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The PAVIR Admin office has been bursting with activity in this first quarter of FY24. Do we at least pull off the calm duck look even though underwater we have been paddling furiously?
- A record number of PAVIR employees attended the Open Enrollment 2023 info session. We hope this year’s process was a cinch for you. We are pleased to be able to keep employee contributions the same for the 7th year in a row. This is highly unusual considering how insurance costs always increase. It is just one of the ways PAVIR adds value to employees’ total compensation.
- PAVIR kicked off our 35th Anniversary with an opportunity fund for both PIs and PAVIR employees. We look forward to reviewing applications and to the stories you will share about how the funds impacted you.
- The PAVIR Employee Healthy Eating Wellness Initiative was a blast, and we hope the complimentary gift card of your choice will support a new nutritional habit or help sustain an existing one!
- We submitted a record number of grant submissions with you in FY23 and hope they will secure positive scores in response to your innovative research! We look forward to working with you in 2024 as you initiate new studies.
As we close out 2023, we are looking forward to a time to recharge and reset so that we may return to serve you with renewed energy and vitality. That said, please check out the reminder below about the PAVIR Administrative Office Winter Closure. We wish you all a healthy, restful, and bright holiday season.
~Elaine
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Golden State Warriors Heritage Nights
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In case you missed it on social media, PAVIR joined our sister non-profit, the Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), for the Golden State Warriors (GSW) Hoops for Troops in honor of our cherished Veterans. Together with family and friends, it was a great night enjoying the Pregame Shootaround in the front rows, meeting other Bay Area nonprofits serving Veterans, and watching the California Air National Guard 131st Rescue Squadron rappel from the rafters to deliver the game ball.
We are looking into an opportunity to do something similar in Spring 2024, that would allow VA Research in Mental Health to be showcased on the concourse as the GSW dedicates a night to acknowledge Mental Health Awareness. If you would be interested in purchasing discounted tickets and/or showcasing VA Research in Mental Health, please take this two-question survey and let us know you think we should definitely pursue this! |
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PAVIR HAS MOVED!
It's official! We relocated to our new space in Bldg 101, 4th floor, B4-145. At least one PAVIR Administrative Staff member is generally around each weekday. Stop by to say hi! In case you were wondering, the office supply giveaway was a huge success and we do still have some trailing belongings to manage in our old space. Feel free to ask if we still have something you might need.
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PAVIR ANNIVERSARY OPPORTUNITY FUNDS
 In case you missed it, PAVIR celebrated its 35th Anniversary on November 30, 2023. We plan to celebrate all year long and kicked things off with an opportunity fund of $35,000. We invite requests from PAVIR employees (up to a $3,000 maximum) to support their role in the conduct of VA research or education as well as bid and proposal applications from VA Principal Investigators. To make inquiries or get a copy of the announcement and application forms, please email estaats@pavir.org.
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GROWING FROM WITHIN PART DEUX
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 In April 2022, we shared about Allison Malate’s promotion to Associate Director of Sponsored Research. We are now pleased to announce her promotion to Director of Sponsored Research effective October 1, 2023. In this capacity, Allison assumed leadership of the Contracts and Grants Department and joined PAVIR’s Leadership Team. Allison is an eager listener and voracious reader. Her superpower is empathy. If you have never met Allison, please reach out amalate@pavir.org. |
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INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL & REMOTE WORK
PAVIR supports International Travel to conferences for professional society meetings. However, telecommuting from a location outside of the United States is prohibited. Therefore, PIs who send PAVIR employees to a conference located outside of the U.S. must not permit remote work before or after the dates of the conference.
PAVIR also supports Telecommuting from locations outside of California. However, PAVIR is not established as an employer in every state. To meet legal and taxation requirements employees seeking to work from outside California must provide PAVIR HR at least two months’ advance notice. PIs of employees who provide insufficient advance notice may be responsible for fees or penalties incurred due to late registration.
Non-exempt employees who travel for meetings or training will be paid for travel time beyond their normal commute time. Please contact your Contract & Grant Analyst and HR in advance of any work-related travel to request detailed information applicable to your specific circumstances and obtain the forms to document travel and meeting/training time appropriately.
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Microsoft Teams for VA
It was announced at the recent Research Administration Office Town Hall that VA is removing access to Zoom in 2024. The PAVIR Admin Office utilizes both Zoom and Teams. We will be able to join virtual meetings with VA networked folks through Microsoft Teams.
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 PAVIR employees are not on the same holiday schedule as VA or Stanford employees. The following are the year-end PAVIR holidays for PAVIR employees. Full-time employees will receive holiday pay.
Friday, December 22, 2023
Monday, December 25, 2023
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Friday, December 29, 2023
Monday, January 1, 2024
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PAVIR Administrative Office Winter Closure
The PAVIR Administrative Office will be closed Monday, December 18, 2023 through Monday, January 1, 2024. PAVIR Administrative Office staff are required to use accrued vacation for days not covered by the above holiday schedule. PAVIR Contracts & Grants, Operations, IT, Purchasing, Accounting, Payroll, HR, and Leadership Staff will not be available.
- No requisitions or orders will be processed during this time.
- No personnel or payroll actions, including hires and terminations, will be processed until after January 3, 2024.
- California law dictates that employees must receive their final paycheck on their last day of work. Termination dates during winter closure are therefore strongly discouraged as PIs may be subject to penalty pay requirements by the Department of Labor.
For assistance during the closure, please read below for contact information:
- For technical help with PAVIR email accounts or emergency access to ReQlogic during this time our colleagues at LanLogic will be available on their regular schedule except for 12/25, 12/26, and 1/1. You may contact LanLogic at (925) 273-2399.
- For benefits questions or issues, please contact our benefits broker Vita:
- For emergencies that cannot wait for our return, such as a workplace injury or illness, please call Elaine Staats, CEO at (650) 239-2803 or Lisa Clark, HR Director at (650) 239-2804.
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