Thanks, Greg and others, for confirming my gut feelings that cost-sharing
is a
REAL obligation. I appreciate having a chance to get this sort of feedback
from
others.

Greg's mention of renegotiating the budget reminded me that this was the
FIRST
thing that the project director and I worked on accomplishing. The budget
had
included a fanciful amount for an in-kind contribution (for equipment use,
not
the equipment itself) which far exceeded reality, or even A-110, for that
matter! We submitted a revised budget and requested approval for it to be
accepted as the budget of record. The funding agency did not object to the
reduced dollar-amount in the cost-sharing box but emphasized that their
primary
concern was that it did not reflect a "reduced level of effort" in the
project.
We would have had a difficult time explaining to the auditors just where
the
dollars were coming from if we had been locked into operating with that
first
budget.

Molly

____________________Reply Separator____________________
Subject:    Re: Cost sharing
Author: gschmidt <xxxxxx@FAMU.EDU>
Date:       08/12/99 6:31 PM

If you propose and they accept, you're obligated.  It is a lot like a
contract
in that regard.  The worst is that it can be an oblique offer on your PI's
part.  You do not have to have a legislative requirement to have cost
sharing.
You can also agree to an amount that exceeds the legislative requirements.
The
result is the same.  You are obligated to that level.
Having said that, the agencies have several options in the event your PI
proposed to cost share lunar exploration as part of their $25,000 training
grant proposal.  They can reduce the requirement to what was legislatively
required, or to what was programmatically required, or renegotiate it all
together.  They can also decide to reduce your award in proportion to the
missing match.
If the agency's program staff are poo pooing cost sharing, you should be
pulling out your electron microscopes and deciphering every word's meaning
in
the proposal.  I wouldn't trust them.  Especially agencies like NSF (sorry,
Mr.
Kull).
NSF recently (5/99) revised their procedures when it comes to cost sharing,
but
the foxes continue to guard the hen house.  Mr. Kull is trying to change
the
foxes into some other benign life form, but these things take time.  I wish
him
all the luck and good fortune in the world!

--
Greg Schmidt
Manager, Contract & Grant Accounting
Florida A&M University
201 FHAC
Tallahassee, FL  32307-3200
DUNS:  623751831
College of the Year - 1997
850/561-2956 voice
850/561-2461 fax

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