FAQs

I am unsure if my accounts are government, non-government/private grants or gifts. How can I distinguish between the them for reporting purposes?

Can I use the same budget template from the previous year/quarter and just update certain details?

Where do I find the new fringe and overhead rates when creating a new budget?

A government grant seems to be calculating differently than what is written in the grant award, where can I confirm the overhead rate for an established sponsored research account?

Should I budget graduate students on my sponsored projects?

Should I include unfunded expenses, i.e. salaries on my grants if no awards are anticipated?

I am unsure if my accounts are non-government private grants or gifts. How can I distinguish between the two for reporting purposes?

Look up account detail within the Chart of Accounts in either FFE or DARTS. As a general rule, government grant sub ledger accounts begin with 5-xxxxx and non-government grants begin with 6-xxxxx or in some cases, a 7-xxxxx. Gifts also begin with a 6-xxxxx. For an expanded list of account subcode classifications, click here.

Can I use the same budget template from the previous year and/or quarter and just update certain details?

Yes, as long as the information is updated there is no need to recreate the spreadsheet from a blank page. Extra care should be given to delete projects that have ended in a previous year.

Where do I find the new fringe and overhead rates when creating a new budget?

Edie Miller, Assistant Director of Finance & Administration, will forward the fringe and overhead guidelines every December when issued by the Columbia University Office of Management and Budget or the Earth Institute. Department administrators can obtain a current copy by contacting the Financial Analyst.

A government grant seems to be calculating differently than what is written in the grant award. Where can I confirm the overhead rate for an established sponsored research account?

The overhead rate used for each award can be found on the Sponsored Project Budget Authorization (SPBA) for your award and should also be specified in the terms and conditions for the award. You can also find the rate for your awards in FFE, and for instructions on how to do so, click here.

Should I budget graduate students on my sponsored projects?

Only graduate students paid through a division’s grants should be budgeted. Students paid through the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DEES) should not be budgeted on LDEO grant accounts. If you are unsure if a student is going to be paid by Division project, funds please leave them out of your projection.

Should I include unfunded expenses (i.e. salaries) on my grants if no awards are anticipated?

A review is needed to plan for unfunded expenses and planned expenses should not be automatically applied to grants. Please contact the Finance Office for further information.