The NIH grants manual will provide you with the documentation.  No, you
can't charge secretarial help to a garden variety R01 -- it is generally
included in the indirect cost base.  However, center grants and program
projects may have some administrative help charged to the administrative
cores, if it is specifically needed to carry out the research involved.

At 02:39 PM 9/12/02 -0500, you wrote:
>Greetings all,
>
>Here's a naive question I should probably know the answer to but,
>obviously don't.  Can secretarial support costs be charged as direct costs
>to a federal (NIH) award?
>
>I checked OMB A-122 and the NIH GPS and found little guidance so, I went
>to OMB A-21.  It indicates "...clerical staff should normally be treated
>as F&A costs." [F. 6. b. (2)].  As an A-122 institution, I'm wondering
>what the appropriate treatment is, direct or indirect.  If possible,
>please cite regulatory guidance to support your response.
>
>Thanks in advance for your help.
>
>Kevin L. Roberts
>Mayo Foundation
>Pavilion B-20J
>200 First St. SW
>Rochester, MN 55905
>(507) 266-5368
>xxxxxx@mayo.edu
>
>
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Jon Hart, Senior Director, Sponsored Programs Administration
The Rockefeller University
1230 York Ave.-Box 82, NY, NY 10021-6399
tel:  (212) 327-8054; fax:  (212) 327-8400
e-mail:  xxxxxx@rockefeller.edu

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