Welcome New NPC Executive Director

Congratulations on your appointment as the executive director of a VA-affiliated nonprofit research and/or education foundation, also known as a nonprofit research and education corporation (NPC).  If you have previous nonprofit experience, you will quickly learn that the challenges of running an NPC are somewhat different from those you encountered in your previous nonprofit work.  This section of the NAVREF web site is intended to put in one readily accessible place some materials that will help you get up to speed rapidly on the unique aspects of NPCs.

A few basics:

• NPCs are authorized by Congress to serve as a flexible funding mechanism for the conduct of VA research and approved education activities in support of VA's research and education missions.  An NPC may support only VA research and education.
• Documentation for expenditures must contain an explicit justification for how the expenditure supports or is related to VA research, an approved education activity or an NPC business purpose.
• By statute, NPC officers, directors and employees are subject to a conflict of interest policy established by the NPC.  As a result, your NPC must have a board-approved NPC conflict of interest policy.  For a sample, see http://www.navref.org/newsletter/2011/update_01-10-2011.htm#SampleCOIPolicy.  See also Handbook 1200.17 for guidance on training and disclosure requirements.
• NPC records must be made available to the DVA Secretary and are subject to investigation by the VA Inspector General and the General Accountability Office (GAO) in addition to the IRS and other federal and state agency disclosure requirements applicable to other nonprofits.
• Be particularly vigilant in reviewing documentation regarding travel reimbursements; compensation and time keeping for joint VA/NPC employees; and business meeting support, especially when meals are involved.
• Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) pursuant to 15 USC 3719a must be used to establish terms and conditions for clinical studies sponsored by commercial entities, primarily pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers.

How can we help?  Established in 1992, the National Association of Veterans' Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF), is the  membership organization of the VA-affiliated nonprofit research and education foundations. Our mission is to promote high quality management and communication among the VA-affiliated nonprofit research and education corporations, and to pursue issues at the government level that are of interest to our members. We encourage you to browse our website, attend our Annual Conference and participate in conference call discussions.  We invite you to contact the NAVREF office when you begin your tenure as executive director and any time you have questions.  For more about NAVREF see: http://www.navref.org/about/main.htm  

Below, we have assembled links to documents and web pages that are of primary importance as you settle into your new job and that provide information unique to the NPCs.  We encourage you to familiarize yourself with these at the earliest possible opportunity.

Items of interest that are unique to VA-affiliated NPCs:

• Authorizing Statute: http://www.navref.org/bestpractices/gov_govdoc_authstatute.htm

• VHA Handbook 1200.17 http://www.navref.org/about/pdf/Handbook1200.17hk_12-08-10.pdf

• NAVREF's Best Practices Program http://www.navref.org/bestpractices

  • Human Resource Management: http://www.navref.org/bestpractices/hr.htm

    • Compliance with NPC Statute and VA Regulations: http://www.navref.org/bestpractices/hr_compliance.htm 

  • NPC Governance: http://www.navref.org/bestpractices/Governance.htm 

  • Operational Management checklist: http://www.navref.org/bestpractices/om_main.htm

• Legal Resources: http://www.navref.org/legal/default.htm#Sponsored

  • Cooperative Research and Development Agreements: http://www.research.va.gov/programs/tech_transfer/crada/default.cfm and http://www.navref.org/library/CRADA/CRADAs.htm

• Annual Report to VA: By statue, each NPC must submit an annual report to VA by June 1 of each year. This is submitted to and compiled by the VA NPC Program Office.  See:  http://www.navref.org/library/Annual_Reports.htm

• Federal Ethics Regulations at 5 CFR Part 2635 (pay particular attention Gifts from Outside Sources, Conflicting Financial Interests and Outside Activities)  http://www.usoge.gov

• Cooperative Technology Transfer Administration Agreements (CTAA) http://www.navref.org/library/CTAA_Guidance_to_NPCs.htm

Additional NAVREF resources:

• NAVREF Up to Date - Electronic newsletters with timely notices

• NAVREF Programs and Services

  • Insurance Program

  • Best Practices Consultations

  • Brokerage Accounts

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last updated: 01/04/10

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