Preparation Exploration Negotiation Implementation
Researcher: I have no control over what my institution skims off the top. And quite frankly, your in-country costs seem extremely high as well.
Practitioner: The indirect cost recovery rates that you are proposing seem outrageous. Can't we negotiate?
Convergence: In truth, the base of application for the indirect cost rates is different for each institution, so when you take time to look at the absolute numbers you may not see much of a difference. INGOs: Recognize that you actually receive much more in terms of a researcher's time and access to a host of other graduate/undergraduate research assistants than your budget may reveal upon first glance. There is little room for negotiation if it is a US government grant, but if it is from INGO funds, for example, there may be room to negotiate, especially if the practitioner organization has a policy on acceptable levels of indirect costs.
Questions Researchers Can Ask:
If your organization does not have a NICRA, we would suggest that you budget for indirect costs using the 10% de minimis rate. Is this acceptable to you?
Questions Practitioners Can Ask:
Your university’s NICRA includes numerous indirect cost rates, some of which are considerably higher than what we are used to seeing. Do you have flexibility in choosing which indirect cost rate to include in your budget?
Questions Both Can Ask:
Does your organization have a NICRA? If so, can you share it with us?