New Way to Tell if Your Application Falls Within a Direct Cost Limit

A new “Total Direct Costs Less Consortium F&A” table has been added to the assembled application images for all NIH applications that use the R&R Budget form and include subaward budgets. The table can be used to determine if your application (by NIH calculations) falls within a direct cost limit. It is located after the last subaward budget in single project applications and with the Composite Application Budget Summary in multi-project applications.

NIH has a longstanding policy to exclude consortium F&A costs when determining whether an application falls within specified direct cost limits (see NOT-OD-05-004). Unfortunately, the R&R Budget form (unlike the PHS 398 Modular Budget form) does not include a “Direct Cost less Consortium F&A” line item making it hard to tell if your application is compliant with the limits. The new table solves that problem.

Please also note that NIH recently published a guide notice clarifying how to enter budget information for subawards that are not active in all years of the prime applicant. See NOT-OD-15-073: Correction to Application Guide Instructions for Subawards Not Active in All Budget Periods of the Prime Applicant for more information.