About ARRA
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. The purpose of the $787 billion Recovery package is to jump-start the economy to create and save jobs. The package contains extensive funding for science, engineering research and infrastructure, and more limited funding for education, social sciences and the arts.
Twenty-eight different agencies – such as the Departments of Education; Health and Human Services; and Energy – have been allocated a portion of the $787 billion in Recovery funds. Each agency develops specific plans for how it will spend its Recovery Act funds. The agencies then award grants and contracts to state governments or, in some cases, directly to schools, hospitals, contractors, or other organizations. Starting in October 2009, recipients filed their first of regular quarterly reports on how they are spending the money and their specific activities related to Recovery funds.
TAMRF ARRA PI Reporting Form
Please complete the TAMRF ARRA PI Reporting Form, utilizing either the Excel or Adobe PDF format, and return via e-mail to kmcdermott@rf-mail.tamu.edu or your designated Project Administrator. Quarterly ARRA reports are accepted only via e-mail; hard copies received by fax or mail will not be processed.
ARRA PI Reporting Form (Excel)
ARRA PI Reporting Form (interactive Adobe Acrobat form)
Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat 7.0 or later to SAVE the completed PDF form.
Guidelines for TAMRF ARRA PI Reporting Form
Project Status (drop-down menu selection)
Evaluation of completion status of the project or activity; the status of the work that has been completed. This evaluation should be based on performance progress reports and other relevant non-financial performance information. Valid project statuses are:
- Not started
- Less than 50% completed
- Completed 50% or more
- Fully completed
Project Description/Quarterly Activities (2,000 characters or less)
A summary of the overall purpose and expected results of the project, including significant deliverables and a description of this quarter’s progress.
The narrative does not need to be excessively long. It is restricted to 2,000 characters but need not use all allowable space. Include key points that would be of interest to the general public. When possible, use generic terms and lay language. The key points to make are progress toward outcome and contribution to enhancement of quality of life and/or long term potential for economic impact through development of a commercial product.
Jobs Reporting – UPDATED January 25, 2010
In accordance with the updated Job Reporting guidance released by OMB, all individuals charged to an ARRA award will be included in the Job Calculation. TAMRF will calculate full-time employees (FTE) based on the payroll for your award per reporting quarter; job titles will be used to complete the Job Description field.
ARRA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: I have received an ARRA award. What do I need to know?
A: Congratulations on your award! The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) imposed specific reporting and funds management requirements on all projects/programs under ARRA. Remember that it is critical that these requirements are met. ARRA compliance expectations are as follows: (a) funds should be spent in a timely fashion and reported quarterly; (b) there cannot be co-mingling or transfers between ARRA and non-ARRA funds, and (c) ARRA reporting requirements are in addition to current sponsor reporting requirements. ARRA awards will require the Texas A&M Research Foundation to report almost 50 data elements quarterly on each ARRA award. The Principal Investigator will only need to provide the information requested on the TAMRF-provided ARRA PI Reporting Form. TAMRF will consolidate all data elements and submit the report to FederalReporting.gov.
Q: Does the ARRA report replace the sponsor's technical report?
A: NO. The ARRA reporting requirement is in addition to, and separate from, the sponsor's technical reporting requirements. The Principal Investigator is responsible for submitting both reports according to the timeline specified in the award.
Q: As a PI, do I have to register with FederalReporting.gov and submit a report?
A: No. The only report you need to complete for ARRA reporting is the TAMRF-provided ARRA PI Reporting Form. We will combine the information you provide on this form with the larger report we will submit for your project via the federal web portal at FederalReporting.gov.
Q: For what period of time do I need to report?
A: The first reporting period starts at the date of award and should include data through the end of the current reporting quarter. For each subsequent reporting period, you will report cumulative data.
Q: What do I report if I only recently received my award and work has not begun?
A: The Quarterly Activities narrative should be “No activity; award just received”. Percentage completed should be “Not started”. Jobs created and/or retained will be zero.
Q: I have an ARRA supplement to an existing award. How do I report?
A: ARRA reporting pertains to ARRA funded activity only. If there is an ARRA supplement to an existing non-ARRA award, the reporting will be only for the ARRA portion.
Q: What should I include in the “Project Description/Quarterly Activities” narrative?
A: The narrative does not need to be excessively long. It is restricted to 2,000 characters but need not use all allowable space. Include key points that would be of interest to the general public. When possible, use generic terms and lay language. The key points to make are progress toward outcome and contribution to enhancement of quality of life and/or long term potential for economic impact through development of a commercial product.
Q: What are the consequences of non-compliance?
A: Award(s) may be terminated and funds may have to be returned to the sponsor. Additionally, the Principal Investigator (PI) and the Texas A&M Research Foundation could be debarred from receiving any future sponsor funds. Non-compliance by TAMRF will be visible to national/international constituents on www.Recovery.gov.
Federal Websites
https://www.federalreporting.gov/federalreporting/home.do
http://www.recovery.gov/
http://grants.nih.gov/recovery/
http://www.nsf.gov/recovery/ |
