Office Supplies Notice

We are pleased to report that a compromise has been reached with The Research Foundation concerning the treatment of office supplies used on sponsored projects. We have been able to modify the definition of office supplies for the purpose of charging grants and contracts (sponsored projects). We have achieved the ability to distinguish between items such as folders, paper, ink cartridges, pens, etc. used to carry out the scientific or programmatic objectives of a project and those used for administrative purposes. Items such as these, which are used exclusively for project purposes, will be treated as research supplies and will be permitted as direct charges on the project that consumes them. Since OMB Circular A-21 regards office supplies as items that should normally be treated as indirect expenses it is necessary that two criteria be met for an item to qualify as a research supply:

• The items must be used exclusively for the scientific or programmatic    objectives of a sponsored project within the project period, and
• The items must be charged to the project that consumes them and    not dispersed among several projects or used for departmental    administrative purposes.

All requisitions submitted for these items should state, "For Scientific or Programmatic Use of the Project Charged" on the body of the requisition. Note that new purchase requisitions (currently being printed) will provide an area for this certification. This certification should only be signed when the conditions described in the bullets above pertain to the purchase being made.

Any questions with regard to this matter should be directed to Aaron Rosenblatt, Director (2-9038) or Stephanie Ammann, Manager of Sponsored Project Expenditures (2-9071) in the Office of Grants Management.