research project budget for research proposal

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How to plan and write a budget for research grant proposal?

Medical research can have an enormous positive impact on human health. Health research improves the quality of human lives and society which plays a vital role in social and economic development of the nation. Financial support is crucial for research. However, winning a research grant is a difficult task. A successful grant-winning application requires two key elements: one is an innovative research problem with best probable idea/plan for tackling it and appropriate planning of budget. The aim of the present paper is to give an insight on funding agencies providing funding for health research including traditional Indian medicine (from an Indian perspective) and key points for planning and writing budget section of a grant application.

1. Introduction

Why health science research is important and why should it to be funded? Science and technology innovations and health research can have an enormous impact on human health. They improve public health, quality of human lives, longevity and have made society better [1] , [2] . Healthy humans with better quality of life are crucial for the social and economical development of the nation [3] . Medical research led to the expansion of knowledge about health problems/conditions and their mechanism, risk factors, outcomes of treatments or interventions, preventive measures and proper management. Clinical studies or trials provide important information about the safety and efficacy of a drug/intervention. Innovative basic science research had led to the discovery of new technology, efficient diagnostic and therapeutic devices. So, currently, an effort with multidisciplinary approach is a demand for better understanding of clinical conditions and providing safest health care to the community [2] , [4] .

Whether it is basic or applied, clinical or non-clinical, all research needs financial support. Considering the importance of research in economic growth of a nation, many countries are increasing their budget for research and development in science. A study on impact of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) on research and development in science among Asian countries has found that one who spends more on research has more research outcomes in the form of total number of research documents, citations per documents and h-index [5] . About 95% of the NIH (National Institutes of Health, USA), budget goes directly to research awards, programs, and centers; training programs; and research and development contracts [6] . Total expenditure carried out for research in India is too less than USA and China. Percentage of GDP for research and development in India is 0.88%, while South Korea, USA and China have 4.292%, 2.742 and 2.1% respectively [7] .

Owing to the increasing competition among the researchers, especially the young ones, for their academic growth, preparing and planning a winning research proposal becomes very essential. A successful grant-winning application requires two key elements: (1) innovative research problem with best probable idea/plan for tackling it and (2) appropriate planning of budget. The aim of the present paper is to give an insight on funding agencies (from an Indian perspective) and key points for planning and writing budget section of a grant application.

2. What is the purpose of the budget plan in a grant application?

A budget is the quantitative expression of a financial plan for future expenses on the project in a given period of time [8] . Budget plan is a key element of a grant application. It demonstrates the required cost for the proposed project. It is a prediction of expenses and serves a plan for funders on how the organization will operate the project, spend the money in a given set of period and where their money will go. It shows the funders exactly what they can support and also helps the institution and investigating team in management of the project. Moreover, budget plan requires for accountability [9] .

3. Which are the funding agencies that sponsor health research in India?

Various national and international sponsoring agencies have identified health problems of priority for funding a research. Some of the leading funding agencies providing grant for health research including alternative systems of medicine in India are given in Table 1 . State Universities/deemed Universities also have a provision of funding for medical research.

Table 1

List of funding agencies those promote health research.

4. What constitutes a research project budget?

Proforma of the research grant applications and presentation of budget section may vary among the sponsoring agencies. However, major parts of budget plan in the applications of the above mentioned funding agencies are quite similar. The budget section is broadly divided into two categories: direct and indirect costs.

4.1. Direct costs:

These are the costs incurred specifically to carry out a project [10] . Direct costs include expenses towards personnel, materials, equipments, consumables and travel. These particulars are further categorized into recurring and non-recurring expenses on the basis of their occurrence during the study period. A brief description of the sub-sections under direct cost is given below:

4.1.1. Personnel:

Budget for personnel can be mentioned in this section in case human resources are required for the study and as per funding agency guidelines. Salaries with allowances can be budgeted for human resources such as site manager, research assistant, junior research fellow (JRF), senior research fellow (SRF), research associate, technician, data entry operator and attender. Most of the Indian funding agencies do not have a provision for salaries for the principal investigator (PI) and co-investigators (Co-PI). Ministry of AYUSH [11] and Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science (RGUHS), Karnataka [12] provide one-time minimal fees for investigators and supporting staff respectively. There is a provision for salaries of investigators in Wellcome trust-DBT India alliance grants [13] .

4.1.2. Recurring expenses:

Recurring expenses are those which are variable and which keep on occurring throughout the entire project duration. Particulars categorized in this category are consumables, chemicals, glasswares, laboratory test charges, diagnostic kits, stationery, prints, photocopies, communication, postage, telephone charges, survey tools, questionnaires, publication charges, reprints, binding etc. Other expenses could be allowances for patients/participants, food charges and physician fees.

4.1.3. Non-recurring expenses:

Non-recurring expenses are those which are one-time in nature or which do not recur at regular intervals. Particulars included in this category are equipments or instruments with its accessories, software's, computer, printer, electrical and electronic items and accessories of the existing instrument in your lab. Percentage of budget allocated for equipment varies among the funding agencies from 25% to 90% of the entire budget. Some of the agencies do not have provision for equipment in budget. Vision Group on Science and Technology allocated their maximum grant (up to 90%) for development of infrastructure of laboratories [14] .

4.1.4. Traveling expenses:

Budget allocated for traveling can be used for attending meetings, conferences, workshops and training programs. Foreign travel is not allowed by any Indian funding agency. Traveling expenses for collection of data, survey and visit to other centers in multicentric study can be budgeted in this sub-section.

4.2. Indirect costs:

These are the costs which cannot be directly attributed to specific expenses of a project, but are required to run a project. It is also termed as overhead charges. Laboratory, electricity, water, library and other facilities are provided by the institution to run a proposed research project. Therefore, a fixed cost (usually) of about 5–15% of the total budget is provisioned as institutional overhead charges which goes to the institution directly. The range may, however, be flexible on the basis of the type of funding agency.

5. Budget justification

Most of the funding agencies require submission of a budget justification with all the items described above. Sometimes it is also called as budget narrative. Explanation of need for each line item in the budget with item-wise and year-wise breakdown has to be provided. Quantification of total costs of each line-item and document cost calculation should be done. When writing a budget justification, it is important to follow the same order as that in an itemized budget. For example, if equipment such as color doppler is required, then justify the need of a device with respect to the proposed methodology of the study. Similarly, for non-recurring expenses, breakdown the consumables item-wise and year-wise with its cost and calculation according to the protocol of the study and justify accordingly.

6. Budget summary

An item-wise and year wise summary of the total budget is usually required in most of the applications. Budget summary outlines the proposed grant and often (most of the format) appears at the beginning of the proposal. It should always be prepared at the end, after the grant proposal has been completely developed. A sample budget summary (as an example) for a proposed study for the duration of three years is shown in Table 2 . In the personnel section, a research fellow salary with allowances is budgeted year-wise. The salary of the research fellow for the first and second year is Rs. 2,30,000 per year (JRF) with an enhancement to Rs 2, 59,000 for the third year (SRF) as per the guidelines of the funding agency. As non-recurring expenses are one time in nature, a budget for equipment was budgeted only for the first year. Under the section of recurring expenses, more budgets are allocated in the second year for consumables because recruitment of subjects in large number will be done during the second year of the proposed study. Similarly, expenses toward travel, investigator fee and other miscellaneous costs year-wise have been budgeted. The emoluments and guidelines on service conditions for research personnel employed in research project by ICMR has been given in reference section [15] , [16] .

Table 2

Sample budget summary (year wise).

7. How to plan a simple research budget?

Planning of the research budget begins with an innovative research question, objectives and design of the study. Before starting to write a budget plan, it is essential to understand the expectations of funding agencies, University/Institute and the team of researchers. It is imperative to keep in mind that the research proposal will be reviewed by both scientific and financial (non-scientific) experts. Hence, the proposal should be prepared in such a way that it can be easily understood by even non-scientific experts.

Firstly, a list of what is essential and would add value for research such as focus of research, primary and secondary outcomes of the study, the source of the sample, study setting, sample design and sample size, techniques used to collect data, method of data analysis and available resources should be made [17] .

Secondly, the instructions, format of the application and rules of the funding agency should be read thoroughly. Budget specifications, limitations of recurring and non-recurring costs, and necessity of budget justification with cost breakdown should be checked. Note that one should not deviate or modify the proforma of the funding agency.

Thirdly, a list of items should be made and categorized into recurring and non-recurring expenses. Breakdown of the budget into item-wise and year-wise with cost calculation should be done. It should be ensured that costs are reasonable, allowable and related to the research proposal, so that the budget appears realistic. Travel expenses should be calculated as per the rules of the funding agency.

Fourthly, item-wise and year-wise justification of the requirement in a same sequence of format should be provided. A well-justified budget can enhance the evaluation of the research proposal by reviewers and funding body.

The last most important part is to review the budget and verify the costs and calculation. It is better, if other research team members can review the budget plan and re-calculate the costs thoroughly. Remember, too high budget and too low budget with respect to the research proposal are suspicious and chances of receiving a grant are less.

Sources of funding

Conflict of interest.

Peer review under responsibility of Transdisciplinary University, Bangalore.

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Top 7 Research Budget Templates with Samples and Examples

Tejas Prasanna

There is no magic formula for creating a research budget. Depending on the kind of research and the potential changes it can bring about, careful planning and allocation is necessary. Budgets can, thus, vary depending on the sponsors, besides other factors. However, every research budget has some essential guidelines. 

Research budgets depend on the project deliverables, timelines, and milestones. The resources required also depend on the scope of the projects and sponsors.

Best Templates for Planning Your Research Budget

Designing a research budget is not easy. You will need to consider the resources required and categorize them according to guidelines to ensure funding is not a problem. The categories may include the project’s necessary supplies and equipment and the wages you must pay your assistants. Research budgets are allocated for a year, but you can also plan for a quarter, depending on the project.

At SlideTeam, we have taken care of all these pain points and designed content-ready presentation templates that address each of these points. You save the time, the resources, and the tedium in having to make these presentations from scratch. 

What is even better is that each of the templates is 100% editable and customizable. The content-ready nature means you get a starting point and a structure to guide your presentation; the editability feature means you can customize the template to audience profile. 

Let’s explore these templates now. 

Template 1 - Impact matrix evaluation research solution budget

This PPT Template is the perfect solution for your research budgeting needs. The matrix suggests what solutions are essential with the help of relevant keys that assign priority levels. Priorities go from low to highest influence with increasing importance. They are color-coded, with white being the lowest and red being the highest influence. For instance, Maintain Awareness and Evaluation are red in many cases, as shown in the slide. So, that means that they bear a significant impact on the research budget. Similarly, Strategic and Budget Planning are color-coded white, which means they don't impact the research budget as much in some cases.

With the impact matrix and heatmap, mapping out your research budget will be a breeze.

Get it now!

Template 2  Half-yearly research and development departmental budget

Research and Development departments can plan the budget required for projects for the two halves of the year using this PPT Template. The presentation template highlights areas for which you will need funding such as research and development, skills, innovation and patenting, and cooperation. You can also list your requirements for each area. For instance, under R&D and skills, you may need funding for medical research, chemical research, etc. Similarly, for innovation and patenting, you may need funding for product innovation and to cover patenting costs. Likewise, cooperation may involve setting up new laboratories and research centers. With this outlined, you can split the budget required for your research project for the two halves of the year.

Download now!

Template 3 - Budget Estimate for Research and Development Project

This presentation template for the budget estimate for your research and development project is apt for arriving at the calculation for the four quarters in a year. You can define and assign tasks as per the requirements of the project and allocate a set budget for each. The tasks may involve conducting market research and competitive analysis or be innovative or developmental. In either case, you can use this template to set a fixed budget for each task in the research project.

Get it today!

Template 4 Clinical Trial Phases with Communication and Budget Research Design for Clinical Trials

Clinical trials involve many phases, and you should let your research associates know about each step. For instance, you could post the information on the company website and provide relevant insights during the pre-trial phase. Similarly, you can offer the welcome letter and training materials during the trial start-up. During the trial, you can send newsletters to your associates, giving them relevant information and other valuable insights. All this requires funding, and you will need to allocate a budget. However, you don't need to worry, as this PPT Preset has you sorted, with dedicated sections for the pre-trial, trial start-up, during-trial, and trial-end phases. It also has communication, insights summary, and budget sections. You can use the budget section in the matrix to allot a budget for each trial phase and each section, including communication and insights. 

Download here!

Template 5  Market research strategy with budget and area

The PPT Template has all the core elements required for your market research strategy, including the budget and area. This slide lets you list your clients, the items, and when to send them. You can also list background information related to your research, the aim and objectives of the project, the areas covered, and the budget.

The presentation template also provides a dedicated space to list your brands and products and a timeline for completing the research.

Template 6 - Determine Budget for Psychology Research Proposal One-Pager Sample Example Document

This presentation template is an easy-to-use tool for determining the budget required for psychology research. With this slide, you can allocate a budget for each area, including diagnostic assessment, training, technology and tools, supplies, travel, and workforce. It is a practical, hands-on template with information required to plan the budget for conducting psychological tests and evaluations. Please note that depending on your geography, taxes might or might not deserve a separate column.  

Template 7 - Budgeting for Product Launch Market Research

Every company needs to conduct market research before launching a new product. The PowerPoint Presentation that you have here can help you plan the budget required for conducting such market research. It includes necessary information, including business and research objectives, priorities, methodologies, and forecasts. The presentation template also has the metrics required for the research, such as improving customer engagement, introducing new products, and increasing market share. For example, to improve customer engagement, you may be looking to improve marketing approaches and gather customer feedback. The methods you may use include conducting marketing mix studies and tests. Similarly, you may want to optimize your social media posts and profiles and conduct A/B tests when introducing new products. Improving your market share may involve analyzing the competition. You may even use this handy template for conducting market research, estimating, and forecasting budgets.

RESEARCH IS IMPORTANT BUSINESS

You can plan your research and the budget required using these templates. Remember that each new product launch has lots of research behind it. When going for a new launch, don’t just research the products and its uses, but also the markets – particularly, your target audience and how they will benefit from your brands. When allocating the budget for your research, don't forget to note your total resources and try to be as cost-effective as possible. You must consider the expected costs that you may incur and use these templates to work out a research budget that fits within your resources.

FAQs on Research Budget

What should be included in a research budget.

Research budgets should include all direct costs, and facilities and administrative costs (F&A). The facilities and administrative expenses are needed to achieve the primary objectives of the research. The project description should state the proposed budget and serve as a financial expression for the research. The idea is to ensure that the budget is comprehensive.

How do you create a research budget?

You can create a simple research budget by following these steps:

• List activities that will help you carry out the research.
• Check the rules for getting the funding required.
• Check all costs involved.
• Lay out the costs using a spreadsheet.
• Justify your budget by asking why and for what you need the money and where you got your figures.

What is the role of budget in research?

A budget can provide a detailed and clear picture of the structure of the research project, not to mention that it also lets you know how well it can be managed. The research project budget usually lets you see whether it will go according to plan and if it is feasible. So, it must be complete and reasonable.

What is the average budget for a research project?

The budget for a research project depends on the type of research and the proposed difference it could make to a field of study. For instance, the average budget for a market research project may vary between $20,000 and $50,000. Similarly, larger scientific research projects may cost millions or even billions of dollars, as in pharmaceuticals.

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The Research Whisperer

Just like the thesis whisperer – but with more money, how to make a simple research budget.

Every research project needs a budget*.

If you are applying for funding, you must say what you are planning to spend that funding on. More than that, you need to show how spending that money will help you to answer your research question .

So, developing the budget is the perfect time to plan your project clearly . A good budget shows the assessors that you have thought about your research in detail and, if it is done well, it can serve as a great, convincing overview of the project.

Here are five steps to create a simple budget for your research project.

1. List your activities

Make a list of everything that you plan to do in the project, and who is going to do it.

Take your methodology and turn it into a step-by-step plan. Have you said that you will interview 50 people? Write it on your list.

Are you performing statistical analysis on your sample?  Write it down.

Think through the implications of what you are going to do. Do you need to use a Thingatron? Note down that you will need to buy it, install it, and commission it.

What about travel? Write down each trip separately. Be specific. You can’t just go to ‘South East Asia’ to do fieldwork. You need to go to Kuala Lumpur to interview X number of people over Y weeks, then the same again for Singapore and Jakarta.

Your budget list might look like this:

• I’m going to do 10 interviews in Kuala Lumpur; 10 interviews in Singapore; 10 interviews in Jakarta by me.
• I’ll need teaching release for three months for fieldwork.
• I’ll need Flights to KL, Singapore, Jakarta and back to Melbourne.
• I’ll need Accommodation for a month in each place, plus per diem.
• The transcription service will transcribe the 30 interviews.
• I’ll analysis the transcribed results. (No teaching release required – I’ll do it in my meagre research time allowance.)
• I’ll need a Thingatron X32C to do the trials.
• Thing Inc will need to install the Thingatron. (I wonder how long that will take.)
• The research assistant will do three trials a month with the Thingatron.
• I’ll need to hire a research assistant (1 day per week for a year at Level B1.)
• The research assistant will do the statistical analysis of the Thingatron results.
• I’ll do the writing up in my research allowance time.

By the end, you should feel like you have thought through the entire project in detail. You should be able to walk someone else through the project, so grab a critical friend and read the list to them. If they ask questions, write down the answers.

This will help you to get to the level of specificity you need for the next step.

2. Check the rules again

You’ve already read the funding rules, right? If not, go and read them now – I’ll wait right here until you get back.

Once you’ve listed everything you want to do, go back and read the specific rules for budgets again. What is and isn’t allowed? The funding scheme won’t pay for equipment – you’ll need to fund your Thingatron from somewhere else. Cross it off.

Some schemes won’t fund people. Others won’t fund travel. It is important to know what you need for your project. It is just as important to know what you can include in the application that you are writing right now.

Most funding schemes won’t fund infrastructure (like building costs) and other things that aren’t directly related to the project. Some will, though. If they do, you should include overheads (i.e. the general costs that your organisation needs to keep running). This includes the cost of basics like power and lighting; desks and chairs; and cleaners and security staff. It also includes service areas like the university library. Ask your finance officer for help with this. Often, it is a percentage of the overall cost of the project.

If you are hiring people, don’t forget to use the right salary rate and include salary on-costs. These are the extra costs that an organisation has to pay for an employee, but that doesn’t appear in their pay check. This might include things like superannuation, leave loading, insurance, and payroll tax. Once again, your finance officer can help with this.

Your budget list might now look like this:

• 10 interviews in Kuala Lumpur; 10 interviews in Singapore; 10 interviews in Jakarta by me.
• Teaching release for three months for fieldwork.
• Flights to KL, Singapore, Jakarta and back to Melbourne.
• Accommodation for a month in each place, plus per diem, plus travel insurance (rule 3F).
• Transcription of 30 interviews, by the transcription service.
• Analysis of transcribed results, by me. No teaching release required.
• Purchase and install Thingatron X32C, by Thing Inc . Not allowed by rule 3C . Organise access to Thingatron via partner organistion – this is an in-kind contribution to the project.
• Three trials a month with Thingatron, by research assistant.
• Statistical analysis of Thingatron results, by research assistant.
• Research assistant: 1 day per week for a year at Level B1, plus 25.91% salary on-costs.
• Overheads at 125% of total cash request, as per rule 3H.

3. Cost each item

For each item on your list, find a reasonable cost for it . Are you going to interview the fifty people and do the statistical analysis yourself? If so, do you need time release from teaching? How much time? What is your salary for that period of time, or how much will it cost to hire a replacement? Don’t forget any hidden costs, like salary on-costs.

If you aren’t going to do the work yourself, work out how long you need a research assistant for. Be realistic. Work out what level you want to employ them at, and find out how much that costs.

How much is your Thingatron going to cost? Sometimes, you can just look that stuff up on the web. Other times, you’ll need to ring a supplier, particularly if there are delivery and installation costs.

Jump on a travel website and find reasonable costs for travel to Kuala Lumpur and the other places. Find accommodation costs for the period that you are planning to stay, and work out living expenses. Your university, or your government, may have per diem rates for travel like this.

Make a note of where you got each of your estimates from. This will be handy later, when you write the budget justification.

• 10 interviews in Kuala Lumpur; 10 interviews in Singapore; 10 interviews in Jakarta by me (see below for travel costs).
• Teaching release for three months for fieldwork = $25,342 – advice from finance officer.
• Flights to KL ($775), Singapore ($564), Jakarta ($726), Melbourne ($535) – Blue Sky airlines, return economy.
• Accommodation for a month in each place (KL: $3,500; Sing: $4,245; Jak: $2,750 – long stay, three star accommodation as per TripAdviser).
• Per diem for three months (60 days x $125 per day – University travel rules).
• Travel insurance (rule 3F): $145 – University travel insurance calculator .
• Transcription of 30 interviews, by the transcription service: 30 interviews x 60 minutes per interview x $2.75 per minute – Quote from transcription service, accented voices rate.
• Analysis of transcribed results, by me. No teaching release required. (In-kind contribution of university worth $2,112 for one week of my time – advice from finance officer ).
• Purchase and install Thingatron X32C, by Thing Inc . Not allowed by rule 3C. Organise access to Thingatron via partner organistion – this is an in-kind contribution to the project. ($2,435 in-kind – quote from partner organisation, at ‘favoured client’ rate.)
• Research assistant: 1 day per week for a year at Level B1, plus 25.91% salary on-costs. $12,456 – advice from finance officer.

Things are getting messy, but the next step will tidy it up.

4. Put it in a spreadsheet

Some people work naturally in spreadsheets (like Excel). Others don’t. If you don’t like Excel, tough. You are going to be doing research budgets for the rest of your research life.

When you are working with budgets, a spreadsheet is the right tool for the job, so learn to use it! Learn enough to construct a simple budget – adding things up and multiplying things together will get you through most of it. Go and do a course if you have to.

For a start, your spreadsheet will multiply things like 7 days in Kuala Lumpur at $89.52 per day, and it will also add up all of your sub-totals for you.

If your budget doesn’t add up properly (because, for example, you constructed it as a table in Word), two things will happen. First, you will look foolish. Secondly, and more importantly, people will lose confidence in all your other numbers, too. If your total is wrong, they will start to question the validity of the rest of your budget. You don’t want that.

If you are shy of maths, then Excel is your friend. It will do most of the heavy lifting for you.

For this exercise, the trick is to put each number on a new line. Here is how it might look.

5. Justify it

Accompanying every budget is a budget justification. For each item in your budget, you need to answer two questions:

• Why do you need this money?
• Where did you get your figures from?

The budget justification links your budget to your project plan and back again. Everything item in your budget should be listed in your budget justification, so take the list from your budget and paste it into your budget justification.

For each item, give a short paragraph that says why you need it. Refer back to the project plan and expand on what is there. For example, if you have listed a research assistant in your application, this is a perfect opportunity to say what the research assistant will be doing.

Also, for each item, show where you got your figures from. For a research assistant, this might mean talking about the level of responsibility required, so people can understand why you chose the salary level. For a flight, it might be as easy as saying: “Blue Sky airlines economy return flight.”

Here is an example for just one aspect of the budget:

Fieldwork: Kuala Lumpur

Past experience has shown that one month allows enough time to refine and localise interview questions with research partners at University of Malaya, test interview instrument, recruit participants, conduct ten x one-hour interviews with field notes. In addition, the novel methodology will be presented at CONF2015, to be held in Malaysia in February 2015.

Melbourne – Kuala Lumpur economy airfare is based on current Blue Sky Airlines rates. Note that airfares have been kept to a minimum by travelling from country to country, rather than returning to Australia.

1 month accommodation is based on three star, long stay accommodation rates provided by TripAdvisor.

30 days per diem rate is based on standard university rates for South-East Asia.

Pro tip: Use the same nomenclature everywhere. If you list a Thingatron X32C in your budget, then call it a Thingatron X32C in your budget justification and project plan. In an ideal world, someone should be able to flip from the project plan, to the budget and to the budget justification and back again and always know exactly where they are.

• Project plan: “Doing fieldwork in Malaysia? Whereabouts?” Flips to budget.
• Budget: “A month in Kuala Lumpur – OK. Why a month?” Flips to budget justification.
• Budget justification: “Ah, the field work happens at the same time as the conference. Now I get it. So, what are they presenting at the conference?” Flips back to the project description…

So, there you have it: Make a list; check the rules; cost everything; spreadsheet it; and then justify it. Budget done. Good job, team!

This article builds on several previous articles. I have shamelessly stolen from them.

• Constructing your budget – Jonathan O’Donnell.
• What makes a winning budget ? – Jonathan O’Donnell.
• How NOT to pad your budget – Tseen Khoo.
• Conquer the budget, conquer the project – Tseen Khoo.
• Research on a shoestring – Emily Kothe.
• How to make a simple Gantt chart – Jonathan O’Donnell.

* Actually, there are some grant schemes that give you a fixed amount of money, which I think is a really great idea . However, you will still need to work out what you are going to spend the money on, so you will still need a budget at some stage, even if you don’t need it for the application.

Also in the ‘simple grant’ series:

• How to write a simple research methods section .
• How to make a simple Gantt chart .

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29 comments.

This has saved my day!

Happy to help, Malba.

Like Liked by 1 person

[…] you be putting in a bid for funding? Are there costs involved, such as travel or equipment costs? Research Whisperer’s post on research budgets may help you […]

I’ve posted a link to this article of Jonathan’s in the Australasian Research Management Society LinkedIn group as well, as I’m sure lots of other people will want to share this.

Thanks, Miriam.

This is great! Humorous way to talk explain a serious subject and could be helpful in designing budgets for outreach grants, as well. Thanks!

Thanks, Jackie

If you are interested, I have another one on how to do a timeline: https://theresearchwhisperer.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/gantt-chart/

[…] really useful information regarding budget development can be found on the Research Whisperer Blog here. Any other thoughts and suggestions are welcome – what are your tips to developing a good […]

[…] it gets you to the level of specificity that you need for a detailed methods section. Similarly, working out a budget for your workshops will force you to be specific about how many people will be attending (venue […]

A friend of mine recently commented by e-mail:

I was interested in your blog “How to make a simple research budget”, particularly the statement: “Think through the implications of what you are going to do. Do you need to use a Thingatron? Note down that you will need to buy it, install it, and commission it.”

From my limited experience so far, I’d think you could add:

“Who else is nearby who might share the costs of the Thingatron? If it’s a big capital outlay, and you’re only going to use it to 34% of it’s capacity, sharing can make the new purchase much easier to justify. But how will this fit into your grant? And then it’s got to be maintained – the little old chap who used to just do all that odd mix of electrickery and persuasion to every machine in the lab got retrenched in the last round. You can run it into the ground. But that means you won’t have a reliable, stable Thingatron all ready to run when you apply for the follow-on grant in two years.”

[…] (For more on this process, take a look at How to Write a Simple Project Budget.) […]

[…] Source: How to make a simple research budget […]

This is such a big help! Thank You!

No worries, Claudine. Happy to help.

Would you like to share the link of the article which was wrote about funding rules? I can’t find it. Many thanks!

Hello there – do you mean this post? https://theresearchwhisperer.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/reading-guidelines

Thank @tseen khoo, very useful tips. I also want to understand more about 3C 3F 3H. What do they stand for? Can you help me find out which posts talk about that. Thank again.

[…] mount up rapidly, even if you are in a remote and developing part of the world. Putting together a half decent budget early on and being aware of funding opportunities can help to avoid financial disaster half way […]

This is so amazing, it really helpful and educative. Happy unread this last week before my proposal was drafted.

Happy to help, Babayomi. Glad you liked it.

really useful! thanks kate

[…] “How to Make a Simple Research Budget,” by Jonathan O’Donnell on The Research Whisperer […]

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[…] Advice on writing research proposals for industry […]

[…] research serves as the bedrock of informed budgeting. Explore the average costs of accommodation, transportation, meals, and activities in your chosen […]

[…] How to make a simple research budget […]

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Detailed Research Proposal Budget Example: Plan Your Finances

Planning the budget for your research proposal is a critical step that can determine the success of your project. A well-crafted budget not only outlines the financial needs of your research but also assures funders that you have a clear understanding of the costs involved. This article will guide you through the essential elements of creating a detailed research proposal budget, helping you to plan your finances effectively.

Key Takeaways

• A research proposal budget is a financial plan that details the costs of a research project.
• Including both direct and indirect costs in your budget is crucial for accuracy.
• Justifying each budget item helps in gaining approval from stakeholders.
• Avoiding common budgeting mistakes can improve the chances of funding success.
• Using tools and resources can simplify the budget planning process.

Understanding the Importance of a Research Proposal Budget

Defining a research proposal budget.

A research proposal budget is a detailed financial plan that outlines the costs associated with your project. It includes both direct and indirect costs, ensuring that every aspect of your research is financially covered. Creating a clear budget helps you avoid unexpected expenses and keeps your project on track.

Role in Project Planning

The budget plays a crucial role in project planning by providing a roadmap for how funds will be allocated. It helps you identify the resources needed and ensures that you have the financial means to achieve your research question . This planning phase is essential for crafting an effective Ph.D. thesis proposal: tips and strategies include setting clear objectives, methodology, and originality.

Impact on Funding Decisions

Funders need to know how their money will be used. A well-prepared budget can make a significant difference in securing funding. It demonstrates that you have thought through every aspect of your project and are prepared to manage the funds responsibly. This can be the deciding factor in whether your proposal gets approved or not.

Key Components of a Research Proposal Budget

Creating a research proposal budget involves several key components that ensure a comprehensive financial plan. These components help in outlining the necessary expenses and justifying the funding required for the project. Understanding these elements is crucial for crafting a successful budget.

Direct Costs

Direct costs are the expenses directly associated with the research project. These include salaries for research staff, equipment, supplies, and travel costs. It's important to list these costs clearly to show funders that you have a realistic sense of the expenses needed to complete the work.

Indirect Costs

Indirect costs, also known as overheads, are expenses that are not directly tied to the project but are necessary for its completion. These can include administrative support, facility maintenance, and utilities. Including indirect costs in your budget ensures that all aspects of the project are covered.

Cost Sharing

Cost sharing refers to the portion of the project costs that are not covered by the sponsor but are instead funded by the research institution or other sources. This can include matching funds or in-kind contributions. Highlighting cost sharing in your budget can demonstrate your institution's commitment to the project.

Steps to Create an Effective Research Proposal Budget

Creating a research proposal budget involves several key steps to ensure that all expenses are accounted for and justified. This process is crucial for securing funding and successfully managing your project.

Identifying Expenses

Start by listing all the potential costs associated with your research. This includes direct costs like salaries, equipment, and materials, as well as indirect costs such as administrative support and facility usage. Being thorough in this step can prevent future financial shortfalls.

Estimating Costs

Once you have identified the expenses, the next step is to estimate the costs. Use historical data, vendor quotes, and expert opinions to make accurate estimates. It's important to be realistic and avoid underestimating costs, as this can lead to budget overruns.

Justifying Budget Items

After estimating the costs, you need to justify each budget item. Explain why each expense is necessary for the success of your project. This justification helps reviewers understand the importance of each cost and increases the likelihood of your budget being approved. Clear and detailed justifications can make a significant difference in the approval process.

Guidelines for Budget Justification

Explaining direct costs.

When explaining direct costs, you need to clearly outline why each expense is necessary for your project. Every item in your budget should be listed in your budget justification . This means you should answer two main questions for each cost: Why do you need this money? Where did you get your figures from? This links your budget to your project plan and back again.

Detailing Indirect Costs

Indirect costs are often overlooked but are just as important. These costs include things like administrative support and facility maintenance. Make sure to provide enough detail so that the sponsor can determine whether the proposed costs are reasonable and appropriate. Always consult the sponsor's proposal preparation guidelines for each item.

Rationale for Cost Sharing

Cost sharing involves splitting the costs of the project between different sources. This can make your proposal more attractive to sponsors. Explain why cost sharing is necessary and how it benefits the project. Be sure to follow the guidelines for sponsor requirements, as these are often included in the annotated budget justifications.

Common Mistakes in Research Proposal Budgeting

Creating a research proposal budget can be tricky, and there are several common mistakes you should avoid to ensure your project is successful. Accurately estimating costs is crucial for maximizing resources: smart budgeting for successful research projects. Allocate resources effectively, estimate costs accurately, and implement time management strategies for research project success.

Underestimating Costs

One of the most frequent errors is underestimating costs. This can lead to a shortage of funds, causing delays or even halting the project. Make sure to account for all possible expenses, including materials, labor, and unforeseen costs.

Overlooking Indirect Costs

Indirect costs, such as administrative fees and facility maintenance, are often overlooked. These costs can add up and significantly impact your budget. Always include a reasonable estimate for indirect costs to avoid financial shortfalls.

Ignoring Cost Sharing Requirements

Some funding sources require cost sharing, where your institution or another entity covers part of the project costs. Ignoring these requirements can result in your proposal being rejected. Ensure you understand and meet any cost sharing obligations to improve your chances of securing funding.

Tools and Resources for Budget Planning

Having the right tools is essential to tracking expenses and monitoring income , and you don't have to break the bank buying expensive software to do that. Effective budget planning is crucial for the success of your research proposal. Here are some tools and resources to help you plan your budget efficiently.

Case Studies of Successful Research Proposal Budgets

Examining successful research proposal budgets can provide valuable insights into effective financial planning for your own projects. These case studies highlight different fields of research and demonstrate how to structure a budget that meets funding requirements and project needs.

Example 1: Biomedical Research

In a biomedical research project, the budget must account for specialized equipment, lab supplies, and personnel costs. A well-structured budget ensures that all necessary resources are available to achieve the research goals. For instance, a project studying a new cancer treatment might allocate significant funds to advanced imaging technology and clinical trials.

Example 2: Social Sciences Research

Social sciences research often involves extensive fieldwork, surveys, and data analysis. A successful budget in this field will include costs for travel, participant incentives, and data processing software. For example, a study on community health might budget for travel to various locations, compensation for survey participants, and software for analyzing health trends.

Example 3: Environmental Studies Research

Environmental studies research typically requires funding for field equipment, lab analysis, and sometimes, collaboration with other institutions. A well-planned budget will cover these aspects to ensure comprehensive data collection and analysis. An example could be a project on climate change impacts, which might allocate funds for weather monitoring equipment, lab tests, and partnership with local research rebels® .

By studying these examples, you can learn how to find good literature and create a budget that is both realistic and compelling to funders.

Reviewing and Revising Your Budget

Regularly reviewing and revising your budget is crucial for maintaining financial accuracy. Most organizations find it reasonable to review their budgets once a month. This helps in adjusting for unexpected grants or spending estimates that were off. Keeping your budget accurate ensures that you can manage your funds effectively.

Peer Review

Having peers review your budget can provide valuable insights. They might spot errors or suggest improvements that you missed. Peer reviews can also help in validating your budget assumptions and ensuring that your figures are realistic.

Institutional Review

An institutional review involves having your budget checked by your organization’s financial department. This step is essential for aligning your budget with institutional policies and funding restrictions. It also helps in identifying any compliance issues that need to be addressed.

Continuous Monitoring

Continuous monitoring of your budget allows for adjustments to reflect reality as the year progresses. Your budget will likely start with estimates, and as time goes on, these estimates need to be adjusted to be as accurate as possible. This ongoing process helps in keeping track of what's really happening and ensures that you can use your money as planned.

Tips for Presenting Your Budget to Stakeholders

When presenting your budget to stakeholders, it's crucial to highlight the value and impact of your project. Clearly showing the benefits of your project can make a significant difference in getting your budget approved . Stakeholders will closely examine your projected expenses to ensure that the benefits outweigh the costs.

Clarity and Transparency

A well-prepared budget proposal offers financial transparency, making finances an open topic of conversation. This transparency helps stakeholders understand how their investment connects to the project's goals. It also shows team members how their work fits into the larger picture, increasing overall productivity.

Highlighting Key Budget Items

Provide a cost summary that includes an itemized list of expenses. Stakeholders need to see what you plan to spend money on and why. This section should clarify the total costs for each element and the overall budget. A clear and concise summary allows stakeholders to quickly grasp the financial scope of your project.

Addressing Stakeholder Concerns

Be prepared to address any concerns stakeholders may have about your budget. This includes explaining why certain expenses are necessary and how they contribute to the project's success. By addressing these concerns upfront, you can build trust and confidence in your budget proposal.

The Role of Budget in Grant Proposal Success

Correlation between budget and approval rates.

A well-prepared budget can significantly influence the approval rates of your grant proposal. Funders need to see a clear financial plan that outlines how the money will be spent. A detailed budget shows that you have thought through your project and are prepared to manage the funds responsibly. This can make your proposal more attractive to funders.

Importance of Detailed Budgeting

Creating a detailed budget is crucial for the success of your grant proposal. It helps in painting a clear financial picture of your research project. When you provide a comprehensive budget, it demonstrates that you have considered all aspects of your project, from start to finish. This level of detail can set your proposal apart from others.

Long-term Impact on Research Outcomes

A well-planned budget not only helps in securing funding but also has a long-term impact on your research outcomes. Proper budgeting ensures that you have the necessary resources to complete your project successfully. It also helps in avoiding financial pitfalls that could derail your research. In the long run, a well-managed budget contributes to the overall success and credibility of your research.

Here are some tips for researching and organizing your thesis :

• Importance of clear goals
• Choosing a research topic
• Utilizing online databases
• Conducting interviews
• Tools for better thesis research

A well-planned budget is crucial for the success of any grant proposal. It helps you allocate resources efficiently and shows funders that you are serious about your project. If you're struggling with your grant proposal, don't worry! Visit our website to learn more about how to create a winning budget and increase your chances of success.

In summary, crafting a detailed research proposal budget is a crucial step in securing funding and ensuring the success of your project. A well-thought-out budget not only outlines the financial requirements but also reassures funders of the project's feasibility. By clearly detailing all potential expenses and income sources, researchers can present a compelling case for support. Remember, a meticulously planned budget can make the difference between a funded project and one that remains on paper. Therefore, take the time to plan your finances carefully, ensuring every dollar is accounted for and justified.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a research proposal budget.

A research proposal budget is a financial plan that outlines all the expected costs for a research project. It helps in planning the project and securing funding.

Why is a research proposal budget important?

A budget is important because it helps researchers plan their project, ensures funds are used wisely, and reassures funders that the project is feasible.

What are direct costs in a research proposal budget?

Direct costs are expenses that are directly tied to the research project, like salaries, equipment, and materials.

What are indirect costs?

Indirect costs, also known as overhead, are expenses that are not directly linked to the project but are necessary for its completion, like utilities and administrative support.

What is cost sharing?

Cost sharing refers to the portion of the project costs that are not covered by the grant and are paid by the researcher or their institution.

How do I estimate costs for my budget?

To estimate costs, list all possible expenses and research their prices. You can use past projects as a reference or get quotes from suppliers.

Why do I need to justify budget items?

Justifying budget items shows funders why each expense is necessary for the project, helping them understand the importance and necessity of the funding.

What are common mistakes in research proposal budgeting?

Common mistakes include underestimating costs, overlooking indirect costs, and ignoring cost-sharing requirements.

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Sample Budget Breakdown for Research Proposals

• Rachel R.N.
• July 10, 2024
• How to Guides

When you’re putting together a research proposal, one of the most important parts is the budget. It’s like planning how to spend your allowance, but for a big project!

This guide will help you understand how to break down your research budget into different parts, making it easier for you to plan and for others to understand where the money will go.

What You'll Learn

Why is a Budget Breakdown Important?

Before we dive into the details, let’s talk about why having a clear budget is so crucial:

• Shows you’ve thought things through: A well-planned budget tells people you’ve really considered what you need for your research.
• Helps you stay on track: Once your project starts, a good budget helps you keep an eye on your spending.
• Makes it easier to get funding: When people or organizations see a clear, detailed budget, they’re more likely to give you money for your research.
• Helps others understand your needs: A breakdown helps explain why you need certain amounts of money for different parts of your project.

Now, let’s look at the main parts of a research budget:

• Personnel Costs

This is often the biggest chunk of your budget . It covers the money you’ll pay to people working on the project.

Subheadings:

a) Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Investigators

• This is you (if you’re leading the project) and any other main researchers.
• Include how much of their time (usually as a percentage) will be spent on the project.
• Calculate their salary for that time.

Example: Dr. Jane Smith (PI) – 30% time for 12 months Annual salary: $80,000 Budget: 30% of $80,000 = $24,000

b) Research Assistants

• These are people who help with various tasks like data collection or analysis.
• Include their hourly rate and estimated hours.

Example: Research Assistant – $20/hour, 20 hours/week for 40 weeks Budget: $20 x 20 x 40 = $16,000

c) Consultants

• Experts you might need to hire for specific tasks.
• Include their fee and estimated time needed.

Example: Statistical Consultant – $100/hour, estimated 20 hours Budget: $100 x 20 = $2,000

d) Student Support

• If you’re involving students in your research, include their stipends or wages.

Example: Graduate Student Assistant – $1,500/month for 9 months Budget: $1,500 x 9 = $13,500

• Equipment and Supplies

This covers all the physical items you need to buy for your research.

a) Major Equipment

• Big, expensive items that are crucial for your research.
• Include the full cost, including any shipping or installation fees.

Example: High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Machine Cost: $30,000 (including shipping and installation)

b) Minor Equipment

• Smaller items that cost less but are still important.

Example: Digital scales (2) – $500 each Budget: $500 x 2 = $1,000

c) Consumables

• Things you’ll use up during your research.
• Estimate how much you’ll need for the whole project.

Example: Lab chemicals – $2,000 Glassware – $500 Office supplies – $300 Total: $2,800

d) Software

• Any special computer programs you need to buy.

Example: Statistical analysis software license – $1,200/year Budget for 2-year project: $1,200 x 2 = $2,400

If your research involves trips to collect data, attend conferences, or meet with collaborators, include these costs.

a) Field Work

• Trips to collect data or conduct experiments outside your usual workplace.
• Include transportation, accommodation, and daily expenses (per diem).

Example: Field trip to Amazon rainforest:

• Flights: $1,500
• Accommodation: $100/night for 14 nights = $1,400
• Per diem: $50/day for 14 days = $700 Total: $3,600

b) Conferences

• Costs for attending meetings to present your research.
• Include registration fees, travel, accommodation, and per diem.

Example: Annual Ecology Conference:

• Registration: $500
• Flights: $400
• Hotel: $150/night for 3 nights = $450
• Per diem: $75/day for 4 days = $300 Total: $1,650

c) Collaboration Meetings

• Costs for meeting with research partners at other institutions.

Example: Visit to partner lab in Germany:

• Flights: $800
• Accommodation: $120/night for 5 nights = $600
• Per diem: $70/day for 6 days = $420 Total: $1,820
• Facility Costs

If you need to use special facilities or rent space for your research, include these costs.

a) Laboratory Space

• Fees for using lab space, if it’s not provided by your institution.

Example: Lab rental at local research center: $500/month for 12 months = $6,000

b) Specialized Facilities

• Costs for using equipment or spaces you don’t have regular access to.

Example: Use of Electron Microscope facility: $200/hour, estimated 20 hours needed Budget: $200 x 20 = $4,000

c) Field Station Fees

• Costs for using research stations in remote locations.

Example: Mountain Research Station fee: $100/day for 30 days = $3,000

• Participant Costs

If your research involves human subjects, you might need to pay them or cover their expenses.

a) Participant Compensation

• Payment for people’s time in participating in your study.

Example: 100 participants at $20 each Budget: 100 x $20 = $2,000

b) Participant Travel Reimbursement

• Covering transportation costs for participants to come to your research site.

Example: Estimated average travel cost per participant: $15 100 participants Budget: 100 x $15 = $1,500

c) Refreshments

• If you’re providing snacks or meals during long study sessions.

Example: Snacks and drinks for 100 participants at $5 each Budget: 100 x $5 = $500

• Publication and Dissemination

These are costs related to sharing your research results.

a) Open Access Publication Fees

• Costs for making your research freely available online.

Example: Estimated fee for open access journal: $2,500

b) Printing Costs

• For creating posters or handouts for conferences.

Example: 50 color posters at $30 each Budget: 50 x $30 = $1,500

c) Website Development

• If you plan to create a website to share your research.

Example: Website design and hosting for 2 years: $1,000

• Indirect Costs

These are overhead costs that your institution might charge for managing your grant.

a) Facilities and Administration (F&A) Costs

• A percentage of your total direct costs that goes to your institution.
• This rate varies by institution and funding agency.

Example: If your total direct costs are $100,000 and your institution’s F&A rate is 52%: Indirect costs: $100,000 x 52% = $52,000

b) Cost Sharing

• Some grants require your institution to contribute a portion of the costs.
• This isn’t a cost you include in your budget request, but you need to show it’s covered.

Example: If the grant requires 10% cost sharing on a $100,000 project: Cost sharing amount: $100,000 x 10% = $10,000 (to be provided by your institution)

• Miscellaneous Costs

This category covers any other expenses that don’t fit neatly into the above categories.

a) Insurance

• Special insurance you might need for field work or equipment.

Example: Field work insurance for 3 researchers for 2 weeks: $600

b) Shipping

• Costs for sending equipment or samples.

Example: Estimated shipping costs for samples: $800

c) Communication

• Phone or internet costs specifically for the project.

Example: Satellite phone rental for remote fieldwork: $10/day for 30 days = $300

• Contingency

It’s wise to include a small amount for unexpected expenses.

Example: 5% of total direct costs for contingency

If your total direct costs are $100,000: Contingency: $100,000 x 5% = $5,000

Putting It All Together

Once you’ve calculated all these parts, add them up to get your total budget. Here’s a simplified example:

• Personnel Costs: $55,500
• Equipment and Supplies: $37,400
• Travel: $7,070
• Facility Costs: $13,000
• Participant Costs: $4,000
• Publication and Dissemination: $5,000
• Indirect Costs: $52,000
• Miscellaneous Costs: $1,700
• Contingency: $5,000

Total Budget: $180,670

Remember, every research project is different, so your budget might not need all these categories, or it might need additional ones. The key is to think carefully about everything your research will require and account for it in your budget.

Tips for Creating Your Budget

• Be realistic: Don’t underestimate costs, but don’t pad them either.
• Do your research: Get real quotes for big expenses.
• Explain your calculations: In a separate budget justification, show how you arrived at each number.
• Follow the rules: Different funding agencies have different budget guidelines. Make sure you follow them.
• Get help: Your institution’s research office can often help with budgeting.
• Plan for the entire project: Think about costs that might come up in later stages of your research.
• Be specific: Instead of a large “misc” category, try to break costs down into specific items.
• Consider inflation: For multi-year projects, factor in potential cost increases.
• Double-check your math: Small errors can make a big difference!
• Align with your proposal: Make sure your budget matches the activities you describe in your research plan.

Related Articles

Mastering the Art of Writing: How to Write a Grant Proposal

How to Write a Comprehensive PhD Research Proposal in Sociology

Sample Proposal Budget Example

SAMPLE PROJECT PROPOSAL AND BUDGET

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: What if I’m not sure about exact costs? A: It’s okay to estimate, but be sure to explain your basis for the estimate in your budget justification. Use phrases like “based on current market prices” or “average of three vendor quotes.”

Q2: Can I include my own salary in the budget? A: This depends on your situation and the funding agency’s rules. In many cases, yes, especially if you’re not already fully funded for the time you’ll spend on this project. Always check the specific guidelines for the grant you’re applying to.

Q3: What’s the difference between direct and indirect costs? A: Direct costs are expenses specifically for your project, like salaries, equipment, or travel. Indirect costs (also called overhead or Facilities and Administrative costs) are expenses that benefit your project but also other activities at your institution, like building maintenance or administrative support.

Q4: Should I ask for the maximum amount allowed by the grant? A: Not necessarily. Ask for what you genuinely need to complete your project successfully. Inflating your budget unnecessarily can hurt your chances of getting funded.

Q5: What if I need to make changes to my budget after it’s approved? A: Most funding agencies allow some flexibility, but major changes usually require approval. Always communicate with your program officer if you need to make significant changes.

Q6: Do I need to include quotes or price lists with my budget? A: It’s not usually required in the initial proposal, but having this documentation can be helpful if you’re asked to justify your costs. For very expensive items, including a quote can strengthen your proposal.

Q7: How detailed should my budget be? A: Your main budget should be a clear summary, but you should be prepared to provide a more detailed breakdown if asked. Many proposals require a separate budget justification document where you can provide more detail.

Q8: What if I forget something in my budget? A: That’s why it’s good to include a contingency amount. If you realize you’ve forgotten something major before submitting, see if you can revise your budget. If it’s after submission or approval, talk to your program officer about options.

Q9: Should I round my numbers? A: For smaller amounts, rounding to the nearest dollar is fine. For larger amounts, you might round to the nearest $10 or $100. The key is to be consistent and make your budget easy to read.

Q10: How do I handle in-kind contributions or cost sharing? A: These should be mentioned in your proposal and budget justification, but they’re usually not included in the main budget you’re requesting from the funding agency. They show additional support for your project.

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• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on October 12, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 21, 2023.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research proposals.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

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Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: “A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management”
• Example research proposal #2: “Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use”

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

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As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesize prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

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On this page:

Basic components of a research budget, two models of budget development, other factors affecting your budget.

• Additional Resources

Budgets should provide the sponsor with an accurate assessment of all cost items and cost amounts that are deemed necessary and reasonable to carry out your project. They should be based upon your description or the statement of work. Budget justification provides more in-depth detail and reason for each cost and is often considered by reviewers as a good indicator of the feasibility of the research.

A research budget contains both direct costs and indirect costs (overhead), but the level of detail varies from sponsor to sponsor. The first step in developing a budget is to carefully read the guidelines of the funding opportunity being pursued.

There is no magic formula available for developing a budget but there are some basic steps to follow in order to develop an accurate budget:

• Define project tasks, timelines and milestones and determine the actual resources and costs required to complete these. Consider whether contingencies are needed (and confirm they are eligible expenses).
• Determine the eligible expense categories and maximum amount allowed by the sponsor. Adjust scope of the project to make sure proposed activities fit within the allowance.
• Categorize these costs (e.g., salaries, supplies, equipment…) per year, in some cases by quarter.
• Ensure that project scope and budget match. Include indirect costs of research as permitted by sponsor and the University policy.  

The examples below developed by the University of British Columbia demonstrate two ways to include indirect costs in your budget.

• Price model:  Indirect cost is built into each budget line item.
• Cost model:  Indirect cost of research is presented as a separate line item.

Unless the sponsor specifies in writing that they require the indirect costs of research to be presented as a separate line item (Cost Model), the indirect cost should be built into each budget line item (Price Model). Indirect costs are normally included in the price of goods and services worldwide.

For example, you are developing a budget for a funding opportunity with an indirect cost rate of 25%. Your direct costs are $201,000 broken down by expense categories shown in the  second column of the table below. The third and fourth colums present the two ways you can include the 25% overhead in your budget using the Price Model or the Cost Model, respectively:

In-kind and cash contributions, like other costs to the sponsored project, must be eligible and must be treated in a consistent and uniform manner in proposal preparation and in financial reporting.

Cash contributions

Cash contributions are actual cash transactions that can be documented in the accounting system. Examples of cash contributions include:

• allocation of compensated faculty and staff time to projects, or
• the purchasing of equipment by the university or other eligible sponsor for the benefit of the project.

In-kind contributions

In-kind contributions are both non-monetary or cash equivalent resources that can be given a cash value, such as goods and/or services in support of a research project or proposal. It is challenging to report on in-kind contribution, please make sure the numbers you use are well supported, consistent and easy to quantitate.

Examples of an in-kind contribution may include:

• Access to unique database or information
• Professional, analytical, and other donated services
• Employee salaries including benefits for time allocated to the project
• Study materials, technologies, or components
• Patents and licenses for use
• Use of facilities (e.g., lab or meeting spaces)
• Partner organization time spent participating in the project
• Eligible infrastructure items

Matching on sponsored projects

Some sponsored projects require the university and/or a third party to contribute a portion of the project costs–this contribution is known as matching.

Matching requirements may be in the form of an actual cash expenditure of funds or may be an “in-kind” match. For example:

• A 1:1 match would require $100 of a third-party matching for every $100 received from an agency.
• A 30% match would mean that of a total budget of $100, the agency would provide $70 and a third party would need to match $30.

Examples of agency programs that include some form of matching from a third party are:

• NSERC Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• NSERC Idea to Innovation Grants
• SSHRC Partnership Grants
• CIHR Industry Partnered Collaborative Research Program, and
• CIHR Proof of Principle Grants  

Additional resources

• Current  salary  and  benefit  rates for graduate students and postdocs/research associates
• SFU  Business and Travel Expense  Policy
• Animal care services

• Grants and Funding

How to Plan and Write a Budget for Research Grant Proposal

To be a successful candidate for a research grant, you need perfect budget formulation and justification. Here, we will help you plan the research budget for your grant proposal and give you handy tips to transform it into a convincible form.

Budget as a Skeletal Support

Your budget is the skeleton of your grant proposal. It provides the estimated finance your research needs to be completed in a particular time range. It also gives the funders an exact knowledge about where their funds will be used and how will they be financed ( Asya, 2008 ). It is your responsibility to postulate clearly how you will manage the funds if granted. An excellent budget plan will compel your funders to assume that you have thought about every financial detail concerning your project.

Specific Terminologies to Know Beforehand

Certain wordings are preferred to convey your research budget information better. It is important to familiarize with them before constructing the budget section of the proposals. The lexis includes:

Direct Costs

These are the expenses that are utilized solely for executing your research. For example, expenses on your research staff members, tools, materials, and travel finance.

Facilities & Administrative Costs (Indirect Costs)

These are the overhead charges reserved for institutional facilities that you avail yourself while conducting your research. For example, institutional laboratory, electricity, and water usage costs.

Fringe Benefits

These are the additional benefits provided to the personnel, along with their basic salaries. Every institution has its own set of fringe benefits rates.

Research Consortium

It is a group of institutions that apply for a grant together as one. They have reached a grant agreement, and one of the institutions represents them all. The budget is divided between them.

Types of Budget

There are two budget designs used in the NIH grant applications. Specific points will decide the type of budget design form you have to use for your application. These are:

Modular Design Budget

Your budget design is considered modular when your research fulfills the following criteria:

• Your direct costs are equal to or less than $250,000 annually
• You are applying for research grants or their equivalents
• Your institution is located in the United States

Detailed Design Budget

Your budget design should be in detailed form if your research project fulfills any of the below-mentioned criteria:

• Your direct costs are more than $250,000 per annum
• You are applying for grants other than research grant type or its equivalents
• Your institution is situated outside the United States

For the modular design, you have to fill out the PHS 398 modular budget application form, and for the detailed design budget, you have to use the R & R detailed budget application form.

Planning your Budget

Your budget planning starts when you find the research question and decide on a suitable study design. You should also be able to guess the unpredictable charges that can arise while conducting your research ( Sudheesh, Devika & Nethra, 2016 ). There are five main points to keep in mind while planning your research budget:

Pin-point the Budget Essentials

Think about all the things that will affect your research budget. These are mainly the study design, testing procedures, sample collection methods, and research settings. The more complicated and unique these essentials will be, the higher will be your budget requirements. Also, observe the already present resources and will they benefit your research budget.

Follow the Instructions of the Funding Agency

The next point to consider while planning your budget is to abide by the budget rules and limitations of your particular funding agency. Read each instruction carefully and remember not to deviate from it. It is expected of you to provide the exact list of items necessary for your project.

Categorization of Each Item

Thirdly, a breakdown of each item into its related category should be made along with its cost.  A breakdown of the budget item-wise and year-wise with cost calculation should be done. Point out the recurring and nonrecurring items that are directly related to your research. All this planning is done beforehand to ensure proper budget management.

Justification of Each Item

For every enlisted item, you should be able to provide a solid justification for its importance in your research. Only a well-justified budget document can win the confidence of the peer reviewers.

Review & Verification of the Budget Items

Reviewing is the most significant step for every document or proposal. You can ask your team members to review your budget document for you. Also, recalculate the cost of each item and the total items combined cost per annum. Keep in mind that too low or high budget will only raise suspicion in the mind of your reviewers. So, make sure you plan a research budget range, not more than the maximum limit set by your funding agency ( Michael et al., 2019 ).

Scripting your Budget onto the Grant Application

Projecting your finances into your application requires skills. When writing, we primarily divide our budget into two sub-sections. These include:

As mentioned before, these are the direct expenses on which your research is largely dependent. So, firstly, give the heading of direct costs and then further give the following subheadings with explanations.

Personnel Involved

If your research project involves resource team members, here is where you have to mention them. Your resource team includes the technicians, laboratory attendants, site caretakers, data entry personnel, junior researchers, and the senior researcher involved. Specify their allowances and salaries in an organized manner.

Recurring Expenditure

These expenses occur regularly and yet cannot be avoided. These include equipment usage, laboratory-conducted diagnostic tests, telecommunication charges, chemicals, and any other essential items. Fees for human subjects involved in your research are also stated here.

Non-recurring Expenditure

These are the costs of items for which you have to pay one-time charges, and then their use is free. These include buying charges for the printer, computer, or other electronic items. Once you buy them, they are charge-free. Thus, you have to specify all the non-recurring charges in your budget form.

Traveling Expenditure

In this subheading, specify the amount spent on your traveling for research purposes. Separately mention your traveling costs for attending research-related conferences, seminars, and training. Also, mention the travel expenses for the surveys and data collection. Visiting expenses to other institutions for the sake of a research study can also be mentioned here.

Indirect Costs

The second sub-section is indirect expenditure. It includes facilities that are indirectly related to your research project. These can be library facilities, electricity, and water usage for your experiments and test conduction. These are also called overhead charges that are paid specifically to the institution for providing such facilities ( Ahmed & Abdullah, 2017 ).

Budget Overview

In the final paragraph, write a short finalizing note relating your budget outlining the main point. This should be a 4 to 5-lined paragraph.

Budget Justification

Most of the funding agencies separately require justification for each item that you specified in your above-mentioned budget form. This document is also known as the budget narrative page. It reasons the importance of that item for your research conduction. Each item is mentioned in the same order as in your budget form and should be justified respectively ( Al-Jundi & Salah, 2016 ). It is best to make a three-columned table with the name of the item in the first column, the quantity and cost in the second column, and a justification statement in the third column.

Budget Summary

In the last, you have to provide a summarized form of your budget for your proposed research. It is written at the end when you have completed writing your whole application. In this, you have to specify every item with its cost per annum. The non-recurring items will only be specified under the first-year heading as they have a one-time expense. Likewise, the recurring items will be mentioned in both years, along with their costs.

Esthetical Considerations

The following points will enhance the esthetics of your budget section:

Headings & Bullet points

Writing the budget items under a categorized heading will make it easy for the reviewers to retrieve the necessary points in your budget. You can use bullet marks or checklist signs to highlight your main points. This will show the reviewers that you have the budget representation skills and that your enlisted budget finance is authentic.

Tabulations

Try to write your budget essentials in a tabulated form with three main columns. The first column represents the item name. The second column specifies the cost of that particular essential.  The third column signifies the importance of your particular essential in performing your research. This will save both time and effort of reviewers who have to scrutinize many applications at a time.

Organization

The pattern you follow for each essential specification in the budget form should be followed in the same manner while writing the budget justification document. There should be a flow in your budget data and which will further enhance its esthetics.

Elementary Language

Your language should be simple enough to be understood by a common person. Complicated terms and phrases will only make it difficult for reviewers to reach your point of view.

Your budget prepares you for all the financial aids you need to conduct your research. It informs you about the expenses of each research item and method. In this way, you can choose an economical procedure for your research. The budget section is considered as the key factor of success or failure for your proposal. This section requires a skillful approach and should be handled delicately. Nowadays, research writers record their budget in the form of electronic spreadsheets. It is easy to manage the budget essentials and the expenses via these excel spreadsheets. You just need to point out and categorize the direct and indirect costs in the already drawn tabulated budget spreadsheet. Hence, you will be able to plan and compose a well-scripted budget by following the instructions given in this article.

• Al-Riyami, A. (2008, April). How to Prepare a Research Proposal.  Oman Medical Journal ,  23 (2), 66–69. http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3282423
• Duggappa, D.R., Nethra, S.S. & Sudheesh, K. (2016, September). How to Write a Research Proposal?  Indian Journal of Anaesthesia ,  60 (9), 631–634. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5049.190617
• Burkhardt, J., Carlson, J.N., Gottlieb, M., King, A.M., Lee, S., Santen, S.A. & Wong, A.H. (2019, January). Show Me the Money: Successfully Obtaining Grant Funding in Medical Education.  The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine ,  20 (1), 71–77. https://doi.org/10.5811/westjem.2018.10.41269
• Al-Maniri, A. & Al-Shukaili, A. (2017). Writing a Research Proposal to the Research Council of Oman.  Oman Medical Journal ,  32 (3), 180–188. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2017.35
• Azzam, A. & Sakka, S. (2016, November). Protocol Writing in Clinical Research. Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research, 10(11), Z10–Z13. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2016/21426.8865

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Proposal Budgets

The budget should list all cost details for the year or another appropriate period of time. It should include any applicable salaries & wages, fringe benefits, services, supplies, equipment, publications, travel, other direct expenses, and any facility and administrative costs. A brief outline for developing a budget is included in Michigan Tech's policies and procedures manual .

Sample budgets are available for Michigan Tech researchers in the RD Toolkit .

You can download a budget worksheet (Excel) to help you with this process. Refer to the Guidelines for Budget Development for additional calculation help and information.

Follow these cost considerations when developing your budget:

• Direct Costs — Costs that can be specifically linked to your project.
• Fringe Benefits — Compensation made to an employee beyond the regular benefit of payment for work. Fringe benefits are charged using a negotiated rate approved by the federal government in accordance with Michigan Tech’s fringe benefit rate agreement.
• Indirect costs / F&A / Overhead (these are all the same thing) — Costs that cannot be attributed to a particular project. Examples include utilities, facilities maintenance, library support and general departmental and university administration. These costs are covered in the Current Rate Agreement . Indirect costs may be limited by the sponsor. Be sure to check for this in the solicitation.
• Cost Sharing and Matching — Cash or in-kind support provided by Michigan Tech or a source other than the main sponsor. Cost-sharing or matching can be prohibited or required by the sponsor. Check for this in the solicitation.
• Allowable and Unallowable Costs — Allowable costs can be budgeted and expensed under a sponsored agreement, while some costs are simply unallowable. Cost allowability is determined in accordance with federal guidelines and Michigan Tech policy.
• Subawards / Subcontracts / Vendors — Costs for payment to an organization outside of Michigan Tech to conduct a portion of the sponsored project activity. There are different use cases for these different categories, and with each comes implications in the budget. Subawards and subcontracts have the applicable indirect cost rate applied to the first $25,000. Vendors have indirect cost rate applied on the entire amount. See this Subaward, Consultant, and Service page for more in-depth info.
• Employees / Independent Contractors — Costs for individuals who are not paid with salary lines in the personnel section of the budget. There is a helpful questionnaire to determine whether someone should be paid as an employee or independent contractor .
• Student and Postdoc Support — Costs for supporting students can vary by type of student (undergrad, masters, PhD, postdoc) and by department. See the current rates for tuition, stipends, and salary or hourly wages in the “Resources” section of this page. Supporting students may be limited or required by the sponsor. Check for this in the solicitation.

• Office of Research
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Budget Preparation

Your budget is a financial proposal that reflects the work proposed. It outlines the expected project costs in detail, and should mirror the project description. A budget is presented as a categorical list of anticipated project costs that represent the researcher's best estimate of the funds needed to support the proposed work. The term “best estimate” is important here. You will be held to using the costs detailed in your budget, so make sure you’ve correctly estimated what you will need to complete the project.

Reviewers want to know how reasonable the cost of your project is. They will ask themselves whether you are over or underestimating your expenses. A careful review of the budget lets the reviewer know that you're not asking for too much or too little, but rather, just enough funding.

A UCSB Detailed Budget should be prepared for each proposal. This will assist in the completion of any sponsor budget forms and the budget justifcation, as well as assist with sponsor requests for additional details about how you generated your overall figure, or where the money will be going. Remember, all budgets are to be prepared in accordance with the  Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance  (the UG) and the  UC Santa Barbara Departmental Costing Guidelines .

For proposals to State of California agencies , in addition to the information contained below, please see our  State of California Proposal Guidance page for forms, instructions and indirect cost information specific to State proposals.

Preparing Your Budget

Direct costs.

Salaries and Wages

The budget category Salaries and Wages is designed to account for UCSB employees only. Non-UCSB employees will be listed on their appropriate subaward or MCA budget, as consultant costs, or as contracts for services. To assist in determining the appropriate role an individual or entity should have on a project, see the  Who's Who on my Sponsored Project  guide.

In the Salaries and Wages category ,  you should include the individual's name, University payroll title, annual or monthly salary, number of months or percentage of time on project, and the total salary requested for each person listed. Always note that the summer salary for faculty is "1/9 annual salary," as many sponsors question how summer salary is calculated.

If you know the specific person who will be working on a project, you should use their actual salary. When an actual salary rate is used, it must be must be indicated as such in the proposal budget. For academic appointments, if an individual's salary is above-scale or off-scale, indicate such on the budget. Remember: Off-scale means appointed at a specific on-scale level, but the salary is above that level, while above-scale means appointed at a salary that is above the highest possible level for that title.

If an individual is not yet identified, list as "TBN" (to be named) with the appropriate salary from the approved salary scales. Remember to consult the bargaining unit contract for covered academic and staff tittles.

• UCSB Academic Personnel Salary Scales
• UCSB Human Resources Staff Salary Scales

Remember that departmental approval is required for any faculty release time included in a proposal budget.

Clerical or administrative salaries and wages should normally be treated as indirect costs.  However, such costs are allowable as direct costs if the four criteria in the  UG § 200.413(c)  are satisfied. To be included, such costs must be specifically justified in the proposal and in accordance with the  Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance  (the UG).

Note for NSF proposals only:  The definition of “year” is required to be included in the budget justification when you are requesting salary for Senior Personnel. See  NSF 18-1 PAPPG Section II.C.2.g.i(a) . When applicable, include the following statement, "UCSB defines 'year' as the fiscal year than spans from July 1 to June 30 each calendar year", in the section of the budget justification where you are justifying the salary request(s).  (updated 2/7/18)

Escalation Rates for Salaries and Wages   (updated 11/07/2017)

Projected merits/promotions should be factored in for all titles.

• For faculty with appointments outside your department, contact their home department staff person in charge of academic merits/promotions to get the current pay rate, rank, and next scheduled merit. Academic salary range adjustments are projected to increase by 2%.
• Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) salaries are projected to increase 3% each year.
• Staff salaries for merit-based plans are projected to increase by 3.5% on July 1 of each year (there are no separate calculations for cost-of-living and merit).
• Minimum wage increases should be budgeted in accordance with the  UC Fair Wage/Fair Work Plan  and/or state minimum wage requirements, as appropriate.

Fringe Benefits (updated 06/25/2024)

UCSB is implementing Composite Benefit Rates (CBR) beginning September 1, 2018. On and after this date, benefits charged to all fund sources will be based on CBR, not an employee’s actual benefit costs. CBRs are used to simplify the budgeting and standardize the accounting of employee benefits to be predictable and consistent.  All proposals and revised budgets submitted should use CBRs.  

The CBR contains the following costs: Benefits Administration; Medical, Dental, Disability, Life, Unemployment, Vision, and Worker’s Compensation Insurance; Employee Support Programs; FICA and Medicare Taxes; Incentive Award Programs; Retiree Health Benefits; Retirement Benefits; Senior Management Supplemental; PFCB; and Post Doc Childcare. CBR does not include Vacation Leave Assessment, UCRP Supplement Interest Assessment, Tuition remission, Graduate Student Health Insurance, and General, Automotive, and Employee Insurance (GAEL).

CBRs are fixed for an entire fiscal year and will be adjusted annually. As of June 13, 2024 the rates are approved through June 30, 2025 (FY25). 

The CBRs, including projections for future years and rates to use in current proposals, are located on the budget and planning website . Budget and Planning has a CBR website with additional background information on CBR, including a CBR FAQ.

Fringe benefits are listed on the proposal budget as a set percent of salary. Fringe benefits must be budgeted to the same funding source as the corresponding salary (UC C&G Manual  Ch. 7-206 ,  Ch, 2-520 ). The budgeted fringe benefit rate is comprised of up to three different rates, the composite benefit rate (CBR), vacation accrual, and UC Retirement Program (UCRP) interest charge*.

Please note that fringe benefit rates for some academic titles change in the summer months.

For CBR questions, contact  [email protected] .

*UCRP interest charge is allowable on non-federal fund sources only. It should not be budgeted on federal or federal flow-through funds.

Graduate Student Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance

Graduate students employed by the University in eligible classifications receive partial or full tuition and fee remission, depending on the percentage of time appointment, from the same fund that pays their salaries. In cases when an eligible graduate student is paid from more than one fund source, the cost of remission should be prorated. Graduate students employed in the title classification  Graduate Student Researcher (GSR)  are among those eligible for remission. Questions regarding eligibility of particular students should be directed to the  UCSB Graduate Division .

Please refer to the UCSB Office of the Registrar's  Summary of Quarterly Fees and Expenses  for the current tuition, fee, and health insurance rates.

Indicate on the budget if tuition, fees and insurance are for an in-state or out-of-state Graduate Student Researcher (GSR).

GSR appointments up to 24% time are not eligible for remission. However, if a GSR has an appointment that is less than full time in your department/unit, make sure they do not have an additional appointment, as eligibility for remission is based on the total percent of all appointments combined on campus.

Partial Remission

GSRs employed between 25% and 34% time (all GSR appointments combined) qualify for partial remission. This includes payment of 100% of the university's mandatory fees: Student Services Fee; Tuition, All Students; and Non-Resident Tuition, Supplemental where approperiate. It also includes payment of Health Insurance. However, partial remission does not currently include the payment of UCSB Campus Based Fees.

Full Remission

GSRs employed at least 35% time or at least 140 hours of a three month quarter (all GSR appointments combined) qualify for full fee and tuition remission. This includes payment of 100% of the university's fees: Student Services Fee; Tuition, All Students; UCSB Campus Based Fees, and Health Insurance. It also includes payment of Non-Resident Tuition, Supplemental for international students, and non-resident domestic students during their first year only.

Non-Resident GSRs who have advanced to candidacy are eligible for a 100% reduction in supplemental tuition for a maximum of three years after the advance to candidacy.

Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance Escalation Rates   (updated 09/14/2020)

• Tuition, All Students (aka Educational Tuition) is comprised of three elements: Resident Tuition, Student Service Fee and Campus-based Fees.

• Non-Resident Tuition, Supplemental is not estimated to increase.
• Health Insurance (aka GSHIP or UCSHIP) is estimated to increase 8% each academic year.

Sponsored Projects staff use this unofficial GSR Tuition/Fees and UC SHIP Projection Chart  as a tool when reviewing proposals. It may be used by departments to assist in determining the appropriate rates when preparing proposal budgets. It is not intended to replace use of the official rates found on the UCSB Office of the Registrar's  Summary of Quarterly Fees and Expenses  website.

The University defines equipment as articles of non-expendable tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year, and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. Sometimes an agency will have a higher or lower dollar value than UCSB. In this case, UCSB's dollar value takes precedent.

Tax, shipping, and any transit costs should be factored into the cost of the equipment. If the quote is from an out-of-state or foreign supplier California Use Tax should be factored into the cost as well. One exception: Sales tax is not paid on government owned equipment. If the guidelines of a proposal state that any equipment purchased will vest in the government, do not add in sales tax.

Fabrications are generally treated like equipment and excluded from indirect costs under MTDC calculation. However, if an item is fabricated and title title is not retained by the UCSB, all costs of its fabrication are subject to indirect costs. Fabrication costs may include associated labor. Please consult with  UCSB Equipment Management  to confirm that all anticipated fabrication costs are correctly categorized as equipment.

If proposing to purchase a single item or fabrication of equipment budgeted at $100,000 or more, and not submitting to a specific equipment or instrumentation proposal call (such as a DURIP), please contact  BFS Procurement Services  to discuss additional purchasing requirements that may apply. It’s important to note that even if a specific make/model of the equipment is included, federal purchasing procedures may not allow the campus to purchase that specific make/model.

Travel should be broken down into domestic and foreign categories, and as much detail as possible should be provided. Include travel destinations, number of people traveling, number of days traveling, ground and/or air transportation costs, lodging and substanance or per diem, etc. Remember to always check the sponsor guidelines to make sure foreign travel is allowed before including it in a proposal budget.

All travel funded directly or indirectly by the Federal Government must comply with the  Fly America Act .

All state-funded travel must comply with the travel restrictions imposed by Assembly Bill No. 1887. For information, see the  Business and Financial Services website  or the  State Attorney General's website .

See the  UCSB Business & Financial Services travel webpage  and the  UCOP Financial Services & Controls travel policy webpage  for additional travel guidance, including per diems rates and mileage expenses.

If the project involves international travel, we recommend the travelers review the UC Ethics, Compliance and Audit Services' information on  international travel ,  hand-carrying items abroad  and  export control laws & regulations  prior to traveling abroad. Additional export control information is available on the  UCSB Research Integrity website .

Participant Support

Per the Uniform Guidance, participant support costs means direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences, or training projects.

A stipend is defined as a fixed sum of money paid to a participant. Stipends are not paid in compensation of work performed.

This article from the  May 2017 NSF Policy Newsletter  answers some frequently asked questions about participant support.

Sponsored Projects staff use this unofficial  participant support flow chart  as a tool when reviewing budgets.

Subawards and Multi-Campus Awards (MCAs)

The total amount of each subaward or Multiple-Campus Award (MCA) should be listed as a seperate line item on the UCSB Detailed Budget. An authorized scope of work, budget, and budget justification must be submitted for each subaward or MCA. A Sub-recipeint Commitment Form or MCA Commitment Form, signed by an authorized official of the recipient entity, must be provided to Sponsored Projects prior to submission of the proposal. See  UCSB Office of Research - Subawards  page for details.

Indirect costs are assessed on the first $25,000 of each individual subaward for all  New  and  Renewal  proposals (effective July 1, 2009). If the first budget period is less than $25,000, remember to add the remaining amount to equal the $25,000 in the remaining budget period(s).

If UCSB is submitting a proposal that includes an MCA, no indirect costs are assessed on any part of the MCA amount. See Indirect Costs (IDC) or Facilities and Administration (F&A) Costs for additional guidance.

If unsure if the other entity's costs should be budgeted as a subaward or a service agreement (in Other Direct Costs), please review the  Subaward Determination Tip Sheet . If still unsure after reviewing the tip sheet, contact your  Sponsored Projects Team .

Other Direct Costs

Other Direct Costs include Materials and Supplies, Publication Costs, Consultant Costs and Contracts for Services, UCSB Campus Recharges, and Other.

Materials and Supplies

Material and supply costs are defined as items that cost less than $5,000. They must be reasonable and directly allocable to the supported activity, and should be listed on the budget with information detailing quantity, unit price, and a description of the item. Office supplies, postage, copy charges and local phone calls are examples of costs not normally allowed as direct costs. To be included, such costs must be significantly above what is normally covered by Indirect Costs (IDC) or Facilities and Administration (F&A) Costs, and must be specifically justified in the proposal and appropriate to the project.

Hazardous waste disposal costs are not allowable as a direct cost.

Publication Costs

You may include the costs associated with the dissemination of research findings from the proposed research. Publication costs typically include page charges for professional publications.

Consultant Costs & Contracts for Services

Consultant Costs generally may only be paid to individuals not employed by UC campuses or labs. The consultant should provide special knowledge that is needed for the project. Include the same information provided for UCSB project personnel (name, title, etc) and be specific about daily rate and amount of days for which they will be paid.

Contracts for Services should be included in the budget as a line item. The total amount of the contract is accessed the appropriate IDC rate.

If unsure if the other entity's costs should be budgeted as a consulting/service agreement or as a subaward, please review the  Subaward Determination Tip Sheet . If still unsure after reviewing the tip sheet, contact your  Sponsored Projects Team .

UCSB Campus Recharges

Intercampus recharges for research related goods and services such as facility or equipment usage, university automobile rentals, or specialized technical services may be included in a project budget. All recharges must be directly allocable to the project, and should be estimated and escalated based on the  Estimating Project Costs  guidance found below. See also the  UCSB Budget & Planning Income & Recharge webpage  for additional information on recharge policies and procedures at UCSB.

Indirect Costs (IDC) Or Facilities and Administration (F&A) Costs

Indirect Costs (IDC) a.k.a. Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs represent those expenses that cannot be easily identified to any specific project but are incurred for common or joint objectives. They include operation and maintenance of facilities, including building depreciation, library expenses, space, utilities, payroll, accounting, and other services. The indirect cost rate is determined by the type of project i.e. research, instruction, or other. The rate is also determined by whether the project is performed on-campus or off-campus. Refer to UC  Research Policy and Coordination's  indirect cost recovery  webpage  and an  Introduction to Indirect Costs at UC Santa Barbara  for additional information.

The Council on Government Relations (COGR), an association of research universities and affiliated medical centers and independent research institutes, has prepared three documents to help explain what IDC (F&A) costs are, their importance and how the system works. 

UCSB's Federally Negotiated IDC or F&A Rate Agreement (updated 04/10/2018)

UCSB has pre-determined IDC rates that have been negotiatied with the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS). See the current  negotiated rate agreement for UCSB  which applies to all proposals submitted on or after 04/10/2018.

The applicable IDC rate is determined by the type of project (i.e. Research, Instruction, Other Sponsored Activities, etc.) and by whether the project is performed on-campus or off-campus. Refer to the negotiated rate agreement for UCSB and the UCOP Contract & Grant Manual Chapter 8, or contact your Sponsored Projects Team for assistance determining the correct IDC rate for your project.

UCSB's indirect cost is assessed on  Modified Total Direct Costs  (MTDC). The MTDC base consists of salaries and wages, fringe benefits, materials, supplies, services, travel, and subcontracts (up to the first $25K of each). The costs of equipment, capital expenditures, graduate student remission (including tuition, fees, and health insurance), rental costs of off-site facilities, scholarships, fellowships, the portion of each subcontract in excess of $25K, and the total of each MCA is excluded from the MTDC base. When the new rate agreement comes into effect with proposals on or after 04/10/2018, Participant Support will also be excluded from the MTDC base.

A DHHS agreement statement should always be included at the end of the detailed budget to let agencies know which authority has negotiated our IDC rate agreement; "This is the DHHS negotiated, predetermined, on-campus rate for Research Projects covering the period July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2021. The rate thereafter is provisional."

IDC Policy Exceptions (updated 11/07/2017)

Proposals   must include the negotiated IDC rate  unless  an exception to the UC's policy on IDC recovery has been approved. Using written documentation of an alternate IDC rate or IDC base, Sponsored Projects will request an IDC exception. The sponsor's IDC policy should be published and apply equally to all applicants. Contact your  Sponsored Projects Team  for assistance preparing and documenting an alternate IDC rate or base.

See also  Calculating Indirect Costs with a Total Costs Base  for assistance working with a sponsor imposed Total Costs IDC base.

IDC for Proposals to State of California Agencies

Proposals to State of California agencies should apply the appropriate IDC rate from UCSB's federally negotiated rate agreement if the funds are ultimately flowing down from a federal agency. For proposals funded with state funds (and no federal funding), please apply the appropriate indirect cost rate in accordance with the guidance on our  State of California Proposal Guidance  page.

Budget Justification (Budget Narrative)

The Budget Justification (aka Budget Narrative) provides the rationale for proposed expenditures. Follow sponsor guidelines to prepare the budget justification for submission to the sponsor. If sufficient detail is not provided on the UCSB detailed budget, UCSB may require additional justification.

Note for NSF proposals only:  The definition of “year” is required to be included in the budget justifiation when you are requesting salary for Senior Personnel. See  NSF 18-1 PAPPG Section II.C.2.g.i(a) . When applicable, include the following statement, "UCSB defines 'year' as the fiscal year than spans from July 1 to June 30 each calendar year", in the section of the budget justification where you are justifying the salary request(s).  (updated 2/7/18)

Estimating and Justifying Project Costs (Updated 8/23/2018)

Once you know your direct cost budget categories, you will need to identify and project the costs for a sponsored project using generally accepted cost estimation methods. For categories other than Salaries and Wages, Fringe Benefits and Graduate Student Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance, you will need to estimate your costs. There are multiple accepted cost estimation strategies:

• Historical Costs -  What has it cost in the past?
• Current Costs -  What do catalogs and website that sell this product currently charge?
• Vendor Quotes -  What is a vendor telling you it will cost for them to supply you with the product?
• Approved Recharge Rates -  If you are using a UCSB resource, what is the approved campus approved recharge rate?

You may utilize methods other than these to estimate your costs. However, you must ensure that your process is logical, you can explain it to someone else, and you are able to document how you obtained your numbers.

Escalating Costs (updated 8/23/2018)

When you estimate your costs, you should remember that costs increase over time. Because of this, we recommend that you include a modest escalation in the estimate of costs for direct charges. Escalating costs is consistent with the University's cost principles, and with the University's policy of recovering all costs of conducting sponsored projects. Escalation helps to ensure that your project receives adequate funding. You should use an escalation rate of 3 to 5% for most direct costs. There are three exceptions to this - Salaries and Wages, Fringe Benefits, and Graduate Student Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance should be escalated in accordance with those rates indicated in these sections.

Documenting Costs

Once you've estimated your direct costs, you will also need to make sure you keep detailed documentation. Documentation supports how the costs were estimated and the reasons why costs were proposed. This is our proof that we are not just making up all of the numbers.

You can use any of the materials you used for your cost estimation as documentation. These could be things like payroll records, published merit & range increases, catalogs, on-line or other, vendor quotes, proposals, or documentation of historical costs for like projects.

If you are using web-based information as your documentation, you should save either a printed copy or PDF version of the page, not just the link. Auditors will need to see the information you used when you wrote your proposal budget, and the website will most likely update the information, or may not be available at the time of an audit.

Revised Budgets

A revised budget is a revision to the budget of a proposal that has already been submitted to the sponsor for review, but not yet awarded. Notification of a request for a revised budget may be sent to the SPO team, the administering department, and/or the PI either via email or via the sponsor’s electronic grants management system (e.g. Fastlane). The notification will come with directions (a.k.a. Guidelines) indicating what changes to the budget are needed.

Requirements for revised budgets

• Guidelines from the sponsor (email, notice from online grants management system, etc.)
• Revised UCSB detailed budget
• Revised budget using sponsor's template (if requires, e.g. NSF Fastlane budget pages)
• Revised budget justification
• Sponsor Deadline for receiving the revised budget
• Budget impact statement - ONLY for NSF is the budget is reduced by at least 10%

 **Note: All revised budgets must use the originally proposed IDC rate UNLESS the sponsor requests to rebudget with our current rate.  

Budget Basics Tools & Resources

Categories:

Proposal budgets and budget justifications are the financial road maps of sponsored projects.  When thoughtfully and strategically built they both help propel proposals to award and pave the way for effective post-award management.  Visit the ORA Budget and Budget Justifications webpage for the Stanford Detailed Budget and Budget Justification templates and resource links to help you build successful budgets and budget justifications. 

Do you have sponsored project budgeting questions?  Contact the  ORA Client Advocacy & Education team .  No question is too big or too small.  We're here to help!

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Developing a Budget for Your Research Application

Budgets and budget justifications demonstrate feasibility, value for money and detail why you need an item for your project, as well as how you arrived at the costings.

Every research project has two budget categories: direct costs and indirect costs.

The University determines a set percentage for the indirect costs of funded research. Contact Grants Services for the correct figure to use.

Direct costs are costs integral to achieving the research objectives of a grant. The costs directly address the research objectives of the grant and relate to the research plan.

Direct cost examples:

• Personnel, e.g. research assistants, student stipends for PhDs, and staff costs. You need to factor in salary increases, on-costs (superannuation and payroll) and casual loadings . Always use the salary level and step corresponding with the skills and tasks required for the role. See the Position Descriptors in the relevant University Enterprise Agreement .
• Equipment, maintenance and travel (outline why you are going and for how long)
• Teaching relief
• Other (e.g. Consumables).

Indirect costs are institution costs that benefit and support research activities at the institution. Although they are necessary for the conduct of research and may be incurred during the project, they are costs that do not directly address the approved research objectives of a grant.

Indirect cost examples:

• Operations and maintenance of buildings (e.g. libraries, labs, meeting venues, IT such as computer access, specialist software, databases, secure cloud storage)
• Insurance, legal and financial services
• Hazardous waste disposal, and
• Regulatory and research compliance and administration of research services

All external research activities are expected to contribute to indirect costs except :

• Nationally competitive grants, such as ARC and NHMRC. This includes all Category 1 schemes.
• Registered charities listed on the ACNC register (opens in a new window)
• Grants transferred from another university
• Funding bodies that exclude or limit overheads or administrative costs (i.e. indirect costs) in their rules or guidelines
• Scholarships and internships
• Official Western Partnership projects
• Travel award type grants or facility usage type grants (e.g. Endeavour Fellowships, AINSE grants)
• Projects costed under $100,000 are discounted by waiving Western’s portion of the indirect costs.

Indirect costs are calculated by determining the direct costs first and then applying the indirect costs formula:

e.g. Direct costs = $50,000 x (indirect cost % figure) = Total project cost

Cash and in-kind support

Your project budget needs to include all cash and in-kind items it requires.

In-kind support is any non-cash contributions that a party gives to the project. In-kind can be contributed by Western Sydney University or by an external party, and can include:

• staff (e.g. time committed to the project which is not funded by the project)
• non-staff/infrastructure (e.g. if you are using lab space to conduct the project but are not receiving direct payment from the project to 'buy out' lab space)
• indirect costs

How to budget personnel and salaries

On-costs are direct costs associated with salary. These costs relate to superannuation, sick leave, payroll tax etc. and must be included your budget.

Access this link for more detail about Western on-costs

For the latest salary figures, please check with the Office of People

An example:

You are a Lead Chief Investigator (CI) on a non-Category 1 funding body project for one year. You commit 0.4 (FTE) of your time to the research = 2 days per week. You are paid at Academic Level E, Step 2, which is $188,944 per annum. You can calculate your salary inclusive of 28% on-costs as follows:

0.4 x 0.28 x 188,944 = 21,161.73

The budgeting of your salary, a direct cost of the research, should be listed as $21,161.73.

If your project covers three years, with the same or differing time commitments, you calculate this figure for each year of your project. Remember to factor in pay rises according to Step increases in multi-year grants.

You may also have a research assistant employed full-time for seven weeks at HEW Level 5, Step 3. You hire the assistant at the casual hourly rate of $48.97, which includes 25% leave loading. You add 16.5% on-costs to this figure:

48.97 x (35 x 7) = 11,997.65

11,997.65 x .165 = 1,979.50

1,979.50 + 11,997.65 = 13,977.15

The total cost to employ the research assistant is $13,977.15.

Note 1: the maximum period a person can be employed on a casual rate is 6 months.

Note 2: For some schemes, the funding provider stipulates a specific maximum rate for funding of salary on-costs, e.g. the Australian Research Council (ARC) funds on-costs at a rate of 30%, so you must use this figure.

• Grant Budget Calculator (Staff Login Required) (opens in a new window)

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Sample Budget Justifications

Sponsor requirements differ, and sample budget justifications should be seen only as a starting point. Guidelines for sponsor requirements are in the annotated budget justifications. Read the solicitation and the sponsor’s proposal preparation guidelines for each proposal's requirements.

For Research Sponsors

• Sample Budget Justification for Non-Federal Research [DOCX]  - June 2024
• Annotated Budget Justification - Non-Federal Research  [webpage]
• Sample Budget Justification for Federal Research  [DOCX]  - June 2024
• Annotated Budget Justification - Federal Research  [webpage]

For Non-Research Sponsors:

• Sample Budget Justification for Non-Federal Non-Research [DOCX]  - June 2024
• Annotated Budget Justification - Non-Federal Non-Research  [webpage]
• Sample Budget Justification for Federal Non-Research [DOCX]  - June 2024
• Annotated Budget Justification - Federal Non-Research  [webpage]
• Uniform Guidance Fixed Rate Requirements
• F&A Methodology
• F&A Components
• MIT Use of a de minimis Rate
• Fund Account Overhead Rates
• Allocation Rates
• Determination of On-Campus and Off-Campus Rates
• Employee Benefits (EB) Rates
• Vacation Accrual Rates
• Graduate Research Assistant Tuition Subsidy
• Historical RA Salary Levels
• MIT Facts and Profile Information
• Classification of Sponsored Projects
• Types of Sponsored Awards
• How Are Sponsored Projects Generated?
• Cost Principles and Unallowable Costs
• Direct and Indirect Costs
• Pre-Proposals / Letters of Intent
• MIT Investigator Status
• Components of a Proposal
• Special Reviews
• Applying Through Workspace
• Proposal Preparation Checklist
• Proposals and Confidential Information
• Personnel Costs
• Subcontracts and Consultants
• Annotated Budget Justification - Federal Research
• Annotated Budget Justification - Non-Federal Research
• Annotated Budget Justification - Federal Non-Research
• Annotated Budget Justification - Non-Federal Non-Research
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Research Budget Template – 14+ (Word, Excel)

Research is not only a time-intensive exercise; it is also a capital-intensive one and as such, it needs a budget. Drafting a research budget is no walk in the park because you have to know exactly how much will be needed to see the process through, not to mention you may have to account for every penny spent. By virtue of being such a technical document, you will always need some help drafting it; and that’s where the research budget template comes in.

The template enables you to get a rough idea of some of the elements to include in the budget, so you do not run into any financial dead ends. Let us learn more of this critical template and see why you need it.

Medical Research Budget Template

A research proposal budget sample is in many ways similar to the research budget sample, only that at this stage, it is still a proposal.

This sample is often written in a linear or tabular format and it details all the expenses that are associated with the proposal project.

Research Proposal Budget Worksheet

Budget for Research Development

A research study budget is a document that contains a breakdown of the funds needed to meet the various activities involved in conducting a research study. It is important to remember that a research study is not just intended to develop new methods or improve the existing practices; one of the ultimate goals of the study is profit making by the researchers.

Therefore, this budget should be able to convince stakeholders, more so the sponsors, that the study is a viable cause and that investing their money in it will be worthwhile.

Sample Research Budget Sheet in PDF

Research Grant Budget Proposal

Research Trip Budget Template

A research budget example is basically a sample document of a research budget. As there are possibly hundreds or thousands of types of researches done daily, there is no hard and fast rule on the details that need to be in such a sample document. However, the rule of thumb demands that the names of the researchers be included, along with the identified challenges and expected financial investment for each challenge.

The document can take any form but primarily, the names of the researchers and the expected challenges come on the left-hand side with their corresponding assignments and projected budget for each problem respectively coming on the right-hand side of the document.

Sample Research Budget Template

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Whether you are an expert or a novice in writing research budget proposals, one thing that’s for sure is that you will always find yourself making purely avoidable mistakes.

As these documents are highly sensitive, mistakes are things you can’t afford; which is why you are advised to always keep a sample template for reference.

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A research proposal is a paper that proposes a research project, usually in the sciences or academia and generally constitutes a funding request for that study. A budget is one of the key components of a research proposal and serves as a blueprint for spending the funds from the project. An effective budget for the proposal outlines the proposed project in fiscal terms and helps reviewers determine how the project is to be carried out.

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10. Free Business Research  Budget Proposal

Direct Costs

Indirect costs, 1. list your activities.

• Interviews: 20 in Sydney; 10 in Perth; 15 in Melbourne.
• I’ll need three months of teaching release for fieldwork.
• Flight tickets for travel required.
• Accommodation for at least a month in each place.
• The results will need to be transcribed.
• A research assistant will be required.

2. Check the rules again

3. cost each item, 4. put it in a spreadsheet, 5. justify it, more in budget templates.

A3 Research Poster Template

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Explore NIAID Topics for Small Business Innovation Research Contract Solicitation

Funding News Edition: September 4, 2024 See more articles in this edition

NIH's SBIR program accepts Phase I, Phase II, Fast Track, and Direct-to-Phase II research proposals.

Each year, NIH solicits research proposals from small businesses through A Solicitation of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Contract Proposals . The latest version was published on August 2, 2024. The solicitation serves as a vehicle for offerors to propose research projects on a multitude of scientific topics from across NIH.

Proposals are due by October 18, 2024, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.  

NIH’s Small Business Education and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED) program will host an HHS SBIR Contract RFP Pre-proposal Conference Webinar (PHS-2025-1) to discuss the mechanics of the contract opportunity on September 23, 2024, from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. The presentation materials will be posted on that same event page following the session. 

Note : This SBIR contract solicitation is distinct from the 2024 SBIR and STTR Omnibus/Parent Grant Solicitations for the NIH, CDC, and FDA released in July, which are notices of funding opportunities for grant awards (despite the word “solicitation” appearing in their titles). Learn about those grant opportunities in our August 7, 2024 article “ Small Business Research: Priority Funding Topics for 2025 .” 

To differentiate among the proposal types: 

• Phase I—research to determine the scientific or technical feasibility and commercial merit of the proposed research or research and development (R&D) efforts. 
• Phase II—continuance of Phase I research efforts, dependent on successful Phase I results as well as scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of further work. 
• Fast Track—simultaneous submission of Phase I and Phase II proposals, to facilitate a streamlined transition from Phase I to Phase II if merited by research outcomes. 
• Direct-to-Phase II—allows a small business concern to commence with Phase II research if Phase I stage-type research funded through other, non-SBIR/STTR sources is already complete. 

The table below summarizes NIAID’s research topics of interest for contract proposals. Refer to the attachment posted within the solicitation linked above for full details, including the number of anticipated awards and descriptions of required activities and deliverables. 

Your contract proposal should address only one topic; if you wish to pursue multiple topics, submit a separate proposal for each topic. Submit your proposal(s) through the electronic Contract Proposal Submission . Direct any technical questions about the solicitation and NIAID’s topics to Jonathan Bryan in NIAID’s Office of Acquisitions at [email protected] or 240-669-5180.  

Find general information and advice on our Small Business Programs page and contact NIAID SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator Natalia Kruchinin, Ph.D., at [email protected] for funding questions specific to small businesses.

Email us at [email protected] for help navigating NIAID’s grant and contract policies and procedures.

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Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12)

View guidelines, important information about nsf’s implementation of the revised 2 cfr.

NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website . These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Supports research and development to enhance STEM learning and teaching for preK-12 students.

The goal of the Discovery Research PreK-12 program (DRK-12) is to catalyze research and development that enhances all preK-12 teachers’ and students’ opportunities to engage in high-quality learning experiences related to the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The program’s objectives are to: (1) build knowledge about how to develop preK-12 students’ and teachers’ STEM content knowledge, practices, and skills; (2) support collaborative partnerships among STEM education researchers,  STEM education practitioners and school leaders with the goals of extending relevant scientific literatures while developing more effective practice; and (3) build the field of STEM education by supporting knowledge synthesis, interdisciplinary interactions across fields and stakeholders, and the development of novel and robust ways of assessing teacher and student learning, engagement, and skills. Outcomes of DRK-12 projects can include but are not limited to promising, evidence-based products that can be used by others to support the success of all teachers and all students (e.g., curriculum, teaching and research tools, and models of collaboration).

The program solicits proposals along two strands: (1) Learning and (2) Teaching. While these strands certainly overlap and have synergy, proposals should identify one strand that is most consistent with the proposal’s objectives and research questions (e.g., are the project’s methods and outcomes focused primarily on teacher development and teaching or student development and learning?). Research project types under both Strands include exploratory, design and development, impact, implementation, measurement and assessment, and synthesis studies. The program also supports other project types including Partnership Development Grants and Workshops/Conferences.

Successful proposals demonstrate how they build on fundamental research in STEM education and on previous or current applied research and development efforts. They also explain their theoretical and empirical justification (e.g., Why is the project designed as it is?) and outline related specific aims and methods with potential to yield new understandings of STEM teaching and learning contexts, processes, and outcomes. The program welcomes proposals focused on teaching and learning in any STEM field(s) and on priorities identified in the National Science Foundation’s strategic plan . Efforts focused on facilitating the reciprocal exchange or mobilization of knowledge between the research and preK-12 formal education professional communities are strongly encouraged (see this Dear Colleague Letter https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23078/nsf23078.jsp ).

Updates and announcements

Cadre supports the drk-12 community, program contacts.

Awards made through this program

Organization(s).

• Directorate for STEM Education (EDU)
• Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (EDU/DRL)

NCI Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Plan & Professional Judgment Budget Proposal

Leading Progress Against Cancer

The value of investment in cancer research.

NCI Director W. Kimryn Rathmell, M.D., Ph.D., M.M.H.C., explains how the funding described in this proposal will allow NCI to achieve the full potential of cancer research and help people live longer, healthier lives.

This proposal presents NCI’s assessment of the specific funding needed in fiscal year 2026 to accelerate progress to end cancer as we know it for all people.

NCI supports cancer research to advance scientific knowledge and enhance the quality and length of life for all people diagnosed with cancer.

NCI Research Portfolio: Driving Cancer Discoveries

NCI invests in a broad portfolio of research, supports the cancer workforce, and sustains research infrastructure.

Highlighted Scientific Opportunities in Cancer Research

NCI highlights four areas of scientific opportunity for fiscal year 2026.

SAGE Support

Tip of the month (september 2024): subawards checklist.

September 6, 2024

Executive Summary: House Republican Agendas and Project 2025 Would Increase Poverty and Hardship, Drive Up the Uninsured Rate, and Disinvest From People, Communities, and the Economy

Executive summary.

Over the last several months, groups of House Republicans and the Heritage Foundation have released policy agendas that, taken together, would create a harsher country with higher poverty and less opportunity, where millions of people would face higher costs for health care, child care, and housing, and millions more would lose health coverage — all while wealthy households and corporations benefit from an unfair tax code that provides them with outsized tax breaks. These skewed priorities would exacerbate inequities in income, wealth, health, and hardship across lines of race and ethnicity, widening already glaring differences that have their roots in racism and other forms of discrimination.

Looking at three proposals — the House Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) budget plan, the Republican House Budget Committee’s (HBC) budget resolution, and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 agenda — brings the implications of influential conservative policymakers’ and a think tank’s broader fiscal policy agenda into sharper focus. That agenda features:

Policies that raise costs and take away health coverage, food assistance, and other help affording the basics from people when they need them. These policies will create significant economic and health insecurity for millions of people while increasing poverty, hardship, and the number of people lacking health coverage. They will shortchange children’s futures, make it harder for millions of seniors to afford prescription drugs, and take away help that households need to afford food, housing, and child care.

For example, the RSC budget calls for $4.5 trillion in cuts over ten years in Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage, [2] cutting these health coverage funds by more than half. The HBC budget plan, meanwhile, calls for $2.2 trillion in cuts to health coverage — all from Medicaid, the associated committee report suggests. [3] This cut would amount to 30 percent on average over ten years, and 40 percent in 2034. Nearly 74 million people receive health coverage through Medicaid, so cuts of this magnitude would result in millions losing access to comprehensive coverage.

Similarly, the RSC budget calls for cutting average Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by about 22 percent by rescinding the updated 2021 Thrifty Food Plan, which adjusted SNAP benefits to reflect the cost of a healthy diet based on today’s dietary guidelines and food consumption patterns. [4] This cut would affect 41 million people participating in SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. (HBC and Project 2025 also sharply criticize the Thrifty Food Plan increase but are not clear about rescinding it. [5] ) And Project 2025 calls for gutting summer food assistance programs that children in families with low incomes rely on when school is out, which could include the new Summer EBT program that is expected to provide grocery benefits to more than 21 million children this summer. [6]

The HBC budget plan cuts the “income security” category of programs by almost $1 trillion over ten years; the accompanying report targets SNAP, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (or TANF, which provides flexible funding that states use for a range of benefits and services to low-income families with children). If income security cuts are largely limited to these programs, benefits would be slashed by more than half by 2034. [7]

The RSC budget has very deep cuts in this part of the budget as well. It includes a cut that would convert Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a 50-year-old program that provided income assistance to 7.5 million low-income seniors and disabled people in 2022, to a block grant and end guaranteed cash aid through the program.

Many of the proposals in these agendas would shift large costs onto states, forcing them to either kick in far more money — a particular hardship for states with lower per capita incomes — or cut benefits and services to their residents.

• Massive disinvestment in public services, which will limit opportunity, hurt communities, undermine efforts to address climate change, erode basic government functions, and damage the economy. For example, both the HBC and RSC budget plans call for enormous cuts in the part of the budget that funds a wide range of federal services, activities, and assistance­­ — from education investments that build the skills of our future workforce, to transportation infrastructure that supports commerce and safety, to the nation’s weather forecasting system and scientific and medical research. In addition, all three plans would repeal or let expire climate provisions of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. And all three plans call for repealing the Inflation Reduction Act’s groundbreaking investments in clean energy. [8]
• A doubling down on skewed, expensive, and ineffective tax cuts. The RSC and HBC budget plans call for extending all of the 2017 law’s expiring individual income tax cuts, [9] which would cost nearly $4 trillion over ten years (2026-2035), [10] and making additional business tax breaks permanent, which would cost nearly a trillion more. [11] Project 2025 goes even further, calling for a host of new tax cuts for wealthy households and corporations, including for multinational corporations that use overseas tax havens. The HBC budget plan shows none of the costs of extending the expiring 2017 tax cuts in its budget figures, but creates a new procedure allowing unlimited tax cuts. [12]
• Harsh treatment of immigrants, hurting families, shortchanging children’s futures, undermining immigrants’ contributions to communities and the economy, and hurting the country as a whole. Project 2025, the RSC budget plan, and the HBC budget plan call for a host of harmful policies that would take help away from families that include immigrants when they fall on hard times. Among other proposals, these plans seek to frighten immigrants and their families from participating in the Census, paying their taxes, and receiving benefits for which they are eligible. [13]

Behind these eye-popping budget numbers are millions of real people who will see health coverage, food assistance, and other forms of support taken away. (See Figure 1.) This will make it even harder for them to afford the basics, leading to serious hardships such as homelessness or overcrowded living, food insecurity, hunger, and untreated health conditions.

It is also notable what is missing from these agendas. Despite rhetoric from some Republicans about the need to support families — and children in particular — these sweeping agendas do not call for new or increased investments to help families afford child care or rent, to expand the Child Tax Credit, or to bolster the EITC for workers without children. And they do nothing to ensure that all workers have access to paid family and medical leave so they can take time off to welcome a new child, attend to a health issue, or care for a family member who needs them.

These agendas, particularly Project 2025, cover multiple areas and this report does not analyze them in full. It provides key examples of fiscal, economic, and health policies within the agendas and, critically, how the plans have broad similarities. Key areas, such as the agendas’ impact on the functioning of the Justice Department, on abortion rights and reproductive freedom, on civil rights protections, and on the potential politicization of federal agencies and the civil service, are critically important but outside the scope of this analysis.

More on this topic

House republican agendas and project 2025 would increase poverty and hardship, drive up the uninsured rate, and disinvest from people, communities, and the economy, republican health coverage proposals would increase number of uninsured, raise people’s costs, house republican budget reflects disturbing vision for the country, more revenue is required to meet the nation’s commitments, needs, and challenges, the 2017 trump tax law was skewed to the rich, expensive, and failed to deliver on its promises, policy basics federal budget.

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[1] This report’s authors: Sharon Parrott, Allison Orris, Claire Heyison, Sarah Lueck, Katie Bergh, Dorothy Rosenbaum, Joseph Llobrera, Catlin Nchako, Sonya Acosta, Will Fischer, David Reich, Richard Kogan, Samantha Jacoby, Chuck Marr, and Shelby Gonzales.

[2] See pp. 96 and 176 of Republican Study Committee, “Fiscal Sanity to Save America: Republican Study Committee FY 2025 Budget Proposal” (hereinafter RSC budget proposal), March 20, 2024, https://hern.house.gov/uploadedfiles/final_budget_including_letter_word_doc-final_as_of_march_25.pdf . For a detailed analysis of the agendas’ health proposals, see Allison Orris and Claire Heyison, “Republican Health Coverage Proposals Would Increase Number of Uninsured, Raise People’s Costs,” CBPP, September 3, 2024, https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/republican-health-coverage-proposals-would-increase-number-of-uninsured-raise .

[3] See pp. 11 and 44-45 of House of Representatives Committee on the Budget, “Concurrent Resolution on the Budget — Fiscal Year 2025, Report to Accompany H. Con. Res. 117” (hereinafter HBC report), report 118-568, June 27, 2024, https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/118th-congress/house-report/568/1?outputFormat=pdf&s=1&r=4&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22HCR+117%22%7D . CBPP calculations relative to Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) February 2024 baseline, available at CBO, “The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2024-2034,” February 7, 2024, https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59710 .

[4] See p. 42 of the RSC budget proposal.

[5] Heritage Foundation, “Mandate for Leadership” (hereinafter Project 2025), 2023, https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf , pp. 300-301; 118 th Congress, Second Session, “H. Con. Res. 117 [Report No. 118–568]” (hereinafter HBC budget proposal), Section 412, June 27, 2024, https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hconres117/BILLS-118hconres117rh.pdf .

[6] As with SNAP, the grocery benefits are distributed through a debit-style, electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card. For the proposal see pp. 303 of Project 2025.

[7] See pp. 11 and 52-53 of the HBC report. CBPP calculations are relative to CBO’s February 2024 baseline, and take into account that some of the total savings in the income security category reflect cuts to civil service retirement, which is another program the HBC report targets.

[8] The climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act are primarily in the form of tax credits.

[9] See p. 29 of the RSC budget proposal and pp. 71-72 of the HBC report.

[10] CBPP estimates based on CBO estimates. See Congressional Budget Office, “Budgetary Outcomes Under Alternative Assumptions About Spending and Revenues,” May 8, 2024, https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60114 . We use the ten-year period 2026-2035 because extending the Trump tax cuts would reduce tax liability starting in 2026. And in 2025, when Congress will debate how to handle the scheduled expirations, it will be looking at the 2026-2035 ten-year budget window.

[11] Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, “TCJA Extension Could Add $4 to $5 Trillion to Deficits,” June 13, 2024, https://www.crfb.org/blogs/tcja-extension-could-add-4-5-trillion-deficits#appendix .

[12] See Section 302 of the HBC budget proposal.

[13] See pp. 145 and 680 of Project 2025, pp. 84-85 of the RSC budget proposal, and pp. 52-53 of the HBC report.