Delta Stewardship Council Delta Research Awards

Managing Your Award

The Delta Research Awards are funded by the Delta Stewardship Council, led by the Council’s Delta Science Program (DSP), and administered in partnership with the University of California San Diego, California Sea Grant (Sea Grant).

1. Conditions of Award

UNIVERSITY TERMS AND CONDITIONS (UTC-220)  

All entities will be required to fulfill the award conditions of the University Terms & Conditions (UTC-220).

ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The following terms and conditions will be incorporated into all agreements in addition to terms and conditions required by UC San Diego (University; e.g., University Terms and Conditions UTC-220).

Award Terms and Conditions

2. Award Administration

NOTE: California Sea Grant reserves the right to withhold project funds if appropriate documentation or required reports are not provided by program deadlines.

Changes Relating to Key Personnel:

Changes in key personnel, in their grantee organization, or in their percentage of time, require prior approval of the California Sea Grant Director and the State (see Additional Terms and Conditions). In addition, if key personnel are considering any type of leave (sabbatical or leave of absence) during the period of this award, please contact California Sea Grant immediately to describe and determine this action’s impact on the research project. 

Financial Reporting Requirements: 

The final expense report is due within 45 days following the completion of the project. 

The department fiscal manager should submit the final expense report with cumulative ledgers (year-to-date details for supplies, travel, personnel, etc) through their institution’s grants management or extramural funds office. That office should then email (sgfiscal@ucsd.edu) this report to California Sea Grant.

Invoicing Requirements: 

Invoices should be printed on official letterhead and signed by an authorized official, employee or agent certifying that the expenditures claimed represent actual expenses for the service performed under this award. Invoices must also include at a minimum the following information: 

• Agreement Number
• Invoice Number
• Invoice Date
• Total dollar amount being billed for the statement period including the billing/performance period covered
• Description of the work performed as shown in the award
• A ledger detailing all expenditures incurred by the research project for the period during which work was performed and the project lead is now seeking reimbursement. This should be compiled in coordination with your campus and/or organization’s grants administrator.
• Itemized receipts showing cost breakdown or any other source documents for all direct expenditures by the research project. When invoicing for labor costs please include staff position, hourly wage, number of hours, and the total costs.
• Travel Expense Claim forms and all receipts for travel expenses incurred by the research project. California Sea Grant will reimburse travel and related expenses in accordance with University of California regulations; reimbursement shall not exceed University of California-approved travel rates (published at UC Travel Policy) that are in effect at the time that the expense is incurred. Copies of all receipts for travel expenses including food expenses will be required. Lodging rates shall be reasonable.

Any invoices that significantly deviate from this format will not be paid. All invoices must be accompanied by ledgers and back-up documentation. Invoices must be submitted directly via email to sgfiscal@ucsd.edu. 

Travel:

The California Sea Grant Program shall ensure that travel expenses will be reimbursed under any and all sub-contracts in accordance with University of California approved travel rates (or your institution’s rate if lower), published at:

http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3420365/BFB-G-28.

Out-of-state and foreign (international) travel must be pre-approved in the award allocation or a request for approval must be submitted to the Sea Grant Director no less than 60 days before the anticipated travel date. 

Travel and other expenses exceeding what was awarded will not be the responsibility of the California Sea Grant Program or the Delta Stewardship Council.

Equipment Inventory Report: 

If the project team has purchased equipment with State funds, the California Sea Grant office requires that an Equipment Inventory Report be submitted within 45 days following the end of each award year. Equipment purchases shall comply with Department of General Services State Contracting Manual (SCM) Section 7.29 – Equipment Purchases, if applicable.

No-Cost Extensions: 

Investigators are expected to adhere to the project’s approved timeline and to complete the project by the award’s end date. The effective dates are specified on the award allocation issued by California Sea Grant. The duration of the awarded projects shall be up to three (3) years with an option to amend for an additional one (1) year “No Cost Extension” upon the approval of the Council. 

In the event circumstances prevent completion of the project on time, an email request originating from the lead investigator must be submitted at least one month prior to the end of the project’s expiration date. Please send your request to sgfiscal@ucsd.edu, address the email to the California Sea Grant Director, and include the following in your message:

• The relevant grant number (DSC23000);
• The Sea Grant project number (e.g., R/DRA-01);
• Your campus account and fund numbers and/or sub-award number;
• The current project end date and new requested end date;
• A justification for the need for additional time: describe how and why progress has been delayed, which objectives have not yet been completed and a new timeline for their activities;
• Indicate expected fund balance for each expense category, the reason for the balance, and an explanation of how the funds will be used (provide dollar amounts).

In order for a request to be reviewed, the project must be in compliance with all reporting deliverables. Please be aware that extensions do not extend the due date of quarterly or annual progress reports. In addition, an extension to the final year of a project necessitates the continued submission of quarterly and annual progress reports.

Rebudget (Transfer of Funds): 

Prior approval from California Sea Grant and the State is required if cumulative transfers between categories exceed 75% or $55,000 (whichever is lesser) of the originally approved total project costs or if funds are being transferred into any category where funds were not originally budgeted. Please send your request to sgfiscal@ucsd.edu, address the email to Dr. Shauna Oh, and include the following in your message:

1) The relevant grant number (DSC23000)
2) The project number (e.g., R/DRA-01)
3) Your campus account and fund numbers and/or purchase order number
4) The original and new budget by line item in spreadsheet format as follows:

Carryover:

Subcontractors are not allowed to invoice for reimbursement of more than the annual approved total within a respective year. Subcontractors are allowed carryover for any budget category from one state fiscal year to a subsequent fiscal year without a formal amendment if the total amount requested to be carried forward is submitted to California Sea Grant and the Council and approved in writing. 

The subcontractors must submit their budget request to Sea Grant by October 30 of each fiscal year. The approval of the Council’s Contract Officer or delegee of the carryover must be in writing, which may be provided by email to Sea Grant and the subcontractor.

Progress Reports: 

All awardees are responsible for completing quarterly and annual project progress reports by the stated deadlines. The quarterly and annual project progress reports shall be provided to the Delta Stewardship Council and are the primary mechanism to ensure all deliverables are provided for each project in a timely manner as specified in each scope of work (e.g., list of presentations, media coverage, and any other products; revised Data Management Plan; community engagement plan; and final progress report). 

Awardees shall communicate any delays or issues encountered in implementing the awarded projects and be responsive in communications with California Sea Grant and the Delta Stewardship Council. The awardees shall also support California Sea Grant and Delta Stewardship Council outreach efforts including reviewing, developing, or distributing outreach materials related to funded projects.

All final reports or other such final deliverables as identified for each award are subject to the verification by the Council that the deliverables are complete prior to payment.  Such final deliverables must be confirmed as complete by the Council in writing before the payment for a final deliverable is issued by the Council or California Sea Grant.    

Awardees will complete all quarterly and annual progress reports via eSeaGrant. The awardees shall submit the following reports to California Sea Grant in accordance with their scope of work. Reports are due on the last day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter, unless otherwise noted:

• 1st Quarter Progress Report (January 1 – March 31) - Due April 30
• 2nd Quarter Progress Report (April 1 – June 30) - Due July 31
• 3rd Quarter Progress Report (July 1 – September 30) - Due October 31
• 4th Quarter / Annual Progress Report (October 1 – December 31) - Due January 31

The reporting templates are included below as a reference (but are subject to change). 

Quarterly Progress Report Template

Annual Progress Report Template

Final Report Template