Re: RESADM-L Digest - 25 Jun 2004 to 28 Jun 2004 (#2004-126) Cassidy, Susan 29 Jun 2004 09:44 EST

Hello everyone,
I would like to hear if anyone has had any experience with putting housing
expense on NIH Grants.  Our PI's have brought this up numerous times.  They want
to bring over students from other countries, and don't want to pay them any
salary, just to pay their rent, or room & board for a couple of weeks while they
are here..

I am at a hospital, so we are under cost standards from 45 CFR 74, Appendix E.
One PI has asked if he can request this in his budget.  I am wondering if anyone
has done this before and  results you may have had?

thanks,

Susan Cassidy
Director, Radiology Research Finance
Brigham and Women's Hospital
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA  02115
phone 617-525-3064
fax      617-525-3066

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG]On Behalf
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Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 12:00 AM
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Subject: RESADM-L Digest - 25 Jun 2004 to 28 Jun 2004 (#2004-126)

There are 4 messages totalling 322 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

 1. Purchasing vehicles on grants (3)
 2. WSJ article on grant-getting

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Date:    Mon, 28 Jun 2004 10:31:07 -0400
From:    "Farnsworth, Franci" <xxxxxx@MIDDLEBURY.EDU>
Subject: Purchasing vehicles on grants

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If we purchase a vehicle with grant funds (for a field biology project =
involving lugging a log of gear to many sites), what vehicle =
operation/maintenance expenses can we also budget for as direct costs?   =
 Is there some type of standard mileage rate that can be used?    I =
assume we can pay for gas and oil with grant funds ... what about =
repairs (eg punctured tire)?
=20
Thanks for the help.   I've just moved to a new office and all my =
reference materials are still in boxes!!

Franci Farnsworth
=20
Frances Vinal Farnsworth=20
Coordinator of Sponsored Research=20
Library Room 223=20
Middlebury College=20
Middlebury, VT 05753=20

Tel:  802-443-5889=20
Fax:  802-443-2081=20
Email:  xxxxxx@middlebury.edu=20
Web:  http://www.middlebury.edu/offices/grants/=20

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 Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
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<DIV><SPAN class=3D687472414-28062004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>If we=20
purchase a vehicle with grant funds (for a field biology project =
involving=20
lugging a log of gear to many sites), what vehicle operation/maintenance =

expenses can we also budget for as direct costs?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
Is=20
there some type of standard mileage rate that can be =
used?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I=20
assume we can pay for gas and oil with grant funds ... what about =
repairs (eg=20
punctured tire)?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D687472414-28062004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D687472414-28062004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Thanks=20
for the help.&nbsp;&nbsp; I've just moved to a new office and all my =
reference=20
materials are still in boxes!!</FONT></SPAN></DIV><SPAN=20
class=3D687472414-28062004>
<DIV><BR><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>Franci =
Farnsworth</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D687472414-28062004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D687472414-28062004>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Frances Vinal Farnsworth</FONT> <BR><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>Coordinator of Sponsored Research</FONT> <BR><FONT face=3DArial =

size=3D2>Library Room 223</FONT> <BR><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>Middlebury=20
College</FONT> <BR><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Middlebury, VT =
05753</FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Tel:&nbsp; 802-443-5889</FONT> <BR><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>Fax:&nbsp; 802-443-2081</FONT> <BR><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>Email:&nbsp;=20
xxxxxx@middlebury.edu</FONT> <BR><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>Web:&nbsp; <A=20
href=3D"http://www.middlebury.edu/offices/grants/"=20
target=3D_blank>http://www.middlebury.edu/offices/grants/</A></FONT>=20
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Date:    Mon, 28 Jun 2004 10:20:28 -0400
From:    kma7850u <xxxxxx@POSTOFFICE.URI.EDU>
Subject: WSJ article on grant-getting

Hello Colleagues,

Today's Wall Street Journal contains an interesting p. 1 article titled, "At
Pitt, Scientists Decode the Secret of Getting Grants." It basically discusses
how researchers at Pitt are learning to "market" themselves to the NIH and
other federal funding agencies. Copyright restrictions prevent me from
including the article in this posting, but I'm sure you can get a look at it
at your university library.

Karen Markin

Karen M. Markin, Ph.D.
Director of Research Development
University of Rhode Island
Research Office
70 Lower College Road, #2
Kingston, RI 02881
V 401 874.5576
F 401 874.7044
xxxxxx@uri.edu

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------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 28 Jun 2004 13:24:09 -0400
From:    Jennifer Morgan <xxxxxx@MUSC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Purchasing vehicles on grants

When I was at UAB, we had a grant that required us to get elderly women, many
who did not drive, to our clinic for various treatment and follow-up visits. We
were able to budget for a vehicle and also included regularly scheduled
maintenance, fuel, oil and a driver.  To my recollection, we did not charge per
mile, but rather on a cost reimbursement basis as it was an NIH contract and was
based on actuals.

It would probably work either way, though, however, if you billed per mile, you
would not budget for gas and maintenance as that would be included in the
mileage rate.

Hope this helps.
-Jennifer

Jennifer Morgan, MHA

Vice Chair for Research Administration
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science

Southern Section President
Society of Research Administrators International

Medical University of South Carolina
67 President Street, Suite 504
Charleston, South Carolina  29425

voice:  843-792-0191
fax:  843-792-0048
email:  xxxxxx@musc.edu

>>> xxxxxx@MIDDLEBURY.EDU 06/28/04 10:31AM >>>
If we purchase a vehicle with grant funds (for a field biology project involving
lugging a log of gear to many sites), what vehicle operation/maintenance
expenses can we also budget for as direct costs?     Is there some type of
standard mileage rate that can be used?    I assume we can pay for gas and oil
with grant funds ... what about repairs (eg punctured tire)?

Thanks for the help.   I've just moved to a new office and all my reference
materials are still in boxes!!

Franci Farnsworth

Frances Vinal Farnsworth
Coordinator of Sponsored Research
Library Room 223
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 05753

Tel:  802-443-5889
Fax:  802-443-2081
Email:  xxxxxx@middlebury.edu
Web:  http://www.middlebury.edu/offices/grants/

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 subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
 via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
======================================================================

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------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 28 Jun 2004 15:44:18 -0400
From:    "Herbert B. Chermside" <xxxxxx@VCU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Purchasing vehicles on grants

Consider leasing.

If the vehicle is used solely for a single project, or for several projects
explicitly defined as "closely related" (in most cases you need grants
officer confirmation for that), all expenses can be charged direct.  That
is what Jennifer has suggested.  I presume the vehicle is pretty much a
"special purpose" vehicle rather than something you could get on a mileage
basis from "motor pool".  If you buy it on a grant you have to consider how
to remove it from the grant when done -- how do you sell/dispose of it and
what value do you return to the account, etc.

However, a vehicle used for multiple user purposes can, and maybe should,
be treated as a "service center".  That way you develop a cost structure
that involves upkeep, expenses (maybe fuel is a direct user cost, but it
may be cheaper with a fleet fuel credit card and charge user on a mileage
basis with fuel included), and depreciation/replacement cost.  Years ago I
had a couple of vehicles too specialized to get from the state motor pool
as a departmentally run service center.  This sounds more like what you
have in mind.  But keep in mind the "indirect" costs of managing such a
service if you aren't a motor pool.

Sorry no really simple answer.  First question should always be, "Is this
vehicle too specialized to obtain the necessary use from some other
source?"  Even then, check out leasing rather than purchase and upkeep; you
pay for what you get and drop the lease and problems at the end of the
lease.  Leasing companies can develop reasonable plans for even pretty
special purpose vehicles.  Cost can be influenced by how long you need it
(what portion of its economic life) and by the market for resale or later
lease if it is a specialized vehicle.  Also, consider in structuring a
lease to consider what you will do if the primary vehicle becomes
inoperable (some idiot breaks an axle hot dogging through rough country
--  yes, it does happen!)

It is my personal opinion that outright purchase and maintenance for a
single grant is way too much trouble, and use for several grants may still
best be handled by leasing.  There are lots of people in the leasing
business, so there is some competition out there.  And you may pay a little
"service fee" for someone else to deal with many of the headaches, but it
is probably worth it.

Field biology use is generally satisfied by something like a Suburban (or
similar non-luxury SUV), a pickup, or a slightly larger truck.  And, even
if leased, you can usually arrange for installation of your own custom
fabricated racking for equipment in the interior (presuming you need
that!), if you work with the leasor regarding how to attach it.

Chuck

At 10:31 AM 6/28/2004, you wrote:
>If we purchase a vehicle with grant funds (for a field biology project
>involving lugging a log of gear to many sites), what vehicle
>operation/maintenance expenses can we also budget for as direct
>costs?     Is there some type of standard mileage rate that can be
>used?    I assume we can pay for gas and oil with grant funds ... what
>about repairs (eg punctured tire)?
>
>Thanks for the help.   I've just moved to a new office and all my
>reference materials are still in boxes!!
>
>Franci Farnsworth
>
>
>Frances Vinal Farnsworth
>Coordinator of Sponsored Research
>Library Room 223
>Middlebury College
>Middlebury, VT 05753
>
>Tel:  802-443-5889
>Fax:  802-443-2081
>Email:  xxxxxx@middlebury.edu
>Web:
><http://www.middlebury.edu/offices/grants/>http://www.middlebury.edu/offices/gr
ants/
>
>
>======================================================================
>Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
>subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available via
>our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
>======================================================================

Herbert B. Chermside, CRA
Special Asst. to VP-Research
Virginia Commonwealth University
PO BOX 980568
Richmond, VA  23298-0568
Voice:  804-827-6036
Fax     804-828-2051
e-mail xxxxxx@vcu.edu

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End of RESADM-L Digest - 25 Jun 2004 to 28 Jun 2004 (#2004-126)
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