2015-02Budgets

IRTL Grants & Fellowships Workshop
Series
Part II: Budget
Preparation for
Research Projects
Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning
Doctoral Student Research Support
February 2015

Dr. Marcy Wallace, Associate Director
wallacem@msu.edu
Megan Drangstveit, Graduate Assistant
mdrangst@msu.edu
Institute for Research on Teaching & Learning
Audience members…
Introductions

Institute for Research on Teaching & Learning
IRTL supports doctoral students in the College of
Education by enhancing their knowledge of funding
opportunities and grant writing.
We are available to discuss funding opportunities; assist in
conceptualizing, writing, and revising a grant proposal; or
assist in preparing a competitive budget request.
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad
What is IRTL?

1. Learn how education researchers develop a
project budget.
2. Understand what funding agencies view as
legitimate expenses of research.
3. Identify resources to help with budget creation.
4. View sample budgets.
5. Create your own project budget.
Learning Objectives

• Grants allow for more time dedicated to
your research
• Professional development opportunity
• Shows ability to prepare grants for
academic job applications
Why is budget preparation important?

Audience Poll (think, pair, share)

• Many funders provide mandatory budget forms
that must be submitted with the proposal. Others
specify the budget categories that they will
approve.
• The following budget categories are commonly
used. These are general guidelines.
• For specific proposals, please consult the agency's
request for proposal (RFP).
Typical Budget Categories

Stipend (i.e. salary)
• Stipend rates and ranges can be calculated using
information from Michigan State’s Human Resources
Department. Always include as the first line-item.
• Ranges, MSUHR:
http://www.hr.msu.edu/hiring/studentemployment/
gradasst/stipendRanges.htm
• Rates:
http://education.msu.edu/resources/documents/Gra
duate-stipend-rates.pdf
Direct Costs: Personnel

Undergraduate student
• You may choose to hire an undergraduate student
(e.g. to manually enter data).
Tuition and Fees
• Tuition and fees can be calculated using Michigan
State’s tuition and fees calculator:
http://www.ctlr.msu.edu/COStudentAccounts/Tuiti
onCalculatorFall.aspx

Faculty Advisor’s Salary
• Buying out your faculty advisor's time may be necessary if
your advisor serves as a primary investigator or co-PI to
the project.
• Person months vs % of effort
Interpreter
• For example, hiring an interpreter for international
projects.
• * This could be filed under an “Other” category, depending
on institutional/funder guidelines.

Health Insurance
• Health insurance can be calculated using Michigan State’s
graduate student stipend information.
• http://www.hr.msu.edu/hiring/studentemployment/gradasst/
stipendRanges.htm
Fringe Benefits
• If faculty support is required, you may need to add fringe
benefits:
• https://cga.msu.edu/PL/Portal/DocumentViewer.aspx?cga=a
QBkAD0AOQA1AA==
Direct Costs:
Employee Benefits

Supplies
• List any special items that will
be consumed by the project,
such as office supplies;
video/audio tapes. All items
should be listed separately and
based upon current prices.
Copying & Printing
• Estimate the number of
photocopies to be made by the
project and compute the cost
based upon the current prices.
Transcription Fees
Postage
• Estimate the number of items to
be sent by first class and/or bulk
rate and compute the expected
cost.
Communications
• Phone cards for use on
international trips, renting a
satellite phone, etc.
Incentives for Participants
• Offering gift cards, refreshments
for focus groups, etc.
Direct Costs:
Supplies & Services

Travel
• All travel needs to be itemized, such as specific
trips to research sites or conferences. Airfare rates
can be obtained from airlines directly. Mileage
to/from sites can be determined with Michigan
State's published mileage rates.
• MSU: http://ctlr.msu.edu/combp/ex70a.aspx
Direct Costs: Travel

Lodging/Meals
• Lodging costs can be obtained from hotels directly. Food
costs can be computed from Michigan State's per diem
allowances or the U.S. State Department's Foreign Per
Diem Rates by Location.
• MSU: http://ctlr.msu.edu/combp/ex70a.aspx
• DeptOfState: http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp
Other
• Additional costs for items such as tips, taxi, parking, and
conference rooms should be included.
Direct Costs: Travel

Equipment/Technology
• All equipment purchases must be itemized with current
market prices listed.
• Some funding organizations do not allow the purchase of
equipment, others require specific approval for equipment
purchases, and others require equipment be turned over to
the funding agency at the end of the grant period.
• MSU guidelines: <$5,000 is considered a supply, which
may differ than agency guidelines.
Direct Costs: Equipment

Expenses of doing business that are necessary for the operation of the
organization or program and activities it performs.
• Costs such as heat, light, trash and snow removal, accounting –
• IDC rates are used to distribute these costs
• IDC are real expenses that afford the grantor access to your services
For indirect cost percentages, visit Michigan State’s Current Facilities &
Administrative Cost Rates:
http://www.cga.msu.edu/PL/Portal/DocumentViewer.aspx?cga=aQBkAD0AMQA2ADUA
Most graduate student research grant programs do not allow
indirect costs.
What do you think MSU’s IDC rate is?
(53.5%)
Indirect costs (IDC)?

• Travel (mileage to/from research sites;
gasoline; conferences; international
trips; car rental; etc.)
• Lodging/Meals
• Software
• Health insurance
• Recruiting subjects
• Research Assistant salary
• Interpreter (e.g., for international
projects)
• Undergraduate student hourly pay
(general—includes teachers, etc.,
working on the project)
• Printing
• Equipment/Technology (software; A/V
equipment)
• Supplies (e.g., stationery; video/audio
tapes)
• Tech support (e.g., processing
statistics)
• Services (e.g., mentor)
• Postage/telephone/fax/internet charges
• Transcription
• Publication/Dissemination of findings
• Incentives (participants/subjects)
• Stipend (i.e., salary)
• Training
• Tuition and fees
• Advisor? (i.e., her summer and/or
academic year salary—calculated by %
of faculty time dedicated to the
project, e.g., 25%). May be necessary if
advisor serves as Primary Investigator
or co-PI to project.
• Indirect costs (i.e., “overhead”)
What are Possible allowable project expenses? *
* These are general guidelines. For individualized assistance with questions on expenses
allowed by a particular funding agency, please consult IRTL staff and agency guidelines.

• Well-planned budgets reflect carefully
thought-out projects.
• Budgets are road maps showing how
your project will be implemented and
managed.
Prepare Your Budget

Most funding organizations require that a proposed budget be based
upon a good faith estimate of the anticipated costs. Three things to keep
in mind in preparing your budget:
• Is it necessary? Is it required to successfully complete the
project?
• Is it allowable? Is it permitted within the application guidelines
or has it been explicitly approved by the funding agency? Only
include things the funder is willing to support.
• Is it reasonable? Does the amount reflect a prudent estimate of
the costs? Cost estimates cannot be made up. They must have a
reasonable basis. Project your expenses as accurately as
possible. If required, properly estimate cost-sharing to meet the
requirements.
Prepare Your Budget

• Many applicants struggle to prepare a competitive
budget request.
• > Some people inflate the budget because they are
concerned that the funding agency will cut the proposed
budget and give them less than they need for their
project.
• < Other people ask way too little because they think
cost-conscious reviewers will be impressed with an
extremely low, bare-bones budget proposal – and a
lower budget might increase their chances to be
awarded the grant.
• Neither approach is effective!
• Reviewers know what things cost.
Too Much or Too Little?

• Include your time as a level of % effort (at MSU),
instead of hours or months
• Make certain the budget adds up correctly
• Put commas in numbers, easier to read (e.g., $1,000)
• Use a column format, numbers align on right/at
periods
• Label all budget categories, leave nothing blank
• Be realistic about the time you can commit, if you
have 3 projects at 50% time and they are all funded,
you’re in trouble!
Budget tips

• If you tend to be a cost-conscious person,
remember the funder can choose to
negotiate costs.
• They may draw a line through an item they
choose not to fund OR provide partial
funding of your total budget request.
• In other words, don’t hesitate to let them
know what you really need to do the project
well!
Funder discretion

Although you may prepare
the budget last, remember
many reviewers look at the
budget first!
Reviewers

Jane Geever, author of The Foundation Center's Guide
to Proposal Writing, conducted interviews with a
number of grantmakers and found that many do, in
fact, consider the budget to be the best way to get a
feel for the project without a lot of verbiage and hype.
When asked the question,
"How do you usually read a grant request?"
here's what some of the respondents said:
Reviewers
Source: The Foundation Center
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/prop_budgt/p
bb_review.html

"I look at the budget. Over the years I've
learned that narrative can be enriching,
but the numbers are stark and
straightforward. I want to see that the
money is doing the job described in the
proposal."
Joel Orosz W.K. Kellogg Foundation
"How do you usually read a
grant request?"

"I skip around the document in the
following way: first the budget, to see if
the request is appropriate and to see the
agency's financials; then the project
section, to see what they want to
accomplish; then the board list."
Lynn Pattillo The Pittulloch Foundation, Inc.
grant request?"

"I often look at the budget and then read
the proposal backwards."
Michael Gilligan The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc.
grant request?"

Student: Comes up with great idea & application
Faculty/Department/College: Assists with application
preparation; May fund this great idea or put forth application
to larger competition; Dept. may manage smaller awards.
IRTL: Assists with application preparation
== Larger awards only beyond this point / Faculty research support ==
• Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP): Pre-award
management
• Contract and Grant Administration (CGA): Post-award
management
MSU Grant Management
Basics

There are two primary ways to receive most grant
awards:
1. Personally / direct
2. Through the university
You will likely be taxed on any awards that you
receive personally. If run the award through Michigan
State University or your department, the university
will withhold taxes when necessary.
If award is >$25,000, student will be considered in-
state for tuition purposes.
Income Tax
(though we are not tax advisors)

Things to Consider
If handled through MSU:
• Cannot pay for personal groceries, but can pay
for participant food (no matter the funder’s
guidelines/approval).
• We encourage negotiating the budget up front –
there are certain ways to list items in the budget
in order to use the funds.
• Will be processed with a faculty advisor name,
not yours, in order to obtain an account number.
• It may take a while.
• Must have Human Subjects complete in order to
obtain an account number.
• Pay will occur like typical graduate student pay
checks.
• Can charge against your account, even if
payments are scheduled installments.
If paid directly to
student:
• You can use the
money when
you want.
• May have to
wait for
installments.
• May need to
make
arrangements
through your
department for
managing
funds.

It may be helpful to review examples of budgets and
budget descriptions for AAUW, AERA, AIR,
Fulbright, NSF, and Spencer
IRTL samples & examples:
• http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/pdf/IRTL_B
udgetSamples.pdf
Prepare Your Budget

Budget Guidelines - AAUW
“Budget –
information is
required for
administrative and
U.S. Internal
Revenue Service
(IRS) purposes.
Failure to itemize
your budget will
result in
disqualification.
AAUW records are
subject to IRS audit
and must reflect
appropriate planned
use of funds.”

There is no specific format for the budget section. Funds may
be used for tuition and/or institutional fees, living expenses,
equipment, professional travel, books, supplies, computing
time, etc. The proposed budget must include travel funds to
attend the next AERA Annual Meeting.
Budget Guidelines - AERA

• Travel expenses, including excess baggage
to and from the residence of the fellow to
the host country of research.
• Maintenance and dependents allowances
based on the cost of living in country(ies) of
research for the fellow and his or her
dependent(s).
• Project allowance for research related
expenses such as books, copying, tuition
and affiliation fees, local travel and other
incidental expenses.
• Health and accident insurance premiums.
• $100.00 administrative fee to applicant
institution.
• Dependent allowances should either be for
the same time period as the research, or
justification included for different timing.
• Research assistants (i.e., students at
collaborating institutions) are not
appropriate for doctoral research.
• Transcription of survey responses should be
done by the student, no transcribers.
• Equipment or materials with a life
expectancy beyond the life of the grant are
not allowable.
Sample Budget - Fulbright

• In general, grants are awarded for up to 24 months.
• Funds are to be used exclusively for the necessary expenses
incurred in the actual conduct of the dissertation research.
• These funds may not be used as a stipend for the student, for
tuition, textbooks, journals, or for the typing, reproduction, or
publication costs of the student's dissertation.
• Although stipends are not permitted, an allowance for expenses
during time away from the student's U.S. academic institution
may be allowed.
• Funds may be requests for research assistants only in special
circumstances, which should be carefully justified. Many of the
limitations are program specific.
• Please consult the relevant program’s website and contact the
program assistant or director if necessary.
Budget Limitations – NSF Doctoral
Dissertation Research Improvement Grants

The Graduate School and the college support more than 20 students
each year, providing a $6,000 fellowship which allows students to
devote considerable time to completing their dissertations.
Recipients may hold a maximum of a quarter-time assistantship
during the award semester.
Doctoral students are notified, via the Ph.D. listserv, of the application
process and submission deadlines.
Applications are submitted to the student's department in fall (for
the upcoming spring or summer), and include one letter of
nomination/support from the director of the dissertation that attends
to the following: it reaffirms the approval of the proposal, testifies to
the dissertation's strengths, and to the likelihood of completion
before the end of summer. The letter must include a timeline for
completion, with major benchmarks, and should indicate the way in
which the award will help release time to complete the dissertation.
Budget Guidelines – CoEd Dissertation
Completion Fellowships

This fellowship provides financial support for advanced doctoral students
who have projected or incurred expenses relevant to data collection for
their dissertation or research practicum.
Deadline: Typically Oct/Nov, varies by department.
Award: $1,000-4,000, varies by department.
Allowable research expenses vary by department, but may include:
• Testing/validating original survey instruments with focus groups or in cognitive labs
• Acquiring a commercially available instrument that will be given to a new population
• Providing incentives to schools to encourage participation of faculty, staff, and students (e.g.,
donation to a library/media center)
• Providing direct incentives to interview or survey participants (i.e., gift card to a book store)
• Offering refreshments or tokens of appreciation to focus groups (i.e., MSU t-shirts for high school
students who participate in focus groups)
• Funding postage/mailing/copying costs for hard copy surveys or to purchase an online survey
hosting account
• Travel to data collection sites
• Equipment such as digital recorders or transcription machines
• Data entry/transcription labor costs
Applicants should include a one-paragraph summary of your project's
needs and a detailed budget for anticipated expenses.
CoEd Research Practicum / Research
Development Fellowship (RP/D)

IRTL budget preparation: http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/budget.asp
IRTL budget samples: http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/pdf/IRTL_BudgetSamples.pdf
GA rates: http://education.msu.edu/resources/documents/Graduate-stipend-rates.pdf
GA ranges; Health insurance (MSU HR):
http://www.hr.msu.edu/hiring/studentemployment/gradasst/stipendRanges.htm
Fringe benefits:
https://cga.msu.edu/PL/Portal/DocumentViewer.aspx?cga=aQBkAD0AOQA1AA==
MSU tuition calculator: http://ctlr.msu.edu/COStudentAccounts/TuitionCalculator.aspx
MSU mileage rates; Per Diem rates: http://ctlr.msu.edu/combp/ex70a.aspx
State Department Foreign Per Diem: http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp
MSU current facilities & administrative cost rates:
http://www.cga.msu.edu/PL/Portal/DocumentViewer.aspx?cga=aQBkAD0AMQA2ADUA
Links from today

• Workshops, sessions for groups and classes
• Overview of grants & fellowships; Grant proposal
writing; Budget development; RCR; and more!
• One-on-one consultation (mdrangst@msu.edu)
• in person, over the phone, Skype/FaceTime, email
• Web resources (http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/)
• Sample proposals, budgets, timelines, resources
• Monthly newsletters (sign up on our website)
• Announcements, workshops, resources, funding
opportunities
• Facebook updates (facebook.com/MSUIRTL)
What does IRTL do?

Please join us for other workshops in this
Grants and Fellowships series:
How to Write a Competitive Grant Application
• Thursday, March 26, 1-3 p.m., 252 Erickson
Planning Ahead for 2015-2016 (and Beyond)
• Friday, April 10, 1-2 p.m., 252 Erickson
Upcoming events

KIN 895 Research Ethics, 1 cr. course, Summer 2015
Identifying and resolving ethical problems in research. Collegial
interactions. Authorship, publication, and reviewing practices. Data
management. Ownership of data and intellectual property. Conflicts of
interest. Protection of human and animal subjects. Lab safety and
compliance.
• T/W/H May 12-14, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Counts toward RCR requirements for 2014-2015
• Interdepartmental course with CEP, EAD, TE. If you wish to have
your enrollment in this course appear on your record as CEP 895 or
EAD 895 or TE 895, enroll in this section and then contact the CEP or
EAD or TE department when this class is completed.
Upcoming events

• Workshop topic ideas
• Web and newsletter content suggestions
• New award information
• Updates on your grant/fellowship applications
• Corrections on typos, spelling, and grammar.
We are always excited for

Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning
2nd Floor, Erickson Hall
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad
https://www.facebook.com/MSUIRTL
http://education.msu.edu/irtl/grad/Subscribe.asp
Bob Floden, Director, floden@msu.edu
Marcy Wallace, Associate Director,
wallacem@msu.edu
Megan Drangstveit, Graduate Assistant,
mdrangst@msu.edu (201C Erickson Hall)
IRTL – Doctoral Student
Research Support

2015-02Budgets

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