Developing Competitive Budgets

One of the more important components of a competitive proposal is the development of a budget that reflects the minimal requirements for a successful project. Virtually all proposal reviews include an evaluation of the applicant's requested funding, justification, and institutional commitments (cost-sharing or matching funds). In cases where the technical quality of proposals are high, the soundness of a budget section could make the difference in the awarding of a grant.

There are two sections in a proposal budget: a listing of major categories and amount of funds requested, and a budget justification in which the applicant explains why the funding is requested. The level of detail required in a request for funding varies among sponsoring organizations.

PERSONNEL (salaries):

For University faculty, professional and research staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and casual or part-time workers, salary figures should be based on the percentage of effort by each individual on the project applied to his/her annual salary.  Determinations on the need for a course reassignment or buyout for participating faculty will be made by their respective Department Head.

Your time and effort must accurately reflect the actual time spent working on various projects including; teaching load, service, committees, and any other university-related work.

A personnel table details the breakdown based on the positions and the procedures used to determine the funds requested for each personnel.

FACILITIES AND ADMINISTRATIVE (F&A) COSTS:

Formerly designated as Indirect Costs, they refer to those costs incurred for common or joint objectives and therefore cannot be identified readily and specifically with a particular sponsored project (OMB Circular A-21). F & A costs represent the cost of  "doing business," e.g., phone lines, Internet access, facilities, etc. 

On-Campus - The University's F&A rate, effective July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2010, is 42%.

Off-campus Indirect Costs - The federally negotiated rate from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2010 is 13.8%.

The amount and type of commitments required by a sponsoring organization will vary, but in general, the applicant will be expected to state a specific amount of matching funds which can include cash or in-kind contributions, i.e., dedication of resources already available within the University.

For those proposals where there is no required format for a budget, the following categories are recommended. Helpful hints on how to develop each category are also provided. If the sponsor does not require the use of specific forms, Generic Budget Forms are provided at the end of this section.  Anyone having questions on how to assemble a budget and develop a budget justification should contact OSRP for assistance.

Need specific budget support?

 
We would be happy to meet you. Please come in and see us. Our office is located at;

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