VBRI may enter into agreements with eligible institutions, for example, VANJHCS, or Rutgers University, for repayment of personnel salaries. All personnel agreements are executed in advance with the approval of the Executive Director of VBRI and the appropriate official of the participating institution.
Personnel agreements can include those assignments falling under the Interagency Personnel Agreement Act (IPA), VBRI Personnel Agreements, or Memoranda of Understanding (MOU). IPAs are the only mechanism by which VBRI accepts VA-appropriated funds.
There are specific requirements and review processes for each type of personnel agreement. VBRI staff will review the options with the requesting party to make sure the appropriate mechanism is executed. The Executive Director will ensure that assignments are consistent with requirements and limitations of IPA, funder, or other relevant, statues, regulations, procedures and guidelines.
These agreements may be used when a VBRI employee will be temporarily assigned to a grant administered by another organization, e.g., a VA merit review award. However all such mechanisms are intended to be temporary assignments. The employee is expected to return to a VBRI paid appointment.
Alternatively, a VBRI administered award may fund an employee of another institution and require a personnel agreement.
All grants that may require a personnel agreement must be reviewed with VBRI staff prior to submission to a sponsoring agency.
Personnel agreements can only be instituted for professional or technical personnel that have regular, continuing appointments. Administrative staff and temporary or intermittent personnel are not eligible.
The PI and Executive Director will complete the appropriate personnel agreement paperwork and submit it to the eligible institution for review and processing.
Reimbursement for salary support will not be made in the absence of a formal, executed personnel agreement.
The PI will attest invoices or time keeping records are accurate and in support of a VA approved research project or education activity before VBRI will initiate payment to the participating institution.
VBRI will track effort as required by a funding agency.
VBRI timesheets are available on the http://www.vbri.org website and must be submitted in accordance with VBRI’s payroll schedule.
IPA Procedures
The following procedures must be followed for all IPAs involving assignment of VBRI staff to VA-funded research projects.
- Principal Investigator initiates request by completing IPA Form – OF 69 and submitting for review by VBRI Executive Director.
- VBRI Executive Director verifies employee has met 90 day employment requirement and six year IPA limit has not been met.
- After IPA Form is completed, it is signed by the employee and VBRI Executive Director.
- The IPA Form is submitted to the Medical Center Director, or designee, for review and approval. This includes a technical review to ensure the assignment is a bona fide research assignment. After satisfactory review, the IPA Form is signed by the Medical Center Director, or designee.
- The executed IPA Form is provided to the VA facility HR office for final administrative review. This includes review for administrative accuracy (e.g. the assignment meets legal requirements such as purpose, timeframes, etc.).
- After execution and completion of all reviews of the IPA, copies are provided to the employee, VA facility HR office, VA fiscal office, ACOS/R, VBRI and Medical Center Director.