FAQs

Yes. a Sponsored Account (often referred to as “guest account”) is an MIT Kerberos account held by an individual who is not a current MIT faculty member, student, or employee. This may include contract employees/contingent labor, or research collaborators with no direct connection to MIT.

Sponsored Accounts can be used for:

• Getting access to MIT web sites such as Atlas for required training via the Learning Center.
• Access to download MIT licensed software (note: this may require additional steps to confirm the affiliate is approved for access).
• Use general access MIT computing resources such as Athena Clusters.
• Inclusion in a Kuali Coeus research proposal. For questions regarding if or when it is needed, please contact ra-help@mit.edu.
• Any scenario where a user requires access to MIT electronic resources but otherwise has no formal association with the Institute.

How does one request a Sponsored Account?

Complete the online request form on the Information Services & Technology (IS&T) site. Once a sponsor completes the request form, a system-generated email is generated and sent directly to the sponsoree/guest. The email will contain their new MIT ID number and instructions for registering for a Kerberos ID, which is typically the prefix in an MIT email address, before the @mit.edu.

Postdoctoral fellow appointments, as referred to in 5.3.3 of MIT Policies and Procedures, are not appropriate costs for organized research activities (research project WBS) of the Institute. The primary purpose of the postdoctoral fellow appointment is the development of the individual and not the advancement of a research project. See Policy reference below.

Non-federal awards in particular could mention the term Fellow in the context of recruiting postdoctoral level staff to work in their research programs. When we do have major agreements where the sponsor is supporting both an organized research program and a fellowship award program (two distinct purposes), RAS creates a research WBS for the organized research program and a fellowship WBS for the fellowship award program.

Please note, however, that where grants are made for the primary purpose of postdoctoral research training (e.g. NIH T32 training grants), consistent with A-21, the grant is established in an organized research account and postdoctoral fellow appointments are allowable charges to the research account.

MIT Policies and Procedures | 5.3 Academic Research Staff Appointments

Yes. With the designation of a discretionary source of back-up funding, the DLCI may authorize the RAS to create a new WBS element in Pending Status (not billable to sponsor). Under such circumstances, the DLCI assumes all of the financial risk associated with the possible failure of MIT to negotiate or receive an acceptable, fully executed award from the sponsor. The DLCI must submit in writing the request for a cost objective in Pending Status; the request must be endorsed by an individual authorized to commit the source of back-up funding and by the DLCI administering the pending WBS element.

Yes, the new CITI training on COI will need to be completed.

Additionally, at time of award, a new COI disclosure will be required as part of the annual COI disclosure, for yearly continuations, Renewals and New awards. The Significant Financial Interest (SFI) threshold has been lowered so will need to be done under the new regulations. For more information go to http://coi.mit.edu.

Yes, use:

• Up to 66 percent of the MIT-provided tuition subsidy for Graduate Research Assistants
• Equipment
• Other expense categories
• Faculty academic year (AY) effort greater than 10 percent, Employee Benefits, F&A

RAS has developed some basic information on each of the major sponsors. Please refer to this section.

In general, values for contributions of services and property are established in accordance with Uniform Guidance Subpart E Cost Principles for allowability and the terms of the federal award. All documentation should include a brief statement describing the basis for determining the valuation of services, material, or equipment. 

Check the MIT Facts for Proposal Development page.

That depends on the method of purchase. VPF will automatically seek RAS advice for questionable purchases made by purchase order or on a request for payment form. Procurement card purchases are approved by the DLCI, and therefore it is the DLCIs responsibility to confirm that charges are allowable. See the terms of your award to determine what purchases may be restricted, or contact your RAS contract administrator with questions.

As with costs directly charged to the sponsor, allowable cost sharing must be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the project objectives. As with direct charged expenses, cost shared expenses must be reasonable, allocable (i.e., directly benefit the specific project), and consistent with the terms of the award. Allowable cost sharing expenses must be expended (i.e., incurred) during the effective date of the award project. For details on eligibility criteria, see What Is Allowable/Eligible Cost Sharing.