Introduction PI/PD Eligibility Guideline Interpretation Submission Timeliness Budget Preparation Subcontracting Cost Sharing Form Preparation Transmittal Form Grant Submission Process Budget Preparation > Overview Ohio University 's external federal awards are governed by the US Office of Management and Budget Circulars A-110 and A-21. Circular A-110 sets forth instructions for uniform administration of federal grants for institutions of higher education. Circular A-21 dictates the cost principles related to grants and contracts. This document identifies categories of expenditures that are allowable and unallowable on grants and contracts. Federal cost accounting standards require that the management of restricted funding be standardized at OHIO . As a result, the University applies the same fiscal principles to all grants and contracts, regardless of their source of funding. Often an excellent starting point in writing your proposal is to figure out your financial needs. If a potential sponsor, in their proposal guidelines, limits the amount of funds available, your research goals must be tailored to meet those limits. If there are unlimited funds available for your proposed project, your assigned pre-award manager will work with you to translate your research or project goals into a proposed budget that will allow you complete those objectives. Budget accuracy is highly important when submitting a proposal to a potential sponsor. Should the proposal be funded, some sponsors allow for very few changes from the proposed budget. Some sponsors allow for a great deal of flexibility without prior approval. When developing your budget, working with your ORSP manager will be of great assistance as they can assist you in identifying which sponsors have stringent budget revision guidelines should the proposal be funded. In addition to the managers being an excellent resources, the ORSP staff has posted budget templates in excel form linked here that are updated as rates and policies change: http://www.ohio.edu/orsp/budget/budaid.html . Some federal agencies are adapting “modular budgets”. These sponsors do not require that you detail each of your costs at the proposal stage, but rather, estimate the cost of completing your proposed project based on $25,000 increments. While this allows you great flexibility, it is important to note that in order to estimate how many modules you need, you'll need to begin by creating a detailed budget. This is especially helpful, as, many sponsors often request the budget detail at the time of award. DON'T FORGET: Modular budgets do not eliminate the need for a comprehensive budget planning process. OHIO requires a budget detailed enough to satisfy general ORACLE FMS categories. When budgeting for a project, a PI/PD must mesh university policy and procedure with sponsor guidelines. The following expenditure categories are accounted for in OHIO 's financial management system. Definitions and subcategories can be found using the drop-down menu at: http://portal.finance.ohiou.edu/nalookup . Of these, sponsor policy dictates the allowability of such categories: Salary and Wages Fringe Benefits Other Personal Services (e.g. consultants, honoraria, service consultants) Supplies and Materials Travel (international and domestic) Communication (e.g. publications, membership dues, advertising) Repair and Maintenance Indirect Costs Equipment Subcontracts Scholarships (see miscellaneous section) Participant Costs (see miscellaneous section) Printing (including photocopying) Telephone (long distance only on grants) Postage Miscellaneous (e.g. animal costs, room and board) << Back to Budget Preparation Next Sub-Section >