Overview

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY’s research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY’s services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.

RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.

APPS advances CUNY’s sponsored program enterprise by helping CUNY faculty and students identify and obtain extramural funding to support their research, education, training, curriculum development, and other related activities. APPS supports and advances CUNY’s mission by working closely with the faculty and campus administration to encourage and provide faculty and students with resources to write successful proposals, assist grant administrators in developing a standardized set of metrics to monitor proposal success rates across CUNY, and provide leadership expertise in the creation of a University-wide sponsored program development strategy.

Finance oversees and manages the financial activities of RFCUNY and its subsidiary. Finance department staff prepare consolidated financial statements, federal, state, and local tax and compliance reporting, maintain general ledgers, oversee all financial transactions, and generate various reports for management. The department manages all investments, corporate payroll functions, corporate and project insurance, accounts receivable, administers recovery and recovery-derived accounts in accordance with CUNY guidelines, calculates and negotiates facilities and administrative (F&A) rates, and handles the issuance of all RFCUNY payments. Finance also assists with external survey and data reporting to various agencies.

Grants & Contracts is responsible for the post-award fiscal administration and management of sponsored awards from government agencies, foundations, non-profit organizations, and private entities, and other project funds on behalf of the CUNY colleges and professional schools. The primary responsibility involves ensuring that project funds are used appropriately and in compliance with the terms and conditions of the sponsored award; applicable laws, rules, and regulations; and related policies and procedures. The department is responsible for the review of sponsored award documents, establishment of project accounts and budgets, approval of requests for payment and personnel actions, fulfillment of sponsor billing and reporting obligations, and project closeouts. Staff are organized in teams, each consisting of a Project Administrator (PA) and an Assistant Project Administrator (APA). Each PA/APA team is responsible for overseeing a portfolio of project accounts. Grants & Contracts works closely with PIs and campus grants officers in the discharge of its responsibilities.

Human Resources offers a range of personnel-related services to support all RFCUNY employees and help ensure the overall mission of the organization. These services cover the employment lifecycle from recruitment, hiring, and on-boarding to off-boarding and retirement planning, as well as compensation, payroll, and time and leave administration. In support of employee well-being, Human Resources manages the employee health plan and offers health and wellness programs and services, including the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). In addition, Human Resources handles employee and labor relation matters, and provides training, development, and guidance to employees and managers. Human Resources also monitors and ensures compliance with employment laws, regulations, and policies, and the collection and analysis of a variety of data to ensure optimal services and operation.

Internal Audit is responsible for scheduling and conducting audits based on an annual risk assessment plan. Audits may be financial, operational, technological, or compliance related and are conducted to test controls and to evaluate efficiency, effectiveness, and adherence to established policies, rules, and regulations. Internal Audit is also responsible for overseeing investigations into alleged financial irregularities and for monitoring RFCUNY’s Whistleblower Hotline. Internal Audit coordinates all sponsor financial external audit activity, which includes reviews conducted by federal, state, city, and private sponsors or agencies. Internal Audit functions as an internal consultant, leading and assisting in Foundation-wide efforts to improve operations and manage risks.

The Office of Legal Affairs is responsible for overseeing the post-award review, negotiation, and amendment of monetary legal agreements related to sponsored projects. Legal Affairs helps protect CUNY Project Directors, colleges, field staff, and RFCUNY from legal, financial, and other associated risks. Legal Affairs also serves as general counsel to RFCUNY, protecting the interests of the organization.

Key responsibilities include:

• Review and Negotiation of Legal Agreements: Legal Affairs conducts a thorough review and negotiation of post-award monetary contracts related to sponsored projects. Whenever possible, Legal Affairs ensures that CUNY retains ownership of copyrights and patents for any work created by its researchers, supporting the ability of Project Directors to publish and disseminate their findings.

• Independent Contractor and Subrecipient Agreements: Legal Affairs reviews and drafts agreements with independent contractors and subrecipients to align with sponsor terms and conditions.

• Risk Management: The office identifies and addresses risks related to sponsor terms and conditions including performance-based awards, high-risk activities, unconventional payment structures, and time constraints. Legal Affairs collaborates with RFCUNY’s insurance manager and CUNY colleges to minimize these risks for RFCUNY and the University.

By fulfilling these duties, Legal Affairs plays an important role in protecting the RCUNY’s interests and ensuring that CUNY’s sponsored projects are legally sound and operated in the best interests of the University.

Procurement & Payables is responsible for supporting the purchase and payment of all goods and services Principal Investigators (PIs) need to carry out their projects including supplies, equipment, travel, facility rental, student stipends, honoraria, and related. Other key functions of Procurement & Payables include generating and submitting purchase orders to vendors ($5,000 and above); executing Memoranda of Understanding agreements (under $5,000); executing lease agreements for real estate and business-related property; and drafting and executing small construction contracts ($100,000 and below).

Systems and Information Services (SIS) is a full-service technology group that provides support to the functional departments of the RFCUNY central office by exploring and defining new projects and then designing, developing, and integrating on-premise software with cloud-based solutions that enable the functional departments to deliver the best service to the field.

SIS provides technical testing and support and maintains the hardware and software in the latest reliable iterations to support the different systems and ensures the security and scalability of these solutions. SIS uses the latest advances in business intelligence and analytics to sift through large amounts of raw data and provide high quality information to all RFCUNY departments.