AOR (Authorized Organizational Representative) - the legal entity that is able to enter into a contract with the funder.  At MSU, the AOR is Leslie Schmidt, Associate Vice President of Research, Economic Development and Graduate Education, or OSP fiscal managers with her permission.

Budget Justification, AKA Budget Narrative – required with every proposal to explain in detail how the budget was derived and what the money will be used for. It explains what proposed funds are needed for (by category) and why, and how you derived the totals by category.                        

Contracted Services (Consulting) – Person or organization who provides a particular service to your project (e.g an evaluator, mentor, transcriptionist, editor, etc.).

 Deliverables - what you actually produce for or give the funder. (Also see “Outcomes & Outputs”)

 Direct Costs – All of your actual project costs (excludes Indirect Costs, hence the name).

 Endowment - principal fund large enough for programs/positions to be paid for out of the interest/dividends it makes.

 Equipment – a single item to be purchased (usually at $5,000 or more); for federal grants excluded from F&A calculations.  Computers and printers normally fall under “supplies.”

 Evaluation plan – program (formative) and outcomes (summative).

 F&A – Facilities & Administrative costs AKA  IDCs - Indirect Costs - Incurred for common or joint objectives and therefore cannot be identified readily and specifically with a particular sponsored project, an instructional activity, or any other institutional activity.  Most agencies allow F&A to be included in the grant as a percentage of “direct costs” (those costs identified specifically with the proposed project).  Percentage of IDCs allowed varies by agency, but MSU does have standard rates that apply when the funding agency does not specify a rate.  Examples: the lights, buildings, equipment, computer, paper, administrative personnel and costs, operations & maintenance, etc.

Human Subjects Protection - need to have clearance from the IRB if the project will conduct surveys or experiments with people.  Requirements for documentation vary by funder.

 Incentives – often provided to the “human subjects” of a research project as compensation for their time and effort.  These are included in Modified Total Direct Costs.  In the proposed budget they may appear under "Other direct costs" but in MSU grant accounting they are considered "Supplies."

IRB - Institutional Review Board reviews Human Subjects research to ensure individual rights protection.

 Logic Model – A systematic and visual way to present and share your understanding of the relationships among the resources you have to operate your program, the activities you plan, and the changes or results you hope to achieve.  A logic model provides a picture of how you believe your program will work.

 LOI – Letter of Intent, or Letter of Inquiry, required or requested by some funding programs. Letter of Intent required for EHHD grant submissions if you are a PI, Co-PI or Co-Investigator.

 Match – A funder may require that you match their money with other resources.  This can be another fund or monetary donations, or in-kind donations – volunteer time, use of a computer, etc.  Under MSU audit rules, you may not ever list “match” figures in a budget unless the funder specifically requires it, even it might assist the competitiveness of your proposal.

 Modified Total Direct Costs – Total Direct Costs minus the costs of participant support, equipment, or tuition/fees.

Participant Support – funds that will be used to underwrite the costs of meeting/event participants.  Also generally included in this category are any tuition expenditures. 

 Per Diem – daily meal costs as allowed by the State of Montana (in-state rate is shown on OSP Information Sheet).  You buy your own meals, and then you are reimbursed a per diem (which may not cover all your costs) by the day that you’re traveling, pro-rated for 1, 2 or all 3 meals.

PD – Project Director

PI - Principal Investigator – person responsible for carrying out activities, expending funds, and reporting on outputs and outcomes.

 RFP - Request for Proposals, AKA, CFP – Call for Proposals; RFA – Request for Applications; PA – Program Announcement.  Other terms may be used by different funders: BAA (Broad Agency Announcement); NOFA (Notice of Funding Opportunity)

 Senior Personnel – AKA “Key Persons” these are co-investigators, co-directors and the like.

 Subaward – AKA Subcontract - a fixed (often annual) contract made to another organization or institution responsible for a full component of a project (distinguished from contracted services which are provided directly to you according to the terms and needs you specify which may be variable over time).  A subcontractor can earn IDCs on their portion of the budget, and they likely employ more than one person working on the project, as well as funding their personnel’s travel and other project costs.  Usually a subaward budget form mimics the primary budget form and is differentiated simply by checking the “subaward” box.