Research Grants and Overheads
Why are overheads charged?
The University provides significant infrastructure for the support of research,
including access to the University's computing systems; libraries;
networked information retrieval facilities, physical accommodation;
all risks insurance and professional indemnity insurance;
animal and human ethics clearances; safety clearances; financial management and auditing;
power, heat and water; cleaning and garbage services and basic telecommunications services.
“Infrastructure” is the term used to describe these “indirect” or “overhead” costs.
The full cost of a project is a combination of “direct” project costs such as salaries, travel,
maintenance and equipment etc and infrastructure costs.
As a general principle, a contribution towards the cost of research infrastructure is required
for all external funding for research and should be included in the project budget.
How are overheads costed?
Infrastructure costs for sponsored research are set at 15% of the total direct costs of the project.
However, the guidelines for costing the research will, in part, be determined by the granting body.
Many funding bodies will specifically exclude infrastructure costs from funding support particularly
where the funds for research are provided by a philanthropic foundation or charitable body and/or
where the project is assessed by peer review in competition with others.
Infrastructure costs must be included in your grant application unless:
- the scheme guidelines specifically exclude the support of funding for infrastructure costs; or
- the funding scheme is listed on the current Australian Competitive Grants [ACG] Register; or
- the funding body is a research foundation or philanthropic or charitable organisation; or
- the funding is provided for the support of a research student.
In each of cases 2, 3 and 4, the funding body’s guidelines may allow for infrastructure costs to be included in a budget.
If so, overheads should be charged. For example, ACIAR is an ACG scheme but will normally allow 13% overheads.
Australian Competitive Grants
The Federal Government provides a Research Infrastructure Block Grant (RIBG) to each university as a contribution
towards infrastructure used by projects that are funded by Australian Competitive Grants
(e.g. ARC and NHMRC) and accordingly infrastructure costs are not included in the budgets for these schemes.
The ACG Register
provides a full list of granting bodies and schemes
Research Foundations and Charitable Organisations
Where such funding bodies do not specifically allow for infrastructure costs and have limited resources,
the University will normally exempt their grants from overheads.
Research Students
The University will exempt a grant that supports a research student from the overheads requirement, but only if:
- the research funds are primarily for the support of the student (eg. through payment of a stipend or project costs) and
- the work being undertaken contributes directly to the student’s thesis.
Can overheads be waived?
Except for the automatic exclusions noted above for some specific types of research grant,
approval for the waiver or reduction of overheads can only be given by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation).
Applicants are advised to contact the Research Office prior to submitting a proposal to a funding body
if they are not clear if overheads should or should not be included, or if a waiver can be sought.
Formal approval of a waiver of overheads, other than for the automatic exclusions listed above,
must be obtained from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation)
and be appended to the Application Cover Sheet when lodging a grant application.
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