Black box with arrows pointing to "Research Reminder."

 

University of Missouri research staff are asking all MU researchers and scholars to review their current and pending support, also known as other support, to ensure compliance with the most up-to-date federal regulations.

Here are four things to know:

  • Over time, the federal government has requested additional disclosures on current and pending (other) support to avoid and mitigate conflicts of interest and identify and address foreign influence on and interest in research funded by the United States government. Ensuring these disclosures are current, accurate and complete can help avoid scrutiny by sponsors that can prevent a project from being funded, jeopardize an existing award or worse. Our institution’s research administration enterprise is enhancing guidance on this topic to further support faculty and staff by providing sponsor-specific tools to address these complicated requirements.
  • Recent guidance has placed additional focus on disclosing foreign commitments along with in-kind or unfunded support that may still present a conflict of interest. Examples of this guidance include, but are not limited to, the following specific requests:
    • National Institutes of Health (NIH) other support documents must now be signed by the submitting individual using digital signature software chosen by the applicant. While a “flattened” PDF displaying these signatures is what is provided to the NIH, original unaltered digital signatures must be kept on file for inspection if requested.
    • For NIH other support submissions that include foreign activities and resources, recipients are required to submit copies of contracts, grants or any other agreement specific to senior/key personnel foreign appointments and/or employment with a foreign institution as supporting documentation. If they are not in English, recipients must provide translated copies.
    • Beginning Oct. 23, 2023, NSF will require senior/key personnel to use SciEnvCV to generate their current, pending and other support documents.
  • Principal Investigators and other senior/key personnel should review MU’s “Current and Pending/Other Support Requirements by Sponsor” guidance for a general overview of different requirements organized by the sponsor. Senior/key personnel should defer to the published guidance of their respective sponsor for comprehensive instructions. Please also pay close attention to specific funding opportunities in case they contain superseding guidance or additional requirements.
  • Please contact your department research administrator(s) and/or senior grants and contracts administrator with questions regarding current and pending/other support documents. Questions regarding external support unaffiliated with your university duties may need to be reviewed by the university’s Conflict of Interest office (coi@missouri.edu) or our Research Security and Compliance office (exportcontrols@missouri.edu) when sensitive information or foreign entities are involved. These issues are complex. We are happy to review specific situations ahead of time to facilitate proper disclosure and help work out solutions to unexpected concerns as they arise.