NIH
MODULAR GRANTS AT UCLA
UCLA
Administrative Information
Under the NIH Modular Grant Application and Award Initiative, applicants prepare
simplified proposals that provide limited budget information in a narrative
format and do not have to submit other research support information until
just prior to award. Applications
are to request direct costs in $25,000 modules, up to a total direct costs
request of $250,000 per year for all unsolicited new, revised, and competing
continuation R01, R03, R15, R21, R41, and R43 grants and competing supplements,
as well as applications responding to RFAs for these mechanisms. Specific
grant mechanisms, e.g., R03, R15, R21, and Institute/Center programs may define
a particular number or range of modules allowed.
The UCLA Office of
Contract and Grant Administration (OCGA) initially requested one copy of a
detailed budget (for OCGA records) to accompany modular grant applications.
This was based upon an early understanding that the campus was responsible
for ensuring that budgets were being developed consistently, by a need for
information about the base upon which indirect costs were being applied, and
by audit concerns. Additional information issued recently by NIH, however,
has prompted re-examination of UCLA's implementation of the Modular Grant
Proposal process. In keeping with the spirit of this
streamlined proposal submission initiative, OCGA no longer requires a detailed
budget.
In the absence
of a detailed budget, OCGA review of modular proposals will be limited and
will not include review of indirect costs to assure they are correctly calculated.
The Principal Investigator and departmental staff will be solely responsible
for ensuring that sufficient funds are requested and that indirect costs are
accurately calculated for all modular grant proposal submissions.
Information about
indirect cost rates and other aspects of proposal preparation can be found
on the OCGA website at: http://www.research.ucla.edu/sr2/Forms.htm.
Investigators are reminded that the following items should be subtracted from
direct cost totals before indirect costs are calculated:
Further agency guidance about
the NIH Modular Grant Program is available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm.
For additional guidance, you may also contact the OCGA
Grant Analyst who works with your academic unit.
Award notices will show only direct
costs and indirect costs without itemized budget category breakdowns. UCLA
will initially appropriate funds in the same way. Principal Investigators
will be responsible for determining how departmental staff should allocate
direct costs across the UCLA standard budget categories using the on-line
transfer of funds system.
Institutions are expected
to comply with administrative and cost principles. Costs charged to modular
grants must conform with applicable cost principles and the Cost Accounting
Standards of OMB
Circular A-21, and with the NIH
Grants Policy Statement. This means that all costs incurred must be allowable,
allocable, reasonable, and consistently treated. Total costs will be monitored
on the basis of workscope, scientific aims and rates of expenditure. Institutional
obligations to monitor and report cost share obligations also apply.
Key
Modular Grant Features
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General Features
- Direct costs will be requested
in modules of $25,000.
- Typically modular grant
applications request the same number of modules each year
- No routine escalation
for future years although in exceptional circumstances, an extra module
or modules may be requested during a particular year to cover an unusual
cost fluctuation -- such as the purchase of equipment.
- Narrative form budget
information required only for Personnel and Consortium/Contractual
arrangements.
- Additional justification
will be required only if variation in the number of modules requested
each year.
- Total cost estimates (direct
plus indirect costs) for any Consortium/Contractual (subawards) budgets
rounded to the nearest $1,000 and included in the narrative. Consortium
arrangements (subawards) not awarded in modules.
- Specific aims of current
and recent past support included in Biographical Sketches.
- Other Support Pages not
submitted with the application. Requests for Other Support information
will be requested by NIH on a "just-in-time" basis, prior
to issuing an award.
- Additional budget information
may be requested prior to award in exceptional circumstances.
- Modular awards made without
direct cost categorical breakdowns.
- Significant rebudgeting
(greater than 25%) requirements eliminated.
- Modular Grant awards are
eligible for administrative supplements.
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PHS 398 Application Features
- Face Page. Items 7a
and 7b should be completed showing direct costs in $25,000 increments
up to a maximum of $250,000 and total costs (total direct plus indirect
-- F&A -- costs) for the initial budget period. Items 8a and
8b should be completed for the entire proposed period of support.
- Page 4 (Detailed Budget
for Initial Budget Period), page 5 (Budget for the Entire Proposed
Period of Support) and Other Support pages are no longer required.
- Narrative Budget Justification.
Use a blank or continuation page to create a Modular Grant Budget
Narrative Page (see samples on NIH
Modular Research Grant Applications web page). Enter the total
direct costs requested for each year at the top of the page.
- Under Personnel, list
key project personnel, including names, percent effort and roles
on the project. No individual salary information should be provided.
- For Consortium/Contractual
Costs, provide an estimate of total costs (direct costs plus indirect
costs) for each year rounded to the nearest $1,000. List the individuals/organizations
with whom consortium or contractual arrangements have been made,
the percent effort of key personnel, and the role on the project.
Indicate whether the collaborating institution is domestic or
foreign. Include the total cost of the consortium/contractual
arrangement in the overall requested modular direct cost total.
- Provide additional
narrative budget justification for any variation in the number
of modules requested.
- Biographical Sketches.
Should be prepared for all key personnel. (See sample on NIH
Modular Grant Applications web page.)
- No more than 3 pages
for each individual
- Complete educational
block at the top of the page.
- List current position(s)
and then previous positions.
- Provide information,
including overall goals and responsibilities on research projects
ongoing or completed during the past three years.
- List selected peer-reviewed
publications with full citations.
- Checklist. Should be
included and should show Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) base
and Indirect (F&A) Cost Rate for which funding is requested.
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NIH
Modular Grant Links
