The budget should be given as much consideration as the narrative section of your proposal. It should be a realistic appraisal of the total project cost. The Office of Associate Dean for Research and Sponsored Projects can create your budget for you. For general guidelines, you can find a budget template under "Forms".

The budget should include direct costs such as salaries, fringe benefits, travel and supplies. It should also reflect indirect costs, which cover Columbia's overhead. This is usually calculated as a percentage of the total applicable direct costs. The indirect cost rate for federal grants is listed in the Institutional Information table below; the rate for private grants varies.

Certain budget elements are more complicated than others. Detailed descriptions of these specific budget elements follow.

Personnel
Salaries should always be calculated first as a percent effort, which is then translated into a dollar amount. Careful consideration should be given to the effort that each individual, particularly PIs, will devote to the project. You should give a realistic assessment of the time you will spend on the research. For example, if you plan to devote one day of your week to the grant, you should list yourself at 2.4 calendar months (Formula: 12 x (.effort)=Calendar Months). The ADR-OSP can work with you to ensure that you get a 5th day or a summer month salary, but you must first accurately describe the time you will be working on the grant. The NIH has a salary cap for grants, cooperative agreements and contracts of $191,300 annually. For officers of research and support staff, reimbursement is also expressed in calendar months.

Fringe Benefits
Fringe benefits should be included in the personnel section of your budget. The fringe benefit rate is applied to salaries associated with the project; it is intended to reimburse Columbia for its contribution to employee benefits (medical insurance, retirement). It does not apply to Graduate Research Assistant salaries. Fringe benefits are a direct cost.

Tuition Remission
Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) are paid a salary. This does not apply to salaries less than $1,000. Indirect costs are not charged on GRA salaries.

Travel Costs/Equipment/Supplies
If your project will require travel such as attending a conference related to your research project, you should include this in your budget. Consider airfare, car rental, hotel, meals and conference fees when estimating travel costs. Equipment is defined as any property that costs $5,000 or more. Most computers, software can be purchased for less and would instead be listed under Supplies. Supplies are included in almost every budget. These are supplies that are used specifically for your project. This does not include regular office supplies, as they are covered by indirect costs.

Subcontracts
A subcontract, or subaward, is an agreement between a PI and a secondary investigator who will provide a significant amount of research or input into a grant project. If you anticipate a need for a subcontractor, it is best to include this in your initial proposal. The proposal must include the subcontractor's letter of collaboration, statement of work and CV, budget, signed cover page and all necessary compliance documents (IRB, Conflict of Interest, etc.). Columbia charges indirect costs on the first $25K of each subaward.

Cost-sharing
Some award guidelines require a PI's institution to cover a portion of the costs associated with a sponsored project. These can include: unreimbursed faculty or non-faculty salaries, equipment, supplies, or reduction of indirect costs. The PI must gain approval before proposing a cost-sharing agreement; it must also be reflected in the proposal budget.