The University of Alaska Fairbanks has accepted the offer of membership in the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP). UAF submitted its application to become a part of the FDP Phase V in May, 2008, and was selected to full membership from an overwhelming number of applicants. UAF joins nine (9) federal agencies and over 100 other institutions around the country to “contribute to the FDP primary goals of increasing research productivity and decreasing administrative burden while maintaining effective stewardship of federal funds.”

Past accomplishments of the FDP membership, in prior phases, include adoption of expanded authorities, the FDP subaward agreement template which allows for speedy establishment of partnerships with our co-collaborators, standard government-wide Terms and Conditions, and the most recent Faculty Burden Survey which was completed by over 6,000 faculty researchers within the FDP member institutions. Phase V will focus on maximizing the time available for Principal Investigators and scientific staff to focus on research, and on increasing the efficiency of administrative and compliance practices while reducing inefficient or redundant agency and institutional procedures and practices.

UAF’s institutional representatives are:

• Administration – Maggie Griscavage, CRA, Director of the Office of Grants and Contracts Administration
• Faculty – Dan White, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
• Faculty Alternate – Nettie LaBelle-Hamer, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
• Technology/IS – Karl Kowalski, Executive Director of User Services, OIT

UAF’s membership in FDP will give us the opportunity to interact with awarding agencies’ representatives and other university officials who will have a direct impact on the procedures at our campus, and will assist us in the crafting of internal controls that release the researcher to do the excellent science for which she or he was hired.