Under-recovery Pilot

The information below is for current participants in the pilot of the under-recovery feature of the Research@MIT app. This page will be frequently updated throughout the pilot.
 
If your DLCI would like to participate in the pilot, contact ra-help@mit.edu to learn how to enroll.

The Research@MIT app can be used to submit under-recovery requests for research programs. Under-recovery requests for non-research programs should not be entered into Research@MIT, but should be discussed with the department head, Dean’s Office and the Office of the Provost, with documentation included in KC proposal.

Downloading Research@MIT

Research@MIT is available to download at https://apps.mit.edu. Learn how to get started with the app. 

Roles

Faculty may submit under-recovery requests without being assigned a role in Research@MIT. Reviewing requests and approving requests require specific roles:

  • Dept Admin: May create requests, review and submit requests to Dept Approver.
  • Dept Approver: May review and approve or decline the under-recovery request. Dept Approver may be either department head or administrator as proxy for department head.
  • Dean Reviewer: May receive request from Dept Approver for review and comment.
  • VPR Reviewer: May receive request from Dean Reviewer (or Dept Approver if they report directly to VPR) for review and comment.
  • View Only: May view all requests for the department, but cannot create, submit or approve requests.

During the pilot, contact ra-help@mit.edu to be assigned a role for under-recovery requests in Research@MIT. 

Submitting and Approving Requests

Requests should be submitted at the proposal stage, prior to routing the KC proposal. If submitting a pre-proposal, wait to submit under-recovery requests in the app until invited by sponsor to submit a full proposal. 

  1. In KC, prepare the proposal: 
    • Enter the DLCI's under-recovery allocation account as the source account.
    • Mark the proposal budget "For Submission" so that under-recovery amounts will automatically appear in the Research@MIT app.
  2. In Under Recovery area of app, faculty or Dept Admin creates the request. If you intend to use local source accounts when awarded, add the local accounts with the dollar amount or percentage in the comments area. 
  3. Faculty or Dept Admin submits request to Dept Admin.
  4. In Under Recovery area of app, Dept Admin reviews and either submits to Dept Approver or returns to requester.
  5. In Under Recovery Approval area of app, Dept Approver reviews and responds to the request:
    • If approved: The approval will be automatically attached to the KC proposal as an internal attachment.
    • If elevated to Dean Reviewer or VPR Reviewer: The Dean Reviewer or VPR Reviewer responds with comments to allow the Dept Approver to make an informed decision regarding the request.
    • If returned to requester: The requester may edit and re-submit for approval.
    • If declined: The requester may not re-submit the request. KC Proposal should not route.

Dept Admins, Dept Approvers and other app users should avoid deleting requests unless they will not be submitting a proposal, since deleted requests must be re-created.

  • Those with dual roles (Dept Admin, Dept Approver) will need to follow all steps individually. They cannot issue one approval for multiple steps. 

  • For under-recovery requests involving multiple DLCIs:

    1. Lead DLCI enters the proposal in KC. Even if not contributing to under-recovery, they should still enter their local under-recovery allocation account in KC.
    2. Lead DLCI (from KC proposal) creates under-recovery request in app, submits and approves. 
    3. Upon Lead DLCI approval, under-recovery request will be sent to Dept Approver of other DLCI(s). Dept Approvers will receive an email notification that there is a request for review. 
    4. Once all DLCI(s) have approved the request, the under-recovery approval file will populate in KC proposal.

  • Dept Approvers may need to consult with their dean or the VPR before approving some requests. Requests requiring additional review should be elevated to the dean (or to the VPR, for units reporting to the VPR) through the app:

    • Requests for restricted sponsors, including for-profit, foreign government, or federal (other than training programs)
    • Requests from non-faculty PIs
    • Requests that will use most or all DLCI under-recovery allocation funding

    Check with your Dean's Office for additional scenarios that require additional review. 

  • When a DLCI prepares a KC Budget SOW Update proposal where under-recovery is different from the original under-recovery approval, or updates the KC budget in the original proposal before routing:

    1. A request is automatically entered in Research@MIT. 
    2. Dept Approver(s) will receive an email notification there is an updated budget for their review in the app in the Under Recovery Approvals area under Updated Budgets.  
    3. Dept Approver(s) may either approve or decline the request, or return to Dept Admin(s) for editing, as needed. 

  • At proposal phase, even if using local source accounts for under-recovery, always use your DLCI under-recovery allocation account as the source account in KC. In the app, enter the local source account(s) in the comments area with percentage or dollar amounts when creating a request.

    At award phase, DLCIs/Dean’s Office works with MIT Budget Office to do a budget transfer with G/L account 490104 from local source account into DLCI under-recovery allocation account for under-recovery amount incurred on award(s).

Department Approver View

Research@MIT screen showing budget breakdown by year, with proposed, committed, and allocated amounts shown in a separate chart for FY2025. FY2025 also shows the budget and remaining amount and approved, pending, and total requests.

Users with the Dept Approver role can view the amounts proposed and committed to under-recovery. 

  • Proposed: Equal to under-recovery in KC development proposal(s), before Institute Proposal is generated.
  • Committed: Equal to under-recovery in KC Institute Proposals. Released from Proposed under-recovery.
  • Allocated: (Under development)
  • Total: Equal to under-recovery in KC development proposals and Institute Proposals.

When an award is received from the sponsor, committed under-recovery is released.

To view the award under-recovery incurred on the DLCI under-recovery allocation account, click the FY card on the right of the Dept Approver view. The Spending Reporting screen will display, with information for the current fiscal year from SAP.

Spending Reporting screen showing indirect expenses for FY2025, and fields for cost object, authorized total, total amount spent, committed amount, available balance.
  • Cost Object: DLCI under-recovery allocation account
  • Authorized Total: For DLCI under-recovery allocation account
  • Total Amount Spent: Under-recovery incurred for active awards on this account for this fiscal year
  • Committed Amount: Refers to SAP’s Commitment column, not under-recovery
  • Available Balance: Remaining under-recovery funds available for active awards for this fiscal year

Features Scheduled for Future Phases

  • Ability for administrators to create a request without being assigned a role
  • Custom views for additional insight into requests from individual PIs or DLCIs
  • Reporting support, based on input from pilot users
  • Browser-based application

If you have additional feedback, contact ra-help@mit.edu.

Updated March 19, 2025