•    Begin planning the budget when the first draft of the proposal text is completed. For those interested in drafting an informal budget to estimate grant expenses, contact the Manager of Grant Relations ([email protected]) for the University College, Penn State Abington and Penn State Great Valley.
  •    Keep the Finance Officer and Chief Academic Officer informed of budget content
    •    Will matching funds or release from teaching be required?
    •    Will a university match be needed? If yes, Chief Academic Officer will need to know in order to secure that match.
  •    Identify for each year of the project (unless considered unallowable, as per the RFP):
    •    Estimate of project effort for Principal Investigator (PI) and other project personnel (percentage of time to be spent on project during the grant period).
    •    Supplies and equipment, if needed (cost breakdowns or prices will be needed).
    •    Travel, if needed (including destination, number of days, and purpose of trip).
    •    Matches required from campus, college, or university.
    •    Reasonable and accurate costs. Project budget should never be inflated based on the assumption the funder might cut the budget.
    •    Budget for each proposal subcontractor.
      •    Include a plan of work and contact information from each subcontractor
        • Explain in detail what work will be performed
        • Verify that the budget items match the staffing and activities discussed in the narrative
      •    Contact the Manager of College Grant Relations for assistance if needed.
  •    Send budget items to the Manager of College Grant Relations at least three weeks before proposal is due for processing and submission to the agency or foundation.
IMPORTANT REMINDER:
The Budget must match the staffing and activities discussed in the narrative. Inconsistency between the proposal and the budget is a significant cause of proposal rejection.