Administrative Support for LargeScale Funding Applications –
Session 3: Budgeting
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Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation
Second level
Third level
Fourth level
Fifth level
Sarah Whitaker, Sr. Research Officer
August 23, 2012
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Goals
• To offer professional development for research administrative staff,
enabling continuous improvement in the quality of support for
research funding applications.
• To increase the number of research support personnel on campus
who have the skills and knowledge needed to support the
development of large-scale research applications.
• To increase the University’s overall capacity to support a growing
number of large-scale applications for external research funding.
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Session 3 – Budgeting
Topics to be addressed include:
• Budgeting for large-scale research applications
• Matching funds
• Overhead
• Institutional support packages
• Common challenges
• Strategies for success
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Budgeting
Exercise
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Budgeting for Large-scale Projects
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Multi year projects
Staffing
Annual increases
Funding for research team
Funding for partners
Matching funds
Audit and Project Evaluation
Matching Funds
• Where do matching funds come from?
• % required by funder at application
• % required by funder by the end of the project
• Funds from several sources
• Balance between sources
• The more, the better!
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Overhead
• Overhead must always be sought from external sponsors when it is
an eligible expense.
• York requires that an overhead rate of at least 40% of the total
direct costs is included on all research budgets.
• If a funder has a policy relating to allowable overhead rates that are
below or above York’s minimum 40% rate requirement, York will
defer to the rate allowable by that funder.
• All industry contracts must include a minimum 40% overhead rate.
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Institutional support packages
Valuing Existing resources – space, staff time, other
Teaching release / Faculty time
Staff time
Financial contributions
New space
Items not covered by main external funder
CONTACT:
Office of Research Services / VPRI
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Review of budget exercise
How do we break budget into component parts?
How do we integrate partner contributions?
How do we satisfy requirement of matching funds?
How do we allocate overhead across partners?
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Feedback to Researchers
How do we communicate about Overhead?
How do we communicate about over and under estimates?
When do we offer comments on the balance of the budget?
What is the role for administrators in securing internal contributions?
How do we communicate about eligible, but not ideal budget lines?!
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Common challenges
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Relaxed approach to LOI stage budget
Budgeting last!
Extended timelines
Balancing stakeholder interests
Level of detail
Lack of matching funds
Ineligible, but necessary, expenses
Strategies for success
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Read the instructions and think through associated timelines
Review by colleagues
Consult with the program officer
Create overall budgets in post award format
Use Excel properly - formulae
Use a “notes” column do document rationales
Use institutional norms wherever possible
Solicit estimates where appropriate
Feedback
Please complete the feedback form in your kit as your
recommendations will help us improve subsequent sessions.
Thank you!
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Up Next…
SSHRC Partnership Development Grant
and Partnership Grant Information Sessions
Thursday, 20 September 2012 @ 10am
Wednesday, 26 September 2012 @ 10am
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