Department of Statistics

Contracts and Grants - Pre-Award Phase

Preparing Budgets

Getting Help

Call Sastry or Merronda with questions. Also since Sastry and colleges have to approve it, it is advisable to bring a draft by for him to review while you are working on the research part of the proposal. Merronda keeps a copy of all submitted proposals once Sastry approves them.  In the PAMS Research Office Carol Gilbert (515-7865) and in the CALS Research Office Carolyn Bunn (513-1796) are both very knowledgeable and helpful.  Please attach the budgets and proposals to the PINS submission since they can be viewed by all folks that approve the grant proposal. 

Personnel Costs

Please remember to include a 5% raise in salary since the grants are typically for the next fiscal year.  Along with requests for faculty summer salary support or academic year release time, budgets must include fringe and health insurance costs. For a current description of fringe rates and health insurance costs see Fringe Benefit Rates for Contracts and Grants.

Graduate Student Support

To support a graduate student on a grant or contract your budget must include stipend, fringe benefit costs (including health insurance), and in-state tuition. The following provides a suggested stipend level, the required fringe rate (includes health insurance), and in-state tuition. Note that for out-of-state and international students the university will pay the difference between in- and out-of-state tuition. Grants submitted through PAMS, however, require a $3,012 per academic year contribution towards the tuition remission pool.  The summer tuition component is proposed by NCSU to satisfy insurance and tax provisions that require students to be registered in the summer.  These rates are subject to change. 

Year

Stipend

Fringe(includes
Health Insurance)

In-State 
Tuition  & Fees*

Summer 
Tuition

PAMS pool

 

(12 months)

(13%)

(9 months)

1 credit

 

2006-2007

                $22,500

     $2,925

$5,302 

$146

$3,012 

2007-2008

                $23,625

$3,071

$5,832 

$161

$3,163 

2008-2009

                $24,806

$3,225

                          $6,415

    $177

$3,321 

* Tuition charges are only estimates.  Some grants do not pay for the fees.  Fees currently are about $1,111 per year. 

Indirect Costs

For most proposals you will be required to provide for Indirect Costs. Indirect Costs are also referred to as "Overhead Costs" or "Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs". These represent the cost to the university for providing supplies, building maintenance, heat and light, secretarial support, etc. See Facilities and Administrative Costs for current and future F&A rates. This is applied to salaries and wages, fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, but NOT equipment and tuition.

For example, for 2006-2007, for a graduate research assistant on a grant run through PAMS would cost:

                Salary        $22,500
                Fringe          $2,925
                In-state        $5,302
                Summer          $146
                PAMS         $3,012
                Indirect        $11,695 (=0.46x{22,500+$2,925})
                                 ------------
                Total           $45,580
                                 ------------

For subcontracts to your grant, F&A cost rates are applied to the first $25,000 over the life of the grant.

Cost Sharing and Matching

Some granting agencies require that the university share in the cost ("cost sharing" or "matching") of the project being proposed. Cost sharing can take many forms. For example, unsupported faculty time may be committed to the project, a portion of the customary indirect costs may be waived, or an actual cash match for the purchase of equipment or support of personnel may be provided. Cost sharing arrangements are a commitment by the university to the funding agency and are subject to audit.

Cost sharing commitments must be worked out and put in writing before the proposal leaves campus. Matching funds may be provided by the department, a college, the university, or combinations of these.  Careful monitoring of cash matching needs to be maintained by Merronda and the college research offices.
 

Processing Proposals on Campus

For on campus processing, grants must be submitted on PINS : https://acspins.acsad.ncsu.edu/pins/PINSMain.jsp .  Please attach your proposal to it.  See Merronda or Sastry if you need help with PINS.  

Who must sign off (electronically) on PINS for your grant?

·  All Principal Investigators

·  Department Head(s)

·  College Research Office(s) (CALS and/or PAMS)

·  NCSU Office of Sponsored Programs (for the University)

Once your proposal is complete and is approved on PINS, please enter the proposal on FastLane if your grant is for NSF.  Send a hard copy of the proposal to Sastry.  If you need to ship a hard copy to the funding agency, then please do bring a copy of the proposal for Sastry's signature.  You will be notified by PINS after it has been approved at each level.

 

Amending a Budget after Award has been Made

If you wish to revise your budget you must complete and sign a Prior Approval Request (Form CG-005). Bring it to Merronda. She will check the items, have Sastry sign it and send it forward. Note that the NCSU Office of Contracts and Grants has authority to approve certain minor revisions. Others require approval of the sponsoring agency.


All the Best with your Grant Proposals!

 
  Sastry Pantula, July 20, 2006