Frequently Asked Questions
Budgets
Click here for "Allowable/Unallowable" Budget Item Table
How do I calculate how much match I have to put into the budget?
The required match amount is a percentage of the amount requested from the Center. For example, if the maximum grant award is $250,000 and the program requires a 10% match, you may request $250,000 and must have an additional $25,000 for the match for a total of $275,000.
Do I need to request the full grant amount?
No, the amounts shown are the maximum you may request for each grant. If you don’t need the full amount or are only able to get a smaller match, then you can request a lesser amount.
What is meant by “percent effort” on the budget form?
Enter the amount (percent) of work time that will be devoted to the project. If you have questions on this we encourage you to contact your sponsored programs office for assistance. “Percent effort” has a very specific meaning according to federal regulations and/or university policies. Universities have to document what’s called “certification of effort” on all federal funding.
What is the definition of "person months?" How do I calculate person months on the budget form?
Person months is the metric for expressing the effort (amount of time) PI(s), faculty and other personnel devote to a specific project. Only calculate person months for personnel supported by Center funding for your project.
The effort is based on the type of appointment of the individual with the organization; e.g., calendar year (CY), academic year (AY), and/or summer term (SM); and the organization's definition of such. For instance, some institutions define the academic year as a 9-month appointment while others define it as a 10-month appointment.
Conversion of percentage of effort to person months is straight-forward. Calculate person months by multiplying the percentage of your effort associated with the project by the number of months of your appointment. For example:
♦ 10% of a 12 month calendar appointment = 1.2 (CY) person months (12 x .10 = 1.2)
♦ 25% of a 9 month academic year appointment = 2.25 (AY) person months: (9 x .25 = 2.25)
♦ 35% of a 3 month summer term appointment = 1.05 (SM) person months (3 x .35 = 1.05)
For access to an online "person month" calculator see: Percent of Time & Effort to Person Months Calculator (examples from http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/person_months_faqs.htm).
How do I list supplies that cost over $5,000?
Supplies should be listed in categories that cost no more than $5,000. For example, if you have $6,000 in “tissue culture supplies” you can break it down into broad subcategories such as media and, plastics, or further into syringes, centrifuge tubes, etc. It is not necessary to list every item.
Is it necessary to have matching funds for each section of the budget form, i.e., salary, equipment, and supplies?
No, we do not require a line for line or section by section match, as long as the total match is 10%. However, in cases where equipment over $40,000 is purchased, the equipment requires a 25% match for the equipment in addition to the 10% match for everything else.
Does the Biotechnology Center allow core facility or equipment use as part of the match?
The Biotechnology Center allows facility or equipment use fees directly related to the research project to be included as part of the match for a proposal. The Center does notallow facility or equipment depreciation, overhead, or service contracts to be included in the budget.
Can travel expenses be used as part of the match?
No, travel dollars may not be used as matching funds. Travel funds may be requested, but should be modest and reasonable and must be justified.
Does the 10% match need to come directly from the institute or can it come from another funding source the PI has?
The funding must be “institutional funding.” If you have monies you received from a grant, or start-up funds etc., that is under control of the institution (i.e., not an outside entity) then yes, it may be used.
Does the match need to come from the PI's department or can it come from another department?
The match may come from a collaborating department.
As a new faculty member the University has provided start-up funds. Can the start-up funds be used as a match for the Biotechnology Center's grant programs?
Yes, using "start-up" funds that the university gave to the PI is an appropriate match.
Does the university’s contribution toward PI salary count as matching funds?
No. The Center does not allow any faculty salary to be used for matching funds. However, salaries for Post-docs or Technicians can be used toward matching funds.
Can I request funds for PI salary?
Yes, you can request funds for PI salary in the Biotechnology Research Grant (BRG) and Multidisciplinary Research Grant (MRG) programs, but faculty salary from the university can not be used as a match.
Can faculty release time be used as a match?
Although faculty salaries may not be used as matching funds, we will allow faculty release time for match for the CFG or BRG program only. Faculty release time is when a faculty member is released from their normal teaching responsibilities to pursue approved projects. The release allows the department to pay someone else to cover the PI's responsibilities. Any questions about approved release activity should be directed to your department chair. Information regarding the release time should be provided to the Center in the funding support letter.
Can I request funds to support a graduate student’s salary?
Although our programs are not intended as a support mechanism for graduate students, we allow requests up to 25% of a graduate student’s salary and benefits in the Biotechnology Research Grant (BRG) and the Multidisciplinary Research Grant (MRG) programs. For these grant programs, funds can be used towards salary support for graduate students, but not for tuition.
Can graduate student salaries be used as matching funds?
Graduate student salaries can only be used as a match for the Biotechnology Research Grant (BRG) and the Multidisciplinary Research Grant (MRG) programs. The matching funds may be a similar percent as the allowable request, i.e., a maximum of 25% of the total match.
Can I use grant money to pay for a graduate student’s tuition?
No.
Budget Justification
What information is required in the Budget Justification?
Justify each line item in the budget. Include how the funds will be used for specific research. Do not just provide a detailed list of supplies. Include information on matching funds. See example below.
Budget Justification Example
Personnel:
PI-1: No salary requested; 10% effort. Responsibilities include overseeing and coordinating the project. Data collection and purification of compound X.
Co-PI-2: $7,500 salary match/course release covers one course release during the first year. This will allow more time to focus on performing experiments, working with students in the lab; request $4,000 for one month summer salary at 50% effort to conduct sample preparation and data collection.
Co-PI-3: $20,500 salary request for two years, 10% annual effort. Responsibiites include lead synthesis and purification of conjugates.
Technician: $15,000 salary request for two years, 15% annual effort. A technician is necessary for field planting, data collection, sample preparation, pollinator management, and statistical analysis of results.
The department will provide $10,500 in matching funds towards technician salary.
Equipment:
$1,750 - Analytical balance: Balance with 0.01 mg precision is required for precise quantitative analysis of plant alkaloids.
We are requesting funds for basic equipment to increase the efficiency and sample throughput capacity.
$9,500 - Thermal cycler: This will be more rapid than our current machine, and will increase the efficiency and sample throughput capacity of the lab.
$9,500 - Benchtop centrifuge and rotors: This is needed to accommodate up to 30 microcentrifuge tubes or 96-well sample plates.
$17,000 - Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer: Digital visualization and documentation system for purity and quantification analysis of PCR product; determine consistency among samples.
$5,985 - Sample concentrator needed to prepare samples for electrophoresis.
$2,500 - Autosampler that allows for good reproducibility of injections, reducing error and improving precision.
The department will provide $5,000 in matching funds towards the purchase of the equipment.
Supplies and Travel:
Lab reagents are requested to perform DNA extraction, PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. Funds have been requested for enough reagents to generate 360 DNA sequences.
The required reagents and consumables include:
$1,250 over two years - DNA extraction & PCR tubes and pipette tips, Taq DNA polymerase, primers, nucleotides, buffer, adjuvants, QiaQuick PCR purification kit (Qiagen). (Total $2,500)
$4,600 over two years - Sequencing supplies, primers, Big Dye® Terminator v3.1 Cycle Sequencing Kit (Applied Biosystems), electrophoresis consumables. (Total $9,200)
Supplies required for analytical HPLC:
$250 over two years - HPLC solvents: 16 HPLC-grade acetonitrile. (Total $500)
$1,000 - HPLC columns: The column is required for the analytical method for quantification of plant compounds. These funds will buy two columns, with one as backup in case severe column contamination occurs.
$2,000 - Chromatography standards: We are planning on analyzing at least 10 different compounds.
$3,200 - Travel: To allow each collaborator to attend a meeting, funds for sample collection, funds for quarterly meeting travel.
General
Can I use grant money to pay for a graduate student’s tuition?
No.
Is it OK to use an out-of-state contractor for part of the work?
It depends; if there is not an available in-state source of the work and it is well-justified in the proposal and the budget then it may be reviewed positively. However, proposals that do not justify out-of-state work will be unfavorably reviewed.
Can someone with a fixed-term full-time appointment qualify to serve as PI?
Depending on the program, a researcher holding a full-time permanent position with an independent laboratory and research program at a university or non-profit organization can qualify. Visiting professors and Post-Docs are not eligible.
Which Biotechnology Center research grant applications allow co-PIs?
All Center research grant applications are required to be submitted by a PI from a university or non-profit organization. For PI eligibility, please refer to the individual program guidelines. However, only the BRG and MRG programs allow for co-PIs.
I have received information from my co-PIs which I have put into my proposal. Do they still have to write Letters of Support?
Yes. Although you include information about the roles of the co-PIs in your proposal it is important to see in writing that your co-PIs are committed to the project.
In the Personnel and Research Administration portion of the grant proposal, what is meant by Administrative personnel?
Research Administration refers to overall coordination of the project and budget. The main administrator is usually the PI. Support may also come from departmental personnel such as staff who oversees charges to the grant, lab managers, etc. The administrative personnel are those individuals who are responsible for project accounting, disbursement of grant funds, and oversight of reporting after funds are received. The purpose for this section is to show that you have thought out who will be responsible for the various aspects of the grant other than the experiments.
I'm applying for a two-year grant for $250,000. Do I have to split the money equally so I use $125,000 per year or may I spread the amount over the two years?
You may spread the amount over the entire length of the grant. It does not have to be divided equally between the grant award years.
My project has a large clinical component. Does it qualify for your grant programs?
The Center does not fund “clinical work,” however, if the research uses patients to collect preliminary data and does not report any diagnostic results directly to patients it may be appropriate for our funding programs.
I have a project to develop a new instrument that will be of value in molecular biology research. Which program is most appropriate?
Although projects such as this have excellent scientific merit and commercial opportunity, the Center does not have any programs for the development of new instrumentation.
What is included in the page limit associated with the Research Plan? Are the Budget Justifications, Biographical Sketches and Letters of Support included?
The Research Plan should include the Technical Objectives, Experimental Design and Methods, and the Data Analysis and Interpretation sections. All other sections - Bibliography, Timeline, Budget Justification, Personnel, Team Management, Facilities, Biographical Sketches, etc. are not included in this page limit.
I have preliminary data that I feel must be included in my proposal. Where in the proposal should it go?
It is very important to include preliminary data. It should go in the Background section.
What are you looking for in a timeline diagram?
There are many ways to do a timeline diagram – you may use a bar graph, a line diagram, a table, etc. Be sure to include a short description of each aim or objective and the major tasks necessary to accomplish these aims along with the relative start and completion dates. For the Multidisciplinary Research Grant (MRG) program, it is also often helpful to give the name of the PI who will be overseeing or coordinating each aim. Here are a couple of examples:
BRG
Who is eligible to submit a preproposal for the Biotechnology Research Grant (BRG) program?
The PI must be associated with a NC academic or nonprofit research institution. Investigators at the main campuses of Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and NCSU are not eligible. However, satellite campuses of these institutions, such as the Duke University Marine Lab, NC State Mountain Horticultural Research and Extension Center, and North Carolina Research Campus, may apply. If you have further questions about eligibiilty, contact Program Staff.
I submitted a BRG preproposal and was invited to submit a full BRG proposal. Do I have to submit the full BRG proposal in the same funding cycle?
Yes. You must submit your full BRG proposal in the same funding cycle in which you submitted your BRG preproposal. If you miss the deadline, you would have to go through the preproposal process in the next funding cycle and be invited to submit a full proposal.
If I submitted a full BRG proposal and was not funded, but was invited to resubmit, do I have to go through the preproposal stage again?
Yes. All BRG applicants, whether new or resubmissions, must submit a BRG preproposal and be invited to submit a full BRG proposal.
CFG
What items can be used towards the university-in-kind match for the CFG program?
University-in-kind contributions may include faculty release time, laboratory and equipment use, core facility use, and costs of materials and supplies.
FRG
Can Post-Doc or graduate student salaries be requested as part of the Faculty Recruitment Grant (FRG)?
No. Post-Doc or graduate student salaries are not allowable as requested funds, however, they may be used as matching funds. Technician salary may be allowable on a case-by-case basis.
Can FRG funds be used to renovate the lab for the new faculty?
Generally, lab renovations are not allowable as requested funds, however, these may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Renovations to laboratory and office space (not including furniture) are allowable as matching funds.
IDG
May I lease equipment and then apply for an Institutional Development Grant (IDG) to pay for it on a lease to own basis?
No. You must receive the award first, and then purchase the equipment.
The exact equipment we need for our research is not available off-the-shelf. Can we build or customize the equipment we need with support of an IDG?
Yes. Although the IDG does not support development of a new instrument or type of equipment, we will allow customization of instrumentation for specific needs. You should check with Center Staff to be sure your request is appropriate.
MRG
If the research team has worked together on previous projects, can we still apply for a Multidisciplinary Research Grant (MRG)?
The MRG program is designed to provide funding for new projects that would otherwise have limited sources of funding, and to bring together new teams of collaborators that can provide synergy to a research project with their unique areas of expertise. If parts of the team have published together, it is up to the PIs to provide justification and a good explanation of why the entire team is "new" and unique to carry out the work and also explain why this area of the work is not just a continuation research that was previously worked on but how the collaboration brings the focus in a new direction.
Can the MRG team include a collaboration with an out-of-state researcher?
While the Center always prefers North Carolina collaborators, we realize that this is not always possible in a given area of expertise. It is certainly allowable to use an out-of-state expert as long as the collaboration is structured as either a contract or a consultancy, i.e., not as a co-PI. The MRG team must include at least three (3) co-PIs from North Carolina institutions.
Can a researcher from a company be involved in an MRG?
Yes, they can be a co-PI, however, the applicant institution and the PI still need to be from a university or research non-profit.
The Multidisciplinary Research Grant (MRG) program requires equal effort from the PIs. What does this mean?
This means that the research contribution from each of the three (3) or more disciplines making up the project must be equal in significance. We also expect that the PIs' labs will contribute approximately equal time, but it does not need to be exact.
The Multidisciplinary Research Grant (MRG) program requires that all PIs and significant contributors be listed on the budget sheet. What do I put in the column for “Amount available from other sources?”
This column should be left blank since PI salaries are not an allowable match. However, funds can be requested. If no funds are requested, this column should also be left blank, but the names should still be listed.
Resubmissions
I have been invited to resubmit. Where does my response addressing the reviewer comments go in the proposal? Does it count in the page limitation?
The response should go at the beginning of the proposal and each comment/concern should be addressed directly, although responses to similar concerns can be combined. The response does not count as part of the page limitation, however, it should still be concise and clearly written and submitted as part of the proposal document.
Post-Award
I was notified that I have received funding and I have a question about the award. Whom should I contact?
Contact the NC Biotechnology Center’s Contracts and Grants Office at (919) 549-8846 or joan_pifer@ncbiotech.org.
I have received an award with contingencies. Where do I send my response?
Responses should be sent to the NC Biotechnology Center’s Contracts and Grants Office at (919) 549-8846 or joan_pifer@ncbiotech.org.
I have been notified by phone of an IDG award and have a time-sensitive quote for a piece of equipment. Can I order it right away?
No. You must first receive the official letter from NC Biotechnology Center’s Contracts and Grants Office. Once you receive the letter you must activate the grant to order the equipment. Funds are released as a reimbursement and require the receipt to be submitted to the NC Biotechnology Center's Contracts and Grants Office.
Where can I find technical status grant reporting forms?
Technical status forms can be found on our website by searching for “reporting forms” or at this link: http://www.ncbiotech.org/sites/default/files/TSRResearchGrant.doc
I am the company partner on a CFG award. Who do I contact about making arrangements to fulfill my matching obligation?
The Center does not negotiate or manage the contract between the university and its company partner. A company representative should contact the university’s Office of Sponsored Research to ask for guidance in this matter. For assistance in locating the appropriate university representative, contact the NC Biotechnology Center’s Contracts and Grants Office at (919) 549-8846 or joan_pifer@ncbiotech.org.
How do I apply for a no-cost extension?
A no-cost extension request should be completed and submitted to joan_pifer@ncbiotech.org. Please include an overview of the work accomplished to date, an explanation of why the extension is needed, and a justification for the length of the extension period. Include a new timeline showing completion dates for specific aims and objectives for the remaining experiments. Requests are typically granted for periods of around six (6) months. Longer extensions may be granted if found to be fully justified.
