JACKSON — Jackson State University is working to resolve issues raised by a federal audit that alleges the school mishandled nearly $1 million in grant money.
The Clarion-Ledger reports the audit looked at $19.4 million in expenses the school claimed over a six-year period in National Science Foundation funds. Auditors say JSU claimed $943,474.00 in expenditures that it should not have.
According to its website, the foundation “funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering” and “accounts for about one-fourth of federal support to academic institutions for basic research.”
The NSF Office of Inspector General commissioned an independent CPA firm to conduct a performance audit at JSU to determine the allowability of costs claimed on a sample of the university’s Federal Financial Report for a period between 2006 and 2011.
Among the audit’s findings: The university claimed an excess of indirect costs (necessary expenses that do not fit into a direct cost category) of $83,843.90, unallowable equipment and fringe benefit costs of $16,901.29 and $553,316.57 in expenses, including salary and wage reports, that lack documentation or were inadequately documented.
JSU also is disputing some of the audit findings. For instance, auditors said the school spent more than $15,000 in unallowable equipment charges for the purchase of four laptops. JSU reported it spent 100 percent of the lab equipment budget in the first quarter of 2010 — before it purchased the four laptops, which was two days before the award period ended on Aug. 31, 2011.
Susan Carnohan, chief of staff for the NSF inspector general, would not say what triggered the audit, saying that information is confidential.
She did say the NSF uses a risk analysis that includes factors such as the number of awards, total dollar amount, experience as a recipient of federal awards as well as input from NSF staff to select those audited.
Loretta Moore, interim vice president for research and federal relations at Jackson State, said the university is working with the NSF to “address all concerns.”
