Education

FAMU rushing to save federal research dollars

The National Science Foundation has told the university it has until June 30 to fix financial problems in connection with federal grants.

By DAVID KARP
Published May 6, 2005

TALLAHASSEE - The president of Florida A&M University said Thursday she is working to solve the problems threatening millions of dollars in federal grants from the National Science Foundation.

Interim president Castell Bryant said she hopes to satisfy the agency's concerns within a month, before a deadline set to suspend and then terminate all grants to the historically black school.

"I want them to know we are facing our problems head on and we are addressing them," Bryant said at a news conference. "This is my university. I love this university. I am going to take care of it."

She called a mandatory meeting Monday for all FAMU staff who oversee research grants.

Last week, the federal science agency gave Bryant a June 30 deadline to correct the school's financial problems.

The NSF said it has concerns about FAMU's ability to manage and account for federal funds. The agency already has suspended all grants recommended for approval.

Bryant said the agency is now focused on a $5.3-million grant that established a research center intended to increase minority students' participation in science, math and engineering. NSF began funding it in 1997 and ended it about two years ago, according to the agency's Web site.

The grant's principal investigators did not return calls Thursday.

The NSF's inspector general has begun an investigation into the grant, an NSF spokeswoman said. She declined further comment.

Bryant said she agreed to have an outside auditor review all of the grant's financial transactions. The audit will begin May 17 and end in a week, she said.

But the agency's concerns go beyond that one grant, Bryant acknowledged.

On Monday, Bryant sent the agency a financial work plan, prepared by the consulting firm KPMG, that is supposed to deal with widespread financial problems on campus.

Bryant hired KPMG shortly after taking office in January. The firm found the university could not balance its books or track how it spent millions in taxpayer money. It proposed a universitywide review of procedures, which could take years to complete.

As part of the plan, KPMG recommended the university close about 750 old grants and review accounting records for others. It also recommended hiring grant compliance personnel and training them on new procedures.

It's not clear if the plan will satisfy NSF concerns. In its letter, the agency said FAMU must correct all deficiencies, not merely have a plan to do so.

Bryant said she plans to speak with NSF officials again on Wednesday. So far, the talks have been "professional," she said.

But FAMU's efforts to correct its finances haven't satisfied the agency in the past.

In March 2004, the university gave NSF a corrective action plan to address problems. Agency officials monitored the plan's progress and got updates from FAMU a week before issuing the April 27 warning letter.

David Karp can be reached at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8430, or karp@sptimes.com

[Last modified May 6, 2005, 00:37:10]