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Overview

University of Maryland is participating in the Federal Demonstration Partnership, a cooperative initiative among federal agencies and institutional recipients of federal funds. It was established to increase research productivity by streamlining the administrative process and minimizing the administrative burden on principal investigators while maintaining effective stewardship of federal funds.

One way that sponsored projects administration has been streamlined is through the University Prior Approval System or "UPAS." By using the UPAS form, researchers can obtain ORAA's approval of certain actions under expanded authorities granted to the university under many federal grants. This is not applicable to contracts.

Authority to approve the action(s) requested is subject to the understanding that the general level of effort and scope, and the objectives of the approved project will not be altered, and that the proposed action is reviewed in advance and is consistent with grant conditions. The authority to approve changes in Principal Investigators and changes in objectives or scope of approved projects has been retained by all sponsors.

It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to determine that funds are available for the requested UPAS action.

For actions requesting approval to charge specific expenditures prior to the start date of the grant (must be within 90 days of the official start date), an Advanced Account Number Authorization (AANA) form with proper signature must be submitted with the UPAS form. Navigate to ORAA's Forms page to download an AANA form.

Federal regulations require formal notification from ORAA on all no-cost extensions. Therefore, this type of request must be made at least 15 days prior to the expiration date. Also, the UPAS explanation must include a statement of funds remaining and plans for spending these funds.

An explanation, including the scientific rationale, for the requested action(s) must always be provided. The impact of the requested action(s) on the project budget, including the availability of funds, should also be discussed. If this request involves the purchase of scientific equipment, indicate the cost of the item(s) and the availability of similar equipment. Any additional information useful in evaluating this request should be included.

Requests made under UPAS, as for all expenditures on sponsored projects, must be otherwise allowable, reasonable and allocable in accordance with Federal cost principles and the specific grant conditions.

Upon receipt by ORAA, the request will be reviewed for consistency with University and Federal policies. If questions arise during the review, ORAA will consult with the principal investigator or department business administrator. Approved copies of the UPAS will be forwarded to the department business administrator.

UPAS Matrix

Consult the UPAS Matrix to identify agency-specific (10 different federal agencies) requirements for nine different UPAS actions.

Participating Federal Agencies

Browse a listing of participating federal agencies in the Federal Demonstration Partnership. (Phase IV)

Get the UPAS Form:

The UPAS form is available both as an MS Word document template or in PDF format. Select the format that is most convenient for you from ORAA's Forms page.