Re: Equipment Use Charges on Grants/Contracts Louis Guin 06 Dec 1995 12:28 EST

Jack is correct. However, if the piece of equipment in consideration either
is new or was excluded from the calculation of your current indirect cost
rate, then you may have a case to set up a specialized service facility to
recharge the usage of this special equipment (provided that there is enough
service demand for it). Louis.

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Jack's comment:
>At 09:27 AM 12/6/95 PST, you wrote:
>Your overhead rate should have equipment use charges built into it. Some
>institutions have built use charges for specific pieces of equipment, but
>this is exceptional and you should already know about it.
>
>Like mud, not very clear,  but it covers the ground
> ----------
>From: resadm-l
>To: Multiple recipients of list RESADM-L
>Subject: Equipment Use Charges on Grants/Contracts
>Date: Tuesday, December 05, 1995 1:55PM
>
>I need advice on how and when to charge for the use of specialized
>equipment on a grant or contract.
>
>We have a contract with a private firm in which the professor is
>doing some work that is partly research and partly testing,
>and he is using some failry big and expensive equipment in an
>engineering lab.  There ias adequae provision for salaries,
>overhead, supplies, etc., but no rental or usage charge for
>the equipment.  There is also provision for the university to
>keep any intellectual property that may arise.
>Another professor was asked by another company if they could
>use the machine, and when he calculated and quoted the usage charge
>they turned it down.  He is now upset that the first company
>seems to be getting the usage for free.
>
>Question:  At what point, or by what criteria, should specialized equip-
>ment be a separate charge in a grant or contract budget?  Does
>paying overhead and covering salaries and supporting research
>obviate the need to pay for the equipment?  Are there accounting
>rules that need to be followed consistently?
>
>Any advice will be welcome.
>
>Stuart A. Ross
>California State University Fullerton
>xxxxxx@ccvax.fullerton.edu
>
>Thank you.
>
>
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Louis Guin, PhD, Assistant VP
Univ. of Southern California
Office of Financial Analysis
UGB Suite 107, MC-8002
Los Angeles, CA 90089-8002
(P) 213 743-2454
(F) 213 748-0871
(E) xxxxxx@usc.edu