The Office of the Vice President for Research now hosts a webpage with frequently asked questions about Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs. 

F&A costs, also known as indirect costs or institutional overhead, are expenses that support the overall infrastructure and administration of research projects. 

The new webpage shares information about how the university determines the F&A rate, which involves extensive calculation and formal negotiation with the federal government. The page also includes details about how the university distributes F&A across the institution. 

“We hope that this new resource will improve transparency about how F&A reimbursements help cover the costs of shared services, including utility costs, maintenance and depreciation of buildings and equipment, libraries, departmental and central administration of grants, and much more,” said Jennifer Lassner, associate vice president for research. “Although these reimbursements help cover the institution’s costs in supporting research activities, unfortunately, they do not cover the entire cost of conducting research.”