Contact the Director of Research Development and Sponsored Programs (RDSP) as soon as you have identified a funding opportunity you are planning to submit. It is never too early. Contact can also be made via our Intent to Submit form.
Intent to Submit Form
Internal routing for approval must be completed prior to proposal submission. A typical routing path includes the approvals of department chairs or organizational heads, Provost Office, director of RDSP, and Budgets and Contracts. When department chairs are developing proposals for submission, divisional chairs must approve.
What is needed for routing:
RDSP will assist in building the project budget that will provide resources to carry out the proposed project and be compliant with the College policy, state guidelines and federal regulations. Below is a tip sheet of things to consider in the primary budget categories:
Salaries and Wages
Fringe Benefits
Fringe benefits are charged to the sponsor based on actual costs. Fringe is calculated as 29% of salaries and wages requested in budget.
Equipment
The Federal definition of equipment is: tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the non-Federal entity for financial statement purposes, or $5,000. Items costing $5,000 or more are included here and must have a current vendor quote for routing.
Travel
Travel should be budgeted based on what is needed to gather data, meet with colleagues and present information at conferences. Consider travel costs, conference registration fees, hotel costs, per diem, and ground transportation.
Other Direct Costs
The budget should reflect other costs if needed for the proposed project (e.g., materials and supplies, publication costs, consultants, computer services, sub-awards, payments to research subjects, etc.).
Indirect Costs
Indirect costs, according to the federal Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards issued by the Office of Management and Budget (Uniform Guidance), are those costs that are incurred for common or joint objectives and cannot be easily and specifically identified with a particular sponsored project, an instructional activity, or any institutional activity. These costs are also sometimes called “facilities and administrative costs (F and A)” or “overhead.” Spelman’s negotiated indirect cost rate with the federal government is applied to salaries and wages included in the budget.
Major pieces of a proposal vary from agency to agency.
Useful Links
NSF Proposals
Office of Research, Innovation and Collaboration
350 Spelman Lane, S.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30314
Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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