In January 2022, the Fiscal Year 2022 Legislative Salary Increases (LSI) were implemented as retroactive payments for the applicable work period from July – December 2021. The Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) is providing information on the retroactive payment distribution, identifying impacts to sponsored projects, and including next steps for departments.
Retroactive Payment Distribution
Below are several key criteria for the distribution of retroactive LSI payments:
- Applicable work period of performance was July – December 2021
- Only processed on earning codes RRG (Retro Regular), RRF, ROT, RLO, R18, R19
- On sponsored projects, retroactive payments were distributed based on Project Status in ConnectCarolina:
- If the Project Status was in Reporting, Hold, or Closed, the retroactive payment posted to the department’s payroll suspense
- If the Project Status was Open or Ended, the retroactive payment posted to the project
- If the employee/personnel were no longer at the University at the time of this payment and/or funding sources were in Reporting, Hold, or Closed, the payment posted to the department’s payroll suspense
Sponsored Projects Review & Process
Impacted sponsored projects as described above were those in an Open or Ended status, regardless of the project’s end date. As you review these retroactive payment transactions, please use the criteria below to determine next steps and prioritize projects that ended before January 2022. If any of these payments need to be moved, they will need to be processed via the Payroll Accounting Adjustment Tool (PAAT).
Payment may stay on the project if:
- Retroactive payment falls within the sponsored project period of performance
- Budget/funding is available
- Final financial reporting has not been completed
Payment should move to a non-sponsored source if:
- Retroactive payment is outside the sponsored project period of performance
- Budget/funding is not available
- Final financial reporting has already been completed
Payment can move to the applicable continuation project if:
- Retroactive payment is within the overall award/contract period of performance
- Budget/funding is available
- Final financial reporting has not been completed
Personnel Subject to Sponsor Salary Caps
For personnel subject to NIH and/or other sponsor salary caps, retroactive payments were applied proportionally as listed in funding swaps for the July – December 2021 work period. Meaning, retroactive payments which should have entirely posted to cost-share were applied proportionally to the project if it was in Open or Ended status. These transactions should be reviewed and PAATs processed as necessary.
These projects will be reviewed as part of OSR’s closeout process, but if you need additional information on the specific projects impacted for your department, please contact OSRBilling@unc.edu. For all other questions related to LSI payments and/or PAATs, please contact Brian Bertlshofer bertlsbj@email.unc.edu.