadsheet is required. Cost match was identified in Helmsley proposal as leveraged CSU
resources and not as official CSU cost match. We encourage you to show a budget of resources that will be
leveraged to support and sustain this project, but you are not required to track the actual expenditures.
11. What deliverables will be expected for the project?
A. At a minimum, a technical and financial report will be required at the end of each period. More details will be
provided at the time of award.
For administrative related questions contact Holly Osborne, Pre-Award Services Manager, hosborne@calstate.edu, 562.951.4320.
For program related questions, contact Dawn Digrius, STEM Collaboratives Senior Project Manager, ddigrius@calstate.edu, 562.951.4719.