Proposal budget preparation

Salary

Fringe benefits

Graduate research assistant salary guidelines

Salary rates for graduate research assistants vary from one unit to the next. The minimum allowable GRA salary is $17,750. Contact your Shared Service Center for additional guidelines.

Facilities & administration (F&A) rate agreements

Implementation of new rate effective July 1, 2021

The University of Kansas will be issued a new federally negotiated indirect cost rate, with rates that change effective July 1, 2021. While we do not yet have a finalized copy of this rate agreement, we are moving forward with implementation to minimize the impact to awards.

All proposals for new work will now use the new rates in budgets being submitted for external funding, and the new rates will be applied to all awards issued with effective dates of July 1, 2021 or after. Due to the “fixed rate for the life of the sponsored agreement” requirement, we must apply the federally negotiated indirect cost rate appropriate to the award, for the life of the award, based on the award’s effective date.

In cases where the indirect cost rate in the proposal was less than the rate that came into effect on July 1, 2021, Pre-Award will work with the award's principle investigator to request supplemental funds from the sponsor (if not explicitly disallowed). If the sponsor declines to award supplemental funds, budgeted direct costs will be reduced to accommodate the increased indirect costs. If the PI believes that this rebudget will affect their ability to meet the proposed scope of work, an impact statement (detailing what work could not be performed) should be provided to Assistant Vice Chancellor Alicia Reed, who will review the circumstances with the Vice Chancellor for Research and determine if other funds will be provided to supplement the work. In cases where the proposed indirect cost rate is greater than the rate in effect on July 1, 2021, Award Processing Services will increase the direct costs and decrease indirect costs to reflect the appropriate indirect cost rate. APS will seek sponsor approval in cases where rebudgeting authority is not automatic.

Federally negotiated F&A rates

For-profit entity F&A rates

On-campus vs. off-campus F&A rate

Whether the project is charged an on-campus or off-campus F&A rate is decided by time and effort, not dollars. If more than half of the work will be conducted at the university, the on-campus rate is used. Even if a lower mandated agency F&A rate is charged (i.e., training grant at 8% F&A), the KU Office of Research still needs to determine whether it is an on-campus or off-campus research project. This issue needs to be addressed at the proposal stage.

The following documents are available by request. Please send requests to kucrpremgmt@lists.ku.edu.

• Federal signed rate agreement (.pdf)
• Industry signed rate agreement (.pdf)

Graduate student tuition & fees

KU Office of Research proposal guidelines call for budgeting 3 hours of tuition and associated fees during the summer semester and 9 hours (academic) each during the fall and spring semesters for graduate students appointed on sponsored projects.

Architecture

Business

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Engineering

Journalism

Music

Pharmacy

Social Welfare