The Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Mobility Program allows personnel from colleges and universities and other eligible organizations to be temporarily assignment to Federal Agency.For more details about the IPA’s you may refer to the government website at OPM.gov.

What is an IPA Agreement?

The IPA Agreement is the contract between UVM and a federal agency that allows a UVM employee to go on assignment to a federal agency and provide research, administrative, or other services to the federal agency for a limited period of time.

The assignee remains a UVM employee and continues to be paid by UVM for the duration of the assignment. The Federal agency may agree to pay all, some, or none of the costs associated with an assignment. Costs paid may include salary, fringe benefits, travel and relocation expenses.

Most IPAs do not allow reimbursement of indirect costs, but there are a few federal agencies that do allow a reduced indirect cost rate.

UVM IPA Agreement Processing Guidance

  1. UVM employees considering going on assignment need to first coordinate and ensure approval from their Dept Chair and in some cases the Dean’s Office.  
  2. All IPA agreements must receive UVM’s four levels of approval (PI, Dept, College and SPA) using the UVMClick.
  3. Upon approval of the UVMClick, SPA reviews and signs and completes the IPA Agreement.
  4. Upon IPA full execution, SPA will proceed to award set-up and established a chartstring with budget in Peoplsoft.
  5. SPA AR Team will invoice the federal agency and collect the payments.

 

Additional Instructions

If the assignee is PI eligible;

  • In the assignee is PI eligible, the PI will be the Project Manager and their effort commitment will be entered into the effort reporting system.
  • No effort commitment is required of the immediate supervisor of the PI identified in the IPA agreement, which is usually the department chair.

If the assignee is not PI eligible;

  • In the assignee is not PI eligible, for example a nurse coordinator, the PI entered into the UVMClick, would be the assignee’s supervisor, who is PI eligible.
  • The PI, will be the Project Manager, and no effort commitment is required.
  • The assignee’s effort commitment is entered into the effort reporting system.
  • No effort commitment is required of the immediate supervisor identified in the IPA agreement.

Updated 10/15/20