Consultant Review

Procedures for Review and Approval of Requested Consultant Agreements and Payments On UNH Sponsored Programs


Introduction

Consultants are hired to provide a professional service or technical advice, acting in an advisory capacity to further the goals and objectives of a project. Consultants on UNH sponsored programs are considered experts in their career field and may have a business or technical background, but may not be a Federal, State of New Hampshire or UNH employee. If a UNH employee acts as an advisor or consultant on a UNH sponsored program, the employee will be paid through the UNH payroll system and listed on the sponsored program proposal as an employee.

Slide 2

Some federal sponsors such as the Department of Justice and National Science Foundation (NSF) cap the pay rate a consultant may receive from a sponsored award, exclusive of travel expenses. Other sponsors do not specify any limit. The amount specified by NSF(Maximum Rates of Pay for Consultants and Experts at the NSF) may be used as a reasonable guide to charge other federal sponsors that do not specify or cap the pay rate. Other acceptable methods for determining reasonableness include, but are not necessarily limited to, going through the USNH Purchasing and Contract Services Bid Process (USNH Purchasing) documentation that consultant has charged other clients the same rate; or a copy of the consultants published price schedule.

Slide 3

When the daily or hourly rate for a consultant exceeds the specified sponsor level, prior written approval from the awarding sponsor is required. The BSC, in conjunction with the UNH Project Director (PD), is responsible for documenting the rate that will be charged to the sponsored project and assuring that the sponsor cap, if any, has not been exceeded.

Slide 4

If sponsor prior approval is required, SPA’s responsible Grant and Contract Administrator (GCA) works with the BSC and PD to seek written approval. Documentation of sponsor approvals is maintained at SPA in the official University award files. SPA provides the BSC and PD with copies of all such sponsor approvals. Questions about compensation rates or prior approval should be addressed to an SPA Grant and Contract Administrator before hiring a consultant.