Common Budget Items
Direct Costs (DC) include:
- Personnel - typically the largest expense in a budget. Calculate an individual's effort in calendar months or academic/summer months, make sure to include their fringe benefits. Individual institutions dictate the fringe benefit rate. For example at NYU WS, the fringe benefit rate is currently 31%
- Consultants - budget at a daily rate
- Graduate Assistants - paid at an hourly rate, plus fringe benefits
- Subcontracts - Total costs (DC+IDC) are calculated as DC in the overall budget
OTPS (non-personnel expenses):
- Conferences and domestic travel
- Open access publication fees
- Participant incentives
- Space/storefront rental/site fees
- Supplies
- Software
- Local travel (metrocards, staff travel)
- Cell phones
- For NIH grants, food costs are not allowed except if they are for meetings with participants
- For NIH grants, alcohol expenses are prohibited
Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A)/aka IDC (indirect costs)
- Institutions negotiate this rate with NIH, current rates can usually be found on an institution's sponsored research page, or if they are a member of the Federal Demonstration Partnership.