Budget Preparation

There is much to consider when putting together a budget, including compliance with sponsor requirements, solicitation guidelines, and university policy. Below are some basic tips to help make budget development easier:

• Begin planning early on. Discuss project scope and budget right at the beginning.
• Refer to sponsor guidance for budget limitations
• Check in with pre-award support staff in your department or college for help. Areas of campus lacking pre-award support can request help here.
• Use Kuali to build the budget. It will pull in current salaries and fringe rates.
• Double check the indirect cost rate – consult the UMass Amherst Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, the on and off campus indirect cost rate determination procedure, sponsor guidelines, and the solicitation to determine the correct indirect cost rate.
• Include cost sharing only if required by the sponsor
• Finalize the budget prior to routing to the Office of Pre-Award Services (OPAS), a week ahead if possible. Keep last minute additions and changes to a minimum, as these can delay routing. In general, any changes made once the proposal has been logged in should be made in response to an OPAS review.
• Make sure the totals match across all documents – Kuali budget, sponsor forms, sponsor budget, and budget justification. After creating the budget and justification, always take one last look at the justification to ensure congruence with the budget. It is easy to miss one or more changes when making edits or adjusting the budget in response to reviewers’ comments.
• Provide back up documentation to show how costs were determined. Inclusion of these items will facilitate review of the proposal by the OPAS review team by helping confirm reasonableness of cost.