CRA SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS

                                                                                                          

  1. The National Science Foundation has a statutory cost-sharing requirement.

The requirement is:

    1. 1%
    2. 2%
    3. 3%
    4. 4%

(Answer is A)

 

  1. OMB Circular A-110
    1. Provides regulations governing administrative requirements for educational institutions for grants and cooperative agreements.
    2. Provides regulations governing cost principles for educational institutions for grants and cooperative agreements.
    3. Provides regulations governing administrative requirements and cost principles for educational institutions for grants and cooperative agreements.
    4. Provides regulations governing contracts for educational institutions.

(Answer is A)

 

 

  1. When subcontracting with federal funds, you may
    1. Collect facilities and administrative fees on the full subcontract amount
    2. Not collect any facilities and administrative fees under any circumstances
    3. Collect facilities and administrative fees if you have an MTDC rate on the first $25,000 of the subcontract cost
    4. Not collect facilities and administrative fees on the first $25,000 of a subcontract cost but on the balance of the subcontract cost, if any.

(Answer is C)

 

 

  1. With regard to patentable discoveries made with federally funded projects, the Federal Government
    1. Reserves the right to exclusively patent and hold the rights to the invention.
    2. Allows a non-profit organization where the invention was made to patent and exploit the patent without regard to any Federal Government rights.
    3. Allows a non-profit organization where the invention was made to patent and exploit the patent as long as the Federal Government receives a non-exclusive, irrevocable, paid-up license to practice the invention.
    4. Reserves the right to assign the patent rights to whatever entity the Federal Government selects.

(Answer is C)

 

 

  1. Under Federal rules projects may be started prior to the official start date under the following conditions:
    1. With prior funding agency approval with the understanding the awardee assumes the risk for all pre-award costs should the award not be made or insufficient funds are available to cover the pre-award costs.
    2. Upon the discretion of the awardee with the understanding the funding agency agrees to cover the pre-award costs under any circumstances.
    3. With prior funding agency approval with the understanding the funding agency agrees to cover the pre-award costs under any circumstances.
    4. Federal funding agencies are not allowed to approve costs prior to the official project start date.

(Answer is A)

 

  1. In contracts, indemnification/hold harmless clauses
    1. Provide protection of one party by the other against future liability, loss or damage.
    2. Insure that only the responsible party may be sued for negligence.
    3. Are not necessary in most contracts between universities and other non-profits since such organizations are protected from civil actions.
    4. Should only be used when major risks are involved in the contract work.

(Answer is A)

 

  1. In contracts, termination clauses
    1. Are not important as long as an ending date is specified in the agreement.
    2. Should be avoided by non-profits when contracting with for-profits so as to avoid arbitrary termination.
    3. Are important to insure termination can only occur for specific cause.
    4. Should be included in all contracts so that should conditions arise necessitating an early end to the agreement such termination can occur.

(Answer is D)

 

  1. In proposing and negotiating budgets with a Federal agency
    1. It is always best to include much more funding than required since the agency personnel need to take some funds out of a budget during negotiations.
    2. It is always best to state faculty/researcher salaries at inflated rates so the institution can make some money on the project.
    3. It is always best to ask for a significant equipment budget so that the institution can always have state of the art equipment.
    4. It is always best to propose reasonable budgets with accurate salary and wage figures.

(Answer is D)

 

 

 

  1. Federal regulations governing the institutional review boards established to review, approve and monitor the use of human and animal subjects
    1. Require that one or more persons without affiliation with the institution must serve on each institutional review board.
    2. Require that at least one person with a scientific background serve but has no requirements regarding members with a nonscientific background.
    3. Allow institutions to establish institutional review boards on an ad hoc basis with what membership can be put together at the time a review is needed.
    4. Allow institutional review board membership to be composed of members of one department without further review as long as the committee has at least five members.

(Answer is A)

 

  1. The PHS policy governing the use and care of animals
    1. Only covers animals involved in research.
    2. Only covers live, vertebrate animals.
    3. Covers any animal used in research and training.
    4. Covers only animals that might otherwise be kept as pets.

(Answer is B)

 

  1. When seeking funding from an established funding agency, the best strategy
    1. Is to send a proposal blind without bothering to read the fundor’s proposal guidelines or eligibility requirements as most funding agencies will review whatever is submitted.
    2. Is to obtain the fundor’s guidelines, following the guidelines in the development of the proposal and submission process, including only contacting the fundor when it is encouraged.
    3. Is to call a representative of the fundor before doing anything to ask if your project likely would be funded so you don’t waste your time or that of the fundor in developing and submitting a proposal.
    4. Is to send your proposal to as many potential fundors as possible, in the same format, so that you maximize your chances of funding by the number of funding agencies who will see it.

(Answer is B)

 

  1. A proposed budget for $430,000 total costs includes $300,000 in direct costs. Of that $300,000, $50,000 is exempt from F&A. Assuming that the F&A was calculated based on MTDC, what is the F&A rate of the institution?
    1. 43.3%
    2. 52.0%
    3. 69.8%
    4. 72.0%

(Answer is B)