Budget Development for Externally Funded Grants

1. Budget Development for Externally Funded Grants Dr. Linda F. Samson

2. Some basic principles • Know the agency or group to which your budget will be submitted • Know the funding rules

3. Questions to Ask • Is it a Federal Agency? • Is it a service delivery grant or a research grant? • Is the grant eligible for indirect recovery? • If so, what percent—fixed, negotiated, something else

4. Questions to Ask • Is it a Federal Agency? • Are there specific allowable costs in the FOA? Unallowable costs? • Can students be supported? If so, how?

5. Questions to Ask • Is it a state agency? • Are there special rules such as with the HECA program? • Are there allowable costs specified?

6. Questions to Ask • Is it a Foundation? • How is the budget process for applications to Foundations different?

7. Questions to Ask • Is a match required?, If so can it be “in-kind”? • Is it a “grant” or is it a “contract”? • How much authority do I have to change the budget after it is developed?

8. Building your budget • What do you need to do the work you are planning in your application? • People—who are they? • Staff -- Consultants • Faculty -- Partners • Students

9. Building your budget • Tips on partners/collaborators, specific vendors for supplies or equipment • Name them specifically in the application if you must use certain ones otherwise you are subject to Illinois procurement code

10. Building your budget • Are you working with participants who will need to receive stipends? If so, what do you need to give them. For budget purposes think about the amount per participant.

11. Building your budget • Do you need equipment? If so, what kind—name and specificity in the application make it easier to get if your grant is funded. • Rules for budgets with equipment requests

12. Building your budget • What type of supplies do you need? • Know the grantor policies!! • Example- You have an application where the award would carry 56% indirect recovery-can you put in office supplies, office expenses, etc.

13. Building your budget • Other types of budget items • Consultants • Consortium or contractual arrangements • Travel • Domestic • International

14. Some tips to consider • Personnel – if the grant period is longer than one year, consider adding an increment for out years so that personnel can get raises

15. Some tips to consider • Fringe benefits • Federal applications—calculate at 37% of salary • State applications—may be able to calculate at lower level depending upon circumstances • Foundations

16. Some tips to consider • For applications where prior approval is required to change lines or carry funds to a new budget year—exercise care when developing the budget!

17. Some tips to consider • Most grantors do not label budget categories the way GSU is required to label them • ie—supplies vs. contractual and commodities; equipment is often viewed as $5000 or more

18. Sample Budgets

19. Grants.gov Budget Forms • Vary depending upon the granting agency- CCAMPIS DOE example • Regular budget versus modular budget • NIH grant example

20. NSF Budgets • NSF award funds may not be used to augment the total salary or salary rate of faculty members during the period covered by the term of faculty appointment.

21. NSF Budgets (cont) • NSF grant funds may not reimburse faculty members for consulting or other time in addition to a regular full-time organizational salary covering the same general period of employment

23. Thank You