FRMS Transfer Instructions

1. Log into FRMS, step through DUO Authentication
    
2. Click on Transfer in the nav-bar across the top of the site
    
3. Click on Create in the sub nav-bar
    
4. Fill in purpose field
   • For sponsored funds, example: 'Moving funds to cover project-related (or research-related) costs'
      
5. Select which type of transfer: sponsored or non-sponsored
    
6. Effective date can be changed, though it's rarely used
    
7. Change Creator Desk available only if assigned to more than one desk in *Define
    
8. The Read & Confirm statement references your understanding and compliance with the university's Direct Cost policy. The link in the transfer process is broken, but if you need to familiarize yourself with the policy, it's here. 
    
   • Upon selecting 'I agree,' you land on the first of four areas in the transfer document: 
     • General
     • Transfer Groups
     • Transactions
     • Document Review
        
   • At this point, you can see a summary at the top of the document that contains:
     
     Document ID: 90VTC######
     Document Status: CREATED
     Creator: Your Name
     Created: MM/DD/YYYY
     Summary: Moving Funds to cover research-related project costs
     Transfer ID: TRF######
     Creator Desk: Your *Define Desk
     Effective Date: MM/DD/YYY

 9. The next section is called Transfer Information. It contains the transfer ID (different from the Doc ID), the effective date (which you can still change if needed), the stated purpose, which can also be changed, and then a blank field for comments.
 

• In the comment section, it isn't necessary to go into a great deal of detail, but any extenuating circumstances should be included here, if applicable, and mention of PI approval for the transfer should be stated here. 
   
  • Note: If a PI requests the transfer being processed for specific need/purpose, reference that in the comments.
    
    If the transfer is a result of the admin and PI having a general understanding that admin should process transfers as and when needed in order to keep the account in good health (no negative balances), in concert with any team planning and budget projections being done, then the comment regarding PI approval can be phrased as 'Per PI, transferring funds to ________________.
     

10. At this point, either Save & Verify or Save & Continue. It doesn't matter which, as FRMS WILL fuss at you if you've gotten something wrong. FRMS has hard audits to make sure a document is completed correctly. 

• Just below this section is a place to upload documents - this is the perfect place to upload written approval from the sponsor (if applicable) so that the Pre-Award Specialist will 1. be okay approving the request and then 2. will also have the approval on file, which is required.
   
• Upon hitting Continue, you'll move into the second area of the transfer document: Transfer Groups 
   

11. In the next step, don't let the red text put you off. You've done nothing wrong. FRMS just comes with built-in unnecessary fussing capabilities. Like a pre-emptive waggling of its finger at you, for the sake of having something to do. 

• Add your transfer group by starting off with a description, such as 'Misc sub to Fringe sub' to identify the specific transfer activity happening for this group - you're labelling the subaccounts to keep them straight.  

12. Enter the full 10-digit account numbers you're transferring from and to, followed by the amount.

13. Hit enter and you'll see details about each of the subaccounts populate inside of that transfer group including the pooled amount, which is the free balance <--that's super useful in case the total available is different from what you thought. 

• If you use dept codes for tracking and reporting, you'll see the hotlink for adding them at this same place. 
   
• NOTE: If you are processing a transfer for a non-sponsored account (as mentioned back in step 5), at this same place, you will see an error in red text letting you know to input additional information, at which point, you can select the Additional Information link, select the type of funds you are moving -- which is typically the rollover balance from the previous year that reverted back to the income subaccount for the new fiscal year, and needs to be moved back into an expenditures sub. (this is normal for gift accounts, but doesn't happen in sponsored accounts)
   

14. You can add more transfer groups, if needed. You'll also need to add a transfer group for moving F&A funds, if it's the case that you are transferring funds that have differing F&A exempt and non-exempt status. --if overhead trips you up, head to the overhead section below. You can also use the formula section to power through. --holler if this is tripping you up. You're not alone, trust and believe!

15. Once you've entered all the transfer groups needed, manually click on the third area that appears in the left-side panel of the page: Transactions

• This is where you check your math and make sure everything appears as you need it to. 
• If all is correct, manually click on the fourth and final area of the transfer document: Document Review
   

16. From the Document Review area, you can review the entire document.

• Click on the Verify Document button. If the document is correct, a message in green text appears in the top left corner that states, 'The document has been successfully verified.' At which point, you are free and clear to hit the Approve Document button to forward it to its next approver. 
   
  • Note: You can see the desk and approver information in the router history box, which updates as the document clears each approval level.
     

17. Just under the Verify Document button is a dropdown menu that gives you additional choices, it needed, including:

• CPY - Copy to a New Document (which is helpful if you are doing multiple similar transfers)
• FYI - To send an information copy to someone
• FYA - To approve and route to a specific person
• DEL - For deleting a document
• REC - Recall to my inbox
  • This requires a reason be input into the small box -something like 'Need to correct amount' will do.
     

18. You'll receive an email confirmation once the transfer goes through.

• Your PI will get this same confirmation message
   
  • Consider proactively forwarding that same message to your PI along with a short explanation to let them know what it is, to ensure they remain informed. 
     
    • Example:
      'Hi, PI Such-N-Such. There's no action item here for you. I'm moving the funds into the needed subaccounts to handle project-related transactions.'  --this assumes that the PI is expecting you to make these transactions to keep the account healthy and that such transfers are allowable on the account. If the PI wants to be more informed, let them know specifically what is being transferred.
      
      Always note in the transfer document that what you are doing has PI approval --which assumes that it does. Your PIs should have knowledge of what you are doing, both generally and specifically. PIs are the responsible party for every account in their name. Make SURE they are fine with you moving the funds around as needed, OR get their approval if that's what they prefer.
      
      Per policy (HBP 2.7.B), PIs are required to review their accounts every month, so the idea of moving funds areound to keep it in good health shouldn't come as a surprise!

Overhead (indirect costs) can be confusing.
 

We can't even make up our mind what to call it. Overhead (OH), indirect costs (IDC), facilities and administration (F&A). IDC's got almost as many names as Pablo Picasso!

Some Real Talk

Talking about overhead chases some folks away... we get it. When you're smack in the middle of yet another busy day, trying to hold everything down and get stuff done, you may flat out just lack the time or patience to sit still long enough to wrap your head around this junk.

• Often, when we're confronted with trying to do math calculations (most of us aren't accountants!), the whole thing gets thrown out in favor of not thinking about it anymore (says a voice of first-hand experience). This happens a LOT in our research administration community. Please allow yourself some time for this. It WILL make you better at your job.
   
  • Sometimes, an admin talking about overhead will say something like...
    
    'I don't get it. I know the rate is 58.5% and it's assessed on most direct costs, but when I look at the total amount, I don't understand how the overhead fits into that number. Isn't it half? When I divide the total by 58.5%, it's nowhere near what the indirect cost amount is supposed to be. Confusing!'
     
• It's true that in order to know how much indirect costs to charge, we do take the direct cost amounts and multiply them by the overhead rate... but that's JUST the direct costs. When you're looking at the combined total cost, both direct and indirect, that math no longer holds up. Keep reading...
   
• Throw away the idea that overhead represents about half the cost. It's just not true.
  Direct costs typically represent about ⅔ of the total costs, and indirect costs represent about ⅓. Keep reading...
   
• Now that you've gotten this far, check out the section below to get a simplified example of how to understand the way direct costs and indirect costs work together to form the whole award.
   
  •  

Understanding More About Overhead

Overhead (indirect costs) can be confusing.

In order to lay this out clearly, we're going full Schoolhouse Rock on indirects...

From a perspective you might recognize from back when you were a wee one (and don't laugh cuz it works and it can help), it may be more helpful to think of it this way:
 

• Antonia has 1 whole Bright Green Direct Cost Apple - Yay! Granny Smith!
  And Susie has 1/2 of a Shiny Red Indirect Cost Apple  - Come through, Fuji apple!
   
• Split the Bright Green Direct Cost Apple in half
    --Now between the 3 of them, Antonia & Susie have 3 apple halves, 2 green and 1 red
  
  If someone walks up to Antonia & Susie and asks them how much of their apple stash is direct cost and how much is indirect... even if you don't like fractions, you know that 2 out of the 3 apples are green, so...
  ⅔ is Bright Green Direct Cost Apple
  ⅓ is Shiny Red Indirect Cost Apple
  
  So Susie's shiny red apple half amounts to half the amount of Antonia's bright green apple halves.
  Now is the ⅔-⅓ split a little easier to understand?
  Indirect costs represent roughly a third of the total combine costs. And they are calculated by figuring out what half of the direct costs are (well, more than half, 58.5% to be precise).
  
  So, that's where the ⅔ - ⅓ split comes from, and why indirect costs are often thought of as represeting roughly half (of the value) of a the direct costs of an award. Both are true depending on how you look at the numbers.
   
  • To conclude our Schoolhouse Rock interlude... If Susie says, 'Hey, I'll trade you my Shiny Red for your Bright Green,' Antonia will be like, 'Forget it Suze... your Shiny Red is only worth, like... half of my Bright Green. You're gonna have to come up with something better... like those peanutbutter cups in your Scooby lunchbox.'
     

Next order of business is getting clear on the formulas. Don't worry, we're totally gonna let you cheat.

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