Are there exceptions to using the institutional negotiated F&A rate?

Question

Are there exceptions to using the institutional negotiated F&A rate?

Answer

There are certain circumstances under which the institution may elect to accept a reduced F&A rate. Some examples of these circumstances follow:

  • Statutory Limitation: Certain federal grant programs such as federal training and fellowship grants may be limited by law as to the amount of F&A allowed to be charged.
  • Published Sponsor Policy or Program Solicitation Requirement: Some sponsors like non-profits and foundations will limit the F&A rate they are willing to pay. The institution reserves the right to review any published F&A limitation to ensure the limited rate is consistent with our institutional practices for that class of sponsor.
  • Institutional Practice: The institution has established precedence through institutional practice for accepting a lower rate of F&A for some sponsors.

The approved institutional exceptions are available on SPA’s Rate page.