NIH Modular Budget Application Process

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NIH allows certain new, revised, and competing continuation R0, R03, R15, R21, R41 and R43 grants and supplements, as well as some Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), to be prepared under its Modular Grant Application and Award Initiative. Modular proposals are simplified proposals requiring limited budget information and no Other Support pages. Sponsored Research Services (SRS) will support this more efficient proposal development and review process by following procedures specified below.

To submit an NIH Modular Grant Application to SRS for review and processing, please include all grant application forms as required with the following components specifically addressed:

• SRS Proposal Routing Form indicating in the comments section "this application is Modular". Attach only the budget justification section of the modular grant application to the proposal routing form.
• Completed error free Pure Edge files or completed paper application as required by the funding announcement.  Please note that each budget period cannot show over $250,000 in direct costs per year, and annual direct cost budget must be in $25,000 increments. Your request for funds should be realistic and based on proposed science. Note; modular grants typically request the same number of modules per year, and you must provide written budget justification for any variations in the number of modules requested on the Narrative Budget Justification page of the application. Your total direct costs for the entire grant should be easily discernable from your initial budget, number of grant years, and any annual variations justified.
• Be sure to list all personnel, including consultants and those on subcontracts by name; include person months and roles on the project in your modular application. You do not have to provide salary information. Remember to use UC's federal fringe benefit rate when estimating labor costs.
• Remember the F & A costs of any subrecipient is not included in the direct costs for UC.
• If one of the following situations apply please include additional information in the budget justification section of the application as requested previously by SRS:
• an individual's base salary is over the cap
•  an individual is listed as 0% effort
• an individual has a joint appointment with the VA or any of the private practice corporations
• Initial period direct and indirect costs must be figured carefully.  You are required to subtract estimates of the following items from any direct cost totals before indirect costs are derived:
• Each piece of equipment costing over $5000.
• Costs for patient care
• Costs for tuitions, scholarships or fellowships.
• Any costs (direct and indirect) for each individual subcontract above $25,000
• Costs of alterations and renovations.
• Any costs for long distance telephone charges

A detail budget will be required when an A-323 is created to establish an award in UC's financial system. At this time, the department or PI will provide SRS with their costs broken down into standard SAP budget categories, including any cost sharing requirements.  

Please note the Principal Investigator has even greater responsibility to ensure their direct and indirect cost projections for their modular grants are accurate and adequate to meet their research project needs over the entire length of the project.  NIH has given notice the total amount of modular grant awards cannot be changed once awarded. Sponsored Research Services cannot cross-check modular budgets under this new process and any errors will have to be managed by the Principal Investigator. F & A waivers will be denied if errors are made in calculating the correct amount for overhead in modular applications.