Working With Michigan State Department of Health and Human Services

MDHHS funding overview

Depending on the work being funded, U-M may receive funds from MDHHS as stand-alone agreements or as part of a Master Agreement.

Stand-alone projects

Stand-alone project proposals are usually competitive and may include federal prime sponsors. Please refer to the solicitation for specific submission requirements and work with [email protected] for questions.

Projects under MDHHS Master Agreement

U-M currently supports over 90 projects funded under the MDHHS Master Agreement. These projects provide various services to the residents of the state of Michigan.

Important dates and what to expect

• All proposals, subsequent amendment requests, and reports are submitted in EGrAMS, and project periods are usually from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.
• Projects are individual in scope, but each falls under the same overall agreement issued by MDHHS. Principal investigators (PIs) should start discussing projects with MDHHS program managers in the spring, develop a budget with their research administrators based on the specific scope, and route a PAF for proposal submission via email. See the deadline Master Agreement Dates and Deadlines Table below for dates.
• ORSP MDHHS Award Management officers will notify PIs and project teams about allocated projects opened in EGrAMS sometime in July. Research administrators will then enter the proposal in EGrAMS, and Pre-Award officers will submit it.
• The Master Agreement is issued to U-M in late September and ORSP aims to have projects set up in eResearch by the beginning of October. If MDHHS delays in issuing the agreement, ORSP will also be delayed in executing the agreement. Adjustments, additions or removals/reductions to projects are done during Amendment cycles which happen, on average, four times a year. See the Master Agreement Dates and Deadlines Table below for dates and details.

MDHHS systems

MDHHS utilizes a few different systems for grants and contracts in order to submit proposals and manage projects. The specific system used depends on how the project is funded by the State of Michigan.

• EGRAMS: The Electronic Grants Administration & Management System (EGrAMS) is MDHHS’s primary grant management system. Project teams need access to submit proposals, amendments and reports.
  • To access EGrAMS, individuals should have an active user ID and be an authorized user. The first step is to create a user profile. For Master Agreement projects, contact ORSP ([email protected]) to request EGrAMS access. For standalone projects (awards outside of the Master Agreement), PIs must grant other users access to the project in EGrAMS).See: How to create a user profile in EGrAMS.
  • ORSP must first submit an email request to MDHHS before they will open EGrAMS for a project. If ORSP submitted the email request, but MDHHS failed to open a project for editing, let ORSP know ASAP so the issue can be addressed with MDHHS.
• SHOARS: Research projects related to sexually transmitted infections (STI) and/or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can submit reports and order supplies in the STI/HIV Operations and Resource System (SHOARS).
• SIGMA: Procurement contracts are issued as stand-alone projects and often use the Statewide Integrated Governmental Management Applications (SIGMA) system. These contracts are handled by ORSP and not the U-M Procurement Office.
  •  U-M State of Michigan SIGMA Vendor ID Number: CV0048260

Master Agreement process

IMPORTANT: All communications regarding timeline, notices and EGrAMS actions required are sent via the Master Agreement email list. To be added to the email group, please contact ORSP at [email protected].

Master Agreement Dates and Deadlines Table

Dates are subject to change. There are a minimum of four amendments issued each year, sometimes more. Quarterly Workplan reports are due four times a year in EGrAMS: Jan. 15, April 15, July 15, Nov. 15.

Please note: Failure to meet proposal and amendment deadlines results in every project under the Master Agreement being delayed. MDHHS waits to issue Master Agreement and Amendments until all individual projects are updated.

Overview of process

Pre-award and post-award actions taken under the MDHHS Master Agreement are always a two-step process:

• Email/PDF submission: Submit an email request to MDHHS contacts regarding the proposal or requested change(s).
• EGrAMS submission: Submit proposal(s)/change(s) via EGrAMS once MDHHS has opened the project for project team entry/editing.
  • PAFs: Request ORSP Action on PAF and select “Send Info to Sponsor” as the action needed when the EGrAMS submission is ready.
  • AWDs: Award change requests (ACRs) will be returned to project teams when EGrAMS is opened for post-award/amendment changes. If no ACR exists for the change, the project team will need to create one on the AWD record in order for ORSP to submit. See Amendments/Project Changes below for more information.

Detailed steps

ORSP submits the following actions via the normal internal U-M processes in the eResearch Proposal Management (eRPM) system (e.g., PAFs, ACRs, etc.). Read on for a description of each.

Proposals/PAFs

A PAF needs to be routed for new projects or additional funding on existing projects within the MDHHS fiscal year (10/1-9/30). See the Master Agreements Dates and Deadlines Table above for guidance about timing.

Tips for MDHHS PAFs:

• MDHHS deadline is Sponsor Deadline
• Project Title: If this is a project that has been funded in previous years, Project Title should match prior year’s title with FY## included to differentiate.
• Project Period: Must fall within the MDHHS Fiscal Year (10/1-9/30) and only for one year or less.
• Submission Instructions: Include the email for the MDHHS contact. 
• Utilize the below MDHHS templates for proposal docs. MDHHS proposals require:
  • Budget Summary and Detail Budget pages and Budget Justification (See MDHHS Budget instructions)
  • Workplan Template  
  • Facesheet Template
  • Correct IDC rate
    • New MDHHS IDC Rate Memo, effective for all FY25 proposals routed after 9/19/24 and all FY26 proposals

EGrAMS submission tips

Overall

• Run “Validation” and if there are any errors, select the red stop sign and a pop-up will show where the error is then click on the + in the pop-up to see more information and how to resolve the error.

Face Sheet

• Demo Info Name: Regents of the University of Michigan
• Agency’s fiscal year: July 1
• Agency type: University
• Method of Accounting: Accrual
• Ref #: PAF ID (This helps ORSP to match the project when awarded)
• Project Start Dates: Should align with the Fiscal year and match PAF
• Amount of funds: Should match PAF 
• Certifications / Contacts Info (click the arrow on the top right):
• AO – Pete Gerard
• Financial – Bryan Van Sickle
• PD – Kellie Buss 
• PI on PAF/Project

Certifications

• All certifications must be checked.

Narrative

• Counties – At least one county needs to be selected.
  • Do not use “Out-Wayne.”
• A narrative description must be included.

Workplan

• MDHHS requires an Expected Outcomes or Measurement for each Objective listed. These are used for the quarterly reports.

Budget Salary & Wages:

• Qty – Percentage of effort as a decimal. Must also match the justification.
• UOM (Unit of Measure) column must be completed – “FTE” for Full Time Employees or “HRS” for hourly employees.
• IDC rate – must match PAF and Class Code. See new MDHHS IDC Rate Memo, effective 9/19/24.
• The fringe calculation must be based on the total salaries requested.

Budget Totals

• Budget Total amounts should match the Face Page. 
• Sections labeled “Total Expenditures” and “Total Source of Funds” should be consistent. 
• The budget amount on the EGrAMS Face Page is controlled by MDHHS, so if it is not what was expected, the PI/Project Team will need to contact their Program Officer to determine the reason for the discrepancy and how it will be resolved. This error may be resolved with an amendment, or it may be that MDHHS has reduced/expanded the work/budget, and this is the new correct amount. Please let ORSP know of any discrepancies so this can be noted on the PAF or AWD and processed accordingly.
• Rounding matters for the EGrAMS forms
• The Cost Share amount is included in the Source of Funds Section under “Local,” and when added to Total State funds, it will equal the Total Budget Amount on the project and PAF.

Amendments / Project Changes

Changes to projects are made during the Amendment cycles. Under the Master Agreement, a minimum of four Amendment cycles are processed each year. See Master Agreement Dates and Deadlines Table above. The ORSP MDHHS Team will communicate about these amendments and any additional off-cycle amendments via the MDHHS email list. 

ORSP requires either an ACR or a new PAF in eRPM for all Amendment requests. Additional funds require a new PAF and any other project changes require an ACR.

Two-step process for amendments:

• Email/PDF Submission: 
  • An appropriate ACR type or a new PAF should be routed for the change being requested (see table below).
  • Indicate what the project team would like MDHHS to open for changes in EGrAMS: the workplan, budget/budget justification, or both (see below).
  • Include a PDF with changes noted/highlighted for ORSP to submit:
    • MDHHS Project Application Face Sheet (using MDHHS form, linked above).
    • Attachment A: Workplan & Proposal Narrative (if making workplan updates).
    • Budget & Budget Justification (using MDHHS forms, linked above).
    • Use yellow highlighting to clearly indicate any updates or changes made to the documents.
    • For MIP Projects Only: Brief summary of amendment for MIP Leadership
    • For MIP Projects Only: In the routing instructions, please request that [email protected] be CC’d on the email sent to MDHHS.
  • ORSP will email the program officer requesting that the project be opened in EGrAMS for changes in the next Amendment. 
• EGrAMS Submission:
  • When they are ready, MDHHS will open the award up for editing in EGrAMS. ORSP will communicate to project teams when EGrAMS is open and provide the deadline for submission via the MDHHS email list. 
  • If an ACR was routed, the ACR will be returned to the project team. 
  • Project teams should Request ORSP Action on a PAF or “Submit Changes” on the ACR when they have entered the amendment information in EGrAMS to let ORSP know submission is ready.
  • ORSP will verify and submit in EGrAMS. MDHHS will issue the amendment for all projects. ORSP will process a Modification for each Amendment. 
  • 

Carryforward

Project teams should reach out to their program officer at MDHHS to see if the remaining funds from the current FY can be used in the next FY. Funds are then issued under the next year’s Master Agreement.

If the program officer agrees, then the following is required:

• Create a new PAF in eRPM for the carryforward funds. Make sure the title of the new PAF is consistent with the AWD.
• Create a revised work plan.
• Create a new budget for the carryforward funds (based on the estimated amount of funds remaining or however much is the estimated total for that scope of work).

This process is sometimes referred to (incorrectly) as a no-cost Extension. MDHHS does not allow for no-cost extensions under the Master Agreement.

Reporting

Project Teams are responsible for the preparation and submission of quarterly reports in EGrAMS. Quarterly Report Deadlines: Jan. 15, April 15, July 15, Nov. 15 (Final Report). 

Note, previous quarterly reports must be submitted and accepted before subsequent reports are opened for completion and submission in EGrAMS. 

Project teams should consider using the Deliverables Function on the AWD record in eRPM to generate email reminders of quarterly report deadlines. 

Financial status reports (FSRs) are submitted by Finance-Sponsored Programs in EGrAMS. For questions related to an FSR, contact the appropriate Customer Service Coordinator in Sponsored Programs.