It’s hard to believe that the last few weeks of summer are here. As you move toward completing your research projects or look forward to taking a few well-deserved days to relax before the start of school, please remember to complete Summer payroll transactions before August 12th. Agency Transaction Vouchers (ATV’s) moving salary from one project to another and Personnel Action Request (PAR) forms to pay employees for summer work that are submitted by the 12th will be accurately reflected in the Summer Effort Certification Reports that are released in September. ATVs and PARs submitted after this time will not be correctly reflected on summer Effort Certifications and will also adversely impact Fall Effort Reports by being picked up as payments during that period. Thank you for taking the time to complete these transactions in a timely manner to make effort reporting easier and more accurate. ________________________________________________________________

National Science Foundation Publishes Reports on State of Academic Research

The National Science Foundation(NSF) has published new reports on how federal research dollars flowed to colleges and universities in 2009 and the status of graduate students and postdoctoral scientists in research fields in 2008. The first report contains a wide array of data on the institutions that received the most federal research funds over all and by discipline, for instance; the latter includes statistics on the future work force in academic science by field, gender, institution type and other indicators.

http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf11313/?WT.mc_id=USNSF_179

Policy to Ban Text Messaging While Driving

Executive Order 13513, “Federal Leadership on Reducing Text Messaging While Driving,” establishes a Federal Government-wide prohibition on the use of text messaging when driving a Government Owned Vehicle (GOV), when driving a Privately Owned Vehicle (POW) on official business or when using Government-supplied equipment while driving any vehicle. Implementation of the Executive Order (EO) will help save lives, reduce injuries, and set an example.

Sec. 4. Text Messaging While Driving by Government Contractors, Subcontractors, and Grant Recipients and Subrecipients.

Each Federal agency, in procurement contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements, and other grants to the extent authorized by applicable statutory authority, entered into after the date of this order, shall encourage contractors, subcontractors, and recipients and subrecipients to adopt and enforce policies that ban text messaging while driving company-owned or -rented vehicles or Government Owned Vehicles (GOV), or while driving Privately Owned Vehicles (POW) when on official Government business or when performing any work for or on behalf of the Government. Agencies should also encourage Federal contractors, subcontractors, and grant recipients and subrecipients as described in this section to conduct initiatives of the type described in section 3(a) of this order.

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-24203.pdf