Ok.  I retreat....

My original intention was to explain the new system to researchers and why
they would probably need to continue  to furnish a full budget.  Most of
them ARE well aware of how indirect costs are based on budget categories
and the need to ensure that costs are reasonable, allowable, etc.  I was
led to believe that what will drive all of this is the institution's
continued responsibility for sound, OMB-adherent accounting rather than
actual demands by NIH for this or that document at this or that time for
every grant.

Given what I've heard today, there seem to be some discrepancies between
what "modular" means in theory and in practice.  I just hope that this is
not due to certain institutes putting their own moderating spin on things
during the last year while the central theorists are planning to unleash
something quite more radical.

Concerning rebudgeting:  I spoke with one of the people who will be
answering email messages addressed to xxxxxx@nih.gov, and he kept using
the term "fixed obligation".  When I brought up the 25% rebudgeting issue,
he said it would be removed.  !!??

Charlie Hathaway