The Veterans Medical Research Foundation of San Diego (VMRF) is the name of the corporation established under the laws of the State of California and charged under the Constitution of the State with administering the Foundation as a public trust.

The governing body of the Corporation is known as the Board of Directors. The Board is empowered under pertinent sections of law to accept grants and to execute contracts. Therefore, grants of funds for sponsored projects or programs made by contractual documents are commitments of the Foundation. VMRF's policies govern the administration of all actions under the grants or contracts it accepts or executes unless the specific provisions thereof impose other more restrictive requirements.

The Board of Directors have effected a policy of decentralization which provides for delegation of certain responsibilities to the President of the Corporation. The President has further delegated certain aspects of his/her authority to the Chief Executive Officer in his/her capacity as Chief Executive Officer.

A. Board of Director Authority

The Board of Director approval is required when any of the following conditions exist:

1. The support solicited is greater than $1,000,000 in direct costs in any one project year.

 

2. VMRF is obligated to expend matching funds for which there is no established VMRF - Controlled fund source.

 

3. The terms and conditions contained in contracts and grants do not conform to established VMRF and/or VA San Diego Healthcare System programs and policy.

 

4. The proffered contract and grant award is not within general intent and purpose of the solicitation as previously approved by the Board.

 

5. When there is a commitment continuing for more than seven years.

 

6. For facility construction.

B. Chief Executive Officer Authority

The following classes of action have been delegated to the Chief Executive Officer:

1. Solicitation and acceptance of contracts and grants for $1,000,000 and under for direct costs in any one grant year.

C. Contracts & Grants Office

The following functions are pertinent to the study:

1. To inform Principal Investigators and other operating units about contract and grant policies and procedures of the Foundation and sponsoring agencies, and provide consultation and assistance in interpreting them.

 

2. To provide continuing assistance to Principal Investigators regarding proposal preparation and post-award agency administrative actions.

 

3. In conformance with Foundation and agency policies and procedures, to review and audit all VMRF proposals, contracts, and grants funded by extramural sponsors, that are for project or programs concerned with:

a. research,

b. scholarly and professional research training, or

c. public service related either to research or to scholarly and professional research training.

4. To transmit proposals and bilateral awards directly to agencies.

 

5. To negotiate contracts and grants with awarding agencies.

 

6. To distribute fully-executed proposals and ensuing contracts and grants.

D. Principal Investigators

Only Qualified Principal Investigators may apply for contracts and grants through the Foundation. Duties:

1. To prepare proposals according to agency and Foundation policies taking special precaution to prepare proposal budgets which include indirect as well as direct costs.

 

2. To submit continuing and renewal proposals for ongoing projects on a timely basis to assure continuity of funding in accordance with pertinent agency lead-time requirement.

 

3. To review and approve the ensuing contract and grant award documents and administer their projects on a continuing basis in accordance with the terms and conditions continued therein and with Foundation policy, including fulfillment of pertinent reporting requirements.

 

4. A service award normally involves the provision of goods or services by VMRF to external organizations. These awards may generally be differentiated from a contract or grant for effort related to research, instruction, or public service if the scope of work from the procuring agency related to a clearly defined known quantity versus a project which involves definition and development of a scientific protocol within the scholarly expertise of VMRF. The scope of work under a contract or grant serves to enhance the state of knowledge, whereas tasks under a project award may be exclusively of a data gathering nature. Testing or evaluation of proprietary products, i.e., the product tested is supplied by the agency and/or the test or evaluation could provide potential commercial benefit to the agency, is viewed as a project contract.