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Class Codes and Definitions for Sponsored Awards

These are the only codes that pertain to Sponsored Awards. Learn more on our F&A Rates/Indirect Costs page as well as by viewing U-M's federal F&A rate agreement letters.

PAF Categories & Class Examples of Class Description

Instructional

1**** -- Instructional

General Academic Instruction (11000)

  • Course preparation and grading
  • Creating educational materials (i.e. textbooks, manuals, books for classroom use)
  • Supervision of teaching assistants, and faculty scholarly activity not separately budgeted and accounted for on a project basis.
  • Instructional committees: Academic Standing, Admissions, Curriculum, Fellowship, Lecture, Minority Student Recruitment, and Scholarship.
    Note: Cost sharing for these awards must also use this Class. Edits: Not allowed in central University administrative units. 

Research Training Grants (16000)

  • Training of individuals in research techniques.
  • Pre- and post-doctoral training awards
  • Fellowships

There are three basic characteristics of a Research Training Grant/Fellowship:

  1. The individual is not a permanent employee of the University. Their involvement is as a trainee. In most instances, the award is made to an individual who is not the PI in the eyes of the UM.
  2. Stipends and/or Tuition are the primary budgeted expenditures.
  3. The award document includes verbiage of sponsor or mentor.
Examples:
  • NIH awards with the following prefixes F (F31, F32), T (T32, T35) & some K awards (specifically Institutional Career Development awards - K12, KL2, KM1)
  • SOME NIH R03 Awards for Dissertations with 8% IDC
  • NSF-IGERT (Research Training awards from NSF)
CAUTION: Awards titled "Fellowship" or "Research Training" by the sponsor may not fit the University's definition of Research Training Grant. Often an award issued to a faculty member or researcher is Organized Research.

Research 

22*** -- Research

Refers to both On-Campus Organized Research (22000) and Off-Campus Organized Research (22100

On-Campus Organized Research (22000)

  • Research sponsored by federal and non-federal agencies and organizations
  • Managed within academic units, institutes, or research centers
  • 50% or more of U-M employee personnel effort (including cost-shared effort) is performed in facilities owned or leased by the University

    Examples:
    • Writing and/or analyzing the findings of research already performed under a separate award
    • NIH Individual Career Development Awards (K awards, excluding Institutional Career Development awards K12, KL2 & KM1) 
    • Developing training programs that are not course and curriculum development. See Class 11000.

    Comparison Examples:
    • Example of 22000: Develop training program to teach researchers in a foreign country to be better researchers.
    • Example of 11000: Develop course program materials for a joint program in Social Work and Public Health (a for credit course).

Off-Campus Organized Research (22100)

  • Research sponsored by federal and non-federal agencies and organizations
  • Managed within academic units, institutes, or research centers
  • 50% or more of UM employee personnel effort (including cost-shared effort) is performed in facilities neither owned nor leased by the University. DOES NOT include effort of non-UM employees (i.e. Sub-contract employees)
  • NIH Individual Career Development Awards (K awards, excluding Institutional Career Development awards K12, KL2 & KM1) 

Research and Synonymous terms:
Consider, Explore, Observe, Study, Develop, Investigate, Probe, Discover, Look into, Search, Examine, Make inquiries, Seek

Other Sponsored Activity (OSA)

31*** -- Other (refers to Other Sponsored Activity, including Clinical Trial site activity)

See below and right for specific guidance.

Other Sponsored Activities (31000, 31200)

  • IPA Agreements, Routine/Commercial Testing
  • Conference/Scientific Meetigns
  • Public Service
  • Clinical Trial Site Activity

Conferences/Scientific Meetings (31000)

Normally a conference is considered Other Sponsored Activity, subclass 31000, and the Other Sponsored Activity indirect cost rate is applied.

  • However, if the conference is part of another program, then use the same subclass the program uses. For example, the Conference for Young Scientists is considered part of their research training activity, so the appropriate subclass is 16000 is appropriate (used for research training grants). 

Public Service, Other Sponsored Activity (31000)

  • Activities that provide a service to the public
  • Activities funded by a single external sponsor and allow access to University resources

    Examples:  
    • U-M Employees acting as consultants as industry partners
    • IPA Agreements
    • NIH R13 Grants for Scientific Meetings
    • Conferences that DO NOT meet guidelines for instruction/training grants/research
    • Award to distribute research findings (i.e. conference, seminar).
  • Note: Restricted to sponsored funds 20000 and 25000 except when being used for cost sharing for these awards which must be used in funds other than 20000 or 25000.


Clinical Trial Site Activity (31200)

A specific subset of Other Sponsored Activity with the following characteristics:

  • Human clinical trials where U-M is a participant site in a multi-site trial on a protocol held by the external sponsor
  • U-M work involves the collection of data on a study cohort and return of that data to the Data Coordinating Center (DCC) or external sponsor for use.
  • Can be Interventional or Observational in nature
  • Examples:

    • Phase III drug trial for Pfizer pursuing IND approval with the FDA

    • 31200 Clinical Trial Site Activity excludes projects where U-M  serves in a lead role; for example: contributing to protocol development, managing / overseeing the collection of data from other sites, or having the responsibility to direct (independently) the U-M statement of work.

  • Note that the application of Facilities & Administrative Costs (or indirect costs or IDC) for Clinical Trial Site activity will be based on the Prime Sponsor of the project:

  • Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) base for federal
  • Total Cost (TC) base for industry, and
  • Prevailing rate for non-profit.
  • Phase IV, post-market protocol collecting patient data on behalf of Eli Lilly for further FDA review
  • Federally sponsored grant or contract where UM is a participating site following the sponsor protocol and returning study data.
  • Observational protocol comparing patient responses to an implanted device where U-M is a participating site and sends the collected data to the sponsor.

Prepared by the Office of Cost Reimbursement

References and Resources

Questions?

For questions or clarification, please contact the Office of Cost Reimbursement and visit the Office of Cost Reimbursement website. Also see our latest F&A Agreements.