We do not charge per diems for use of animal facility by faculty who are externally funded ... the facility operation is part of the indirect costs.   However, grants do pay for any new animals and cages ... and supplies that can be attributed to the grant (eg, surgical equipment).     If the grant uses animals already purchased for other purposes, we would not charge the grant.

I'll be interested to know if other PUI's handle animal research costs differently ...

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/

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG]On Behalf
Of Barbara Gray
Sent: Wed, August 18, 2004 3:28 PM
To: xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG
Subject: [RESADM-L] PerDiems for Animals/Small Institutions

I'm looking for guidance from predominantly undergraduate institutions
with small animal programs that primarily serve instructional and
in-house research needs.....

Our animal care and use program is institutionally funded (has its own
annual budget)--funding covers food, bedding, animal care staff and vet
payments, cage washer maintenance, training and travel and the like.
Departments purchase the animals used for these purposes.  To date, all
of our laboratory animals have either been for instruction or for
research not funded extramurally.

For the first time, we are about to develop a budget for an NIH research
project that will use rats and mice.  We are having a dfference of
opinion about whether or not we should request funding for animal per
diems.  I believe this is an appropriate direct cost to the grant, but
some here feel that, since the research project will involve students
(who will be paid as research assistants) it is educational in nature
and so the institution should pay to purchase the animals and care for
them.  I need some backup examples of institutions like ours that do
assess perdiems in this kind of situation.  Also, I need to know the
going daily rate for rats and mice.  Needless to say, we need help
quickly, as the deadline is looming and I have battle to do.....

Thanks.
Barbara

--
==================================================================
Barbara H. Gray, Director
Office of Research & Grants Administration
College of Charleston
66 George Street
Charleston, SC  29424
Campus Location:  407-G Bell Bldg.
Office: 843.953.5673  Desk: 843.953.5885  Fax:  843.953.6577
e-mail:  xxxxxx@cofc.edu   URL: http://www.orga.cofc.edu/
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 subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
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