Section F: Other Direct Costs 

Very often Section F. Other Direct Costs contains a significant portion of the grant costs and expenses.  As there are a wide variety of expense categories listed in this section, it is important to carefully review your proposed grant expenses to ensure that you have allocated them to the most appropriate category.  Paying close attention to the budget allocation will not only make it clear to the reviewers that you are responsible and prudent, but it will make it easier to track your expenses in the event of award and it will alleviate difficulties if you are required to file an accounting of grant funds at the end of the performance period. 

Section F. Other Direct Costs Budget Instructions 

Field 

Instructions 

1. Materials & Supplies 

  • List total funds requested for materials and supplies.  
  • In the budget justification, indicate general categories such as glassware, chemicals, animal costs, including an amount for each category.  

2. Publication Costs 

  • List the total publication funds requested.  
  • The proposal budget may request funds for the costs of documenting, preparing, publishing, or otherwise making available to others the findings and products of the work conducted under the award.  
  • In the budget justification include supporting information.  

3. Consultant Services 

  • List the total costs for all consultant services.  
  • In the budget justification, identify each consultant, the services he/she will perform, total number of days, travel costs, and the total estimated costs.  
  • In the budget justification also provide the names and organizational affiliations of all consultants, other than those involved in consortium/contractual arrangements.  
  • Include consultant physicians in connection with patient care and persons who are confirmed to serve on external monitoring boards or advisory committees to the project. Describe the services to be performed.  

4. ADP/Computer Services 

  • List total funds requested for ADP/computer services. The cost of computer services, including computer-based retrieval of scientific, technical and education information may be requested.  
  • In the budget justification, include the established computer service rates at the proposing organization if applicable.  

5. Subawards/Consortium/ 

Contractual Costs 

  • List total funds requested for 1) all subaward/consortium organization(s) proposed for the project and 2) any other contractual costs proposed for the project.  
  • This line item should include both direct and indirect costs for all subaward/consortium organizations.  
  • Contractual costs for support services, such as the laboratory testing of biological materials, clinical services, or data processing, are occasionally sufficiently high to warrant a categorical breakdown of costs. When this is the case, provide detailed information as part of the budget justification.  

6. Equipment or Facility Rental/User Fees 

List total funds requested for equipment or facility rental/user fees. In the budget justification, identify each rental user fee and justify.  

7. Alterations & Renovations 

  • List total funds requested for alterations and renovations.  
  • In the budget justification, itemize by category and justify the costs of alterations and renovations including repairs, painting, removal or installation of partitions, shielding, or air conditioning. Where applicable, provide the square footage and costs.  
  • Under certain circumstances, the public policy requirements that apply to construction activities may also apply to minor Alterations and Renovations (A&R) activities.  
  • When requesting minor A&R costs under this policy, please provide detailed information on the planned A&R in the budget justification.  

8-10 Other 

  • Add text to describe any “other” direct costs not requested above. Use the budget justification to further itemize and justify.  
  • List total funds requested for items 8-10 “Other.”  
  • Use lines 8-10 for such costs as tuition remission, and non-DOE technical and commercialization assistance (TABA). If applicants choose to use the DOE’s preferred vendor for TABA, they do not need to include it in the budget. Phase I SBIR/STTR applications, the DOE technical and commercialization assistance costs are authorized up to $6,500 per year. See current FOA for details.  

Total Direct Costs 

Total funds requested for all other direct costs.  

 

Section G: Total Direct Costs (A through F) 

Enter total funds requested for all direct costs, A through F. 

Blank & Sample Forms:

  • Blank form screenshot:

  • Sample form screenshot:

  • No labels