I am interested in the policies of other institutions regarding the use of
their off-campus indirect (F&A) cost  rate.  My particular interest is in
how one determines what is off-campus and what is on-campus.

I have an investigator who is trying to claim that her research  project is
off-campus and should be allowed to use the off-campus rate because 1) all
of her fieldwork is being collected off-campus; 2)her hired transcriber
works out of his home, so all transcription will be done off-campus; 3) all
copies of interviews from the fieldwork will be kept in a locked cabinet at
the PI's home; and  4) all appointments will be set up using her phone at
home, and 5) any copying needed will be done at a copy service, like Kinko's
and not at the institution.

Our indirect cost negotiation indicates that the off-campus rate is to be
used when the research is being done at a location sufficiently distant from
campus as to preclude use of the on-campus rate -- and I don't think home
falls into that category.

Would appreciate any information/guidance from the list.

My thanks in advance.

Gretchen
Gretchen Kemp Eckert
Associate Controller for Sponsored Research/Wellesley College
106 Central Street, GRH 139   Wellesley, MA  02181-8201
Phone:  781/283-2250    FAX:  781/283-3663              E-mail:  xxxxxx@wellesl
ey.edu