Budget Preparation
Resources included on this page will support you in thinking about what is involved in building your project budget. The Pre-Award staff is happy to assist you in developing your budget to ensure your calculations are correct and that you are requesting sufficient funds to successfully complete your project. Please contact the Director of Grant Development as soon as possible so that a Pre-Award staff member can be designated to assist you.
Budget Preparation Tools
ORP Quick Grant Reference Guide - contains institutional information, eg. mileage, fringe rates, student salary rates. Please contact the Director of Grant Development prior to determining project costs to ensure your budget will be correct and sufficient for your project.
Key elements in the pre-award phase that are critical to post-award management of the award include:
Budget Preparation Guidelines
The following elements should be considered when constructing a budget for direct cost support from a funding agency:
1. Salaries and Wages
- Read SIUE policy on academic year salary recovery to ensure compliance
- Summer Salary
- Graduate Students (salaries or stipends?)
- Technical Support
- Clerical Support
- Undergraduate Students
- Postdoctoral research associates
- Use of percent of effort
- Increases for COLA (cost of living allowance) and merit-based
2. Fringe Benefits
- Use correct rates; if multi-rates are they applied correctly? Pre Award staff can assist with this.
3. Equipment
- Be aware of potential differences between equipment definitions (sponsor/institution)
- Capitalization policy. SIUE's capitalization on equipment is $500.00 versus federal of $5,000.00
4. Expendable supplies and materials
- Include only those supplies and materials necessary for the project.
5. Travel
- Adhere to SIUE's policy and the funding agency guidelines
- Distinguish between foreign and domestic travel
- If foreign travel is required and is to be funded by a federal grant, federal international per diem rates must be used.
6. Subcontracts and consultants
- Ensure that the proposed costs are reasonable and allowable and that the authorized subcontract representative/consultant has signed the proposal or a confirmatory letter.
- Pre-Award staff can assist with acquiring all needed documents for any grant or contract.
7. Other
- Communications
- Publications
- Animal Care Costs
- Human Subjects Costs
- Maintenance/service contracts
- Computer Costs
- Graphic Arts/photographic services
- Rental/lease of facilities
- Construction/renovation/remodeling costs
Inflationary adjustments should be considered, especially for multi-year grants.
Tips:
- Include both Direct and F&A Costs
- Budget should be detailed
- Budget justification MUST address all purchases/expenses within each budget line
- Include only allowable costs
- If necessary, include matching or cost-sharing (if cost-sharing is required it should be proportional between direct and F&A costs)
- Be consistent with funding agency policies and requirements
