An interesting question for which there doesn't seem to be a fully
authoritative answer.  (If anyone has one, please sing out).

Our take on it is that we need do make the best estimate of F&A based on
the budget prepared here.  So we have PI's use essentially the same
spreadsheet for modular budgets as for other NIH budgets ...  BUT we do
have a special version for modular budgets that show the PI what the
average annual direct cost is as she builds the budget, and we suggest that
they closely approach an even number of modules on that average.  In short,
if there is "slop" in the budget, we suggest they use it up somehow before
finalizing.

And that spreadsheet identifies non-F&A bearing items, so we do get a
"good" F&A for the original plan the PI sends in.  We feel that we are thus
protected from some eager auditor's criticism in regard to estimating F&A.

Of course we CHARGE F&A based on actual expenditures.

Chuck

At 12:18 PM 5/15/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>I would appreciate some help on calculating the base and indirect cost for
>modular grants.  When completing the checklist page for modular grants,
>should the base be actual costs we've calculated or the cost rounded up to
>the nearest 25K.  For example, if the cost for the project is 48,000,
>should the base cost be 48,000 or 50,000?  And should the indirect cost be
>calcuated on the actual cost (48K) or 50K?
>
>
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