Click for the AMFDP Budget Guidelines for 2012. These are intended for new budgets, but will be helpful for guiding requests for revisions as well.

Revisions: It is inevitable that a revision in your budget will be necessary at some point during the four years of the award. This could result, for example, from equipment, travel, or technical assistance costing less than anticipated, or because of an unanticipated award of funds or supplies from another source. As soon as possible after becoming aware of the need for a revision, please submit the following: a letter detailing the reasons for the revision (include your grant number); the approved budget, the proposed revisions, and the new budget (it is easiest if these are arrayed in three columns on one page for each year); and a narrative for the affected line items. Guidelines for this submission are found at <http://www.rwjf.org/files/publications/RWJF_BudgetRevisionGuidelines.pdf>. Revisions should be submitted to Stephen Theisen at RWJF, with a copy to the NPO, or to the NPO with a copy to Mr. Theisen. Please allow up to two months for a budget revision. Call the NPO with any questions.

Fringe benefits: It is the hope of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the AMFDP that fringe benefits will be paid by the institution. In cases where this is not possible (for example, when state law decrees that a source of salary funding must also fund fringes), fringes may come from the Personnel line item. They may also come from the Other Direct Costs portion of the budget; however, that scenario leaves little for research.

Technician: It is sometimes possible to pay a portion of a technician’s salary as part of the Personnel line item. Please consult the NPO to discuss your particular situation.

Travel: No RWJF travel funds may be used to travel to a foreign country, including Canada. No funds may be used to travel to a review course for board certification.

Carryovers: If you do not spend all the funds budgeted in a given grant year, you may request that those funds be carried over to the next year. See Revisions above. This process should be initiated as soon as possible after final figures are available.

No-cost extensions: If you anticipate that funds will remain in the grant at the end of the fourth year, you may request a no-cost extension of your grant. In this case, you must still file an annual report on work done through the original end date of the grant, and then a final report at the end of the extension. Extensions of three months are typical. Please inform the NPO as soon as possible of the need for an extension. You should submit a letter detailing the reasons for the extension, and a proposed budget and narrative for the amount to be carried over. Funds carried over to an extension may not be used for the Scholar’s stipend or salary, or for equipment. See guidelines at <http://www.rwjf.org/grantees/grantreporting.jsp>.

Indirect costs: The indirect cost (overhead) rate is up to 9% for grants that started before July, 2006, and 12% thereafter. If you budgeted $91,350 ($91,350 x 4= $365,400) for a given year, the 9% indirect costs for that year would be $7,543. The $7,543 must be included in the $91,350. Indirect costs are not over and above the amount of the award. For awardees chosen in 2006 and 2007, if you budget $104,140 ($104,140 x 4 = $416,560) for a given year, the 12% indirect costs for that year would be $11,158. The $11,158 must be included in the $104,140. For those chosen in 2008 and later, if you budget $105,000 ($105,000 x 4 = $420,000) for a given year, the direct costs for that year would be $93,750 and the 12% indirect costs would be $11,250, which must be included in the $105,000.