January 23, 2012 by Haley EtchisonÂ
Almost one-quarter of funds spent on required cost distributed to administration, services
(Most of Tobacco Free UNLV’s grant money has been spent on buying out staff time, publicizing the project’s research and goals and paying facilities and administration, or “indirect†expenses, to administer the grant.)
The grant associated with Tobacco Free UNLV has brought a net financial gain to the university.
None of the project’s staff has seen an increase to their pay as a result of the grant, but the money did provide employment for two graduate assistants and four undergraduate student workers.
Tobacco Free UNLV director Susan VanBeuge received $102,853 in base pay and benefits in fiscal year 2010, but grant funding paid 25 percent of her salary and benefits, which saved UNLV $25,713.
The grant has bought out part of the salaries of each of the project’s staff, compensating them for the amount of work they devote to Tobacco Free UNLV in place of their usual work for the university.
While directing Tobacco Free UNLV, VanBeuge has still taught courses at UNLV, published scholarly work and maintained a clinical practice.
“What the nursing school saves on her salary they can use for other programs like initiatives for students or buying other equipment,†said Megan Downs, who deals with the college of health sciences for the UNLV Office of Media Relations.
VanBeuge said that the grant has benefited students.
“There’s more money going into our main mission, which is to teach,†she said.
More of the grant money was devoted to facilities and administration (F&A) expenses than was spent in any other budget category besides personnel.
Of the $450,000 grant, 23.6 percent was spent on F&A.
This percentage, the lowest for any type of research grant at UNLV, is set by the Office of Sponsored Programs in collaboration with the federal Office of Management and Budget. The largest percentages of this money are directed toward the vice president for research and the college that hosts the grant, respectively. Some of the funds are also allotted to the library, the executive vice president and provost and the university president.
F&A costs (commonly called indirect costs) are intended to reflect the administrative work associated with managing a grant â€" things like human resources and payroll tasks.
Those dollars also cover the cost of reporting financial and activity data on the grant, as is required for any public funding.
Tobacco Free UNLV’s grant also paid for VanBeuge and Underwood to attend the American Public Health Association meeting in Washington D.C. in October 2011 at a cost of $3,595.
Travel expenses were written into the grant proposal, which the project’s former director, Nancy York, submitted.
VanBeuge explained that she and Underwood were able to network with other health scientists, gather information on best practices and represent UNLV at the meeting.
“It’s really great for the school of nursing and for UNLV,†VanBeuge said.
The grant also funds 25 percent of Underwood’s salary as well as 25 percent of salaries for Student Counseling and Psychological Services Director Phoebe Kuo-Jackson, Student Health Center Director Kathy Underwood, administrative assistant Jill Racicot and the Rebel Wellness Zone’s director of wellness promotion, Jay Souza.
“The bottom line is that the grant work is really good for the university and it’s good for students,†VanBeuge said.
She pointed out that students who participate in the project are engaged in research and may be involved in preparing scholarly work for publication.
Funding for Tobacco Free UNLV was provided by the American Recovery Reinvestment Act through a grant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC awarded $14.6 million to the Southern Nevada Health District, which then granted $450,000 to the project.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Tobacco Free UNLV holds a $22,859 advertising contract with The Rebel Yell, which will expire in May. The amount has been paid in full.
Neither The Rebel Yell’s advertising staff nor any member of The Rebel Yell Advisory Board who is not one of the newspaper’s editors has any control over the publication’s editorial content.
The Rebel Yell staff, including Haley Etchison, is compensated using funds from the organization’s general budget, of which advertising sales comprise an indiscreet part.
Contact Haley Etchison at news@unlvrebelyell.com.
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