Budget Preparation

Budget Preparation
Budget Preparation
 
The Office of Sponsored Programs requires the budget template and justification be included with every proposal.

OSP Budget TemplateThis Excel template will assist you in planning your project budget.  It has the correct Staff Benefit and Leave Rates pre-loaded.  There is a yearly escalation for multi-year budgets.

Sample Budget Justification

A Budget Justification must be included regardless of agency/sponsor requirements. A consistent approach is applied to all sponsored projects to assure compliance. The federal government makes it the university's responsibility to fully justify all budgets. It is one the primary functions of the OSP office to review budgets and to match the requested  budget lines to the project narrative.  We must ensure forethought, the necessity of the project budgeted expenditures, the consistency in accumulating costs, and compliance of all items listed with GAAP/CASB. Budget narratives are the roadmap for post-award determination on allowablility and allocablility of costs.

Direct vs. Indirect Costs

Direct costs are those costs that can be identified specifically with a particular sponsored project, instruction, other sponsored activity or other institutional activity relatively easily with a high degree of accuracy. 2 CFR Part 220 (OMB Circular A-21) Unallowable Expenses and Activities - April 29, 2003

Direct Cost Examples:

  • Salaries

  • Fringe benefits

  • Travel

  • Consulting Fees

  • Expendable Materials & Supplies

  • Publication Fees

  • Communication Costs

  • Participant Support, Subawards & Tuition

Facilities and Administrative (F&A) also referred to as "Indirect" or "Overhead"
The University of Alaska negotiates a Facilities & Administrative (F&A) cost rate agreement with a cognizant agency of the Federal Government.  This rate allows the Univeristy  to recover the costs of Facilities and Administrative support for sponsored projects. The University's Rate is negotiated with the Office of Naval Research as the cognizant federal agency. Indirect costs are general institutional costs incurred for common and joint objectives, for example: capital improvements, general administration, sponsored programs administration, department administration, O&M depreciation and library.  Rates are the Final Predetermined Facilities and Administrative Rates for the period from FY2011 ending FY2013. 

UAA's current F&A Rates are:

  • Organized Research           45.3%

  • Other Sponsored Activity    29.9%

  • Sponsored Training            35.0%

  • State Research                  25%

  • State Training                    12%