UCLA DA 240.06: Expenditures Against Firm Commitments Under Contracts and Grants
Date:
April 05, 2017
From: Chancellor Gene D. Block
To: Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost Scott L. Waugh
Vice Chancellor for Research Ann R. Karagozian
Associate Vice Chancellor and CEO & President, Technology Development Group Amir Naiberg
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration Marcia Smith
Associate Vice Chancellor & Chief Medical Officer Medical Services
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Ann Pollack
Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Research & Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Arash Naeim
Senior Director, Licensing Emily Loughran
Senior Director, Biopharmaceuticals Licensing
Director, Office of Contract & Grant Administration Patti Manheim
Director, Clinical Trials Contracts & Strategic Relations Helene Orescan
Director, Industry Sponsored Research and Material Transfer Brian Roe
Associate Director, Industry Sponsored Research and Material Transfer Karla Zepeda
Assistant Director, Office of Contracts & Grants
Senior Contract & Grant Officers
Contract & Grant Officers
Industry Contract Officers
Clinical Trial Contract Officers
Senior Grant Analysts
Contract Grant Analysts
References:
  1. Standing Orders of The Regents, Section 100.4(n);
  2. UC DA 0666 (Expenditures Against Firm Commitments Under Contracts and Grants) to Chancellors, dated 4/14/1980 and 8/26/1980.
Supersedes: UCLA DA 240.05 (Expenditures Against Firm Commitments Under Contracts and Grants) to EVC & Provost Waugh, et al., dated 01/10/2014.

I hereby delegate to your positions, in your respective areas of authority, the authority to permit expenditures or commitments of funds against any approved research, training, or development contract or grant when a fully executed contract is in hand or a written notice of grant award has been received or, in the absence of such documentation, when (a) the contract or grant is within the solicitation authority previously delegated to you and you have satisfied yourself that a firm commitment exists to reimburse the University for the amount of its own funds advance, and (b) there is an essential need to advance or commit funds (which normally means to pay salaries or meet other expenses of a continuing project).

For guidance in interpreting what constitutes a "firm commitment," General Counsel has provided the following:

While firm commitment has no legal definition, it is obviously something less than a contract. The phrase is applicable to situations where University personnel are advised by representatives of Government agencies that a contract or grant will be forthcoming, and the only delay is a ministerial one of document processing. An agency representative making such a presentation must be one who can be relied on for such representation.
This delegation is being reissued due to organization changes and there are no substantive changes to the delegation being superseded. This authority may not be further redelegated.

cc: Administrative Vice Chancellor
Vice Chancellor, Legal Affairs
Associate Vice Chancellor, Corporate Financial Services
Manager, Administrative Policies & Delegations