NIH Templates and Boilerplates

Use the following IDC cost worksheet forms for budgets that begin on or after July 1, 2021 (FY 2022):

The Research Service Core (RSC) has developed a very helpful NIH Budget Template to assist you with your budget that can be accessed via Research 360. Research 360 is a web-based, one-stop shop for research administration tools developed by the Research Service Core. It is a dashboard system that reports on Pre and Post Award research administration activities, tracks workloads, and provides dashboard-style analytical reports. The NIH Budget Template can be found on the top menu, right under the link icon:

• UC-VA Worksheet 2022 (Excel)

• School of Medicine PHS 398 (PDF)* 
• Skaggs School of Pharmacy PHS 398 (PDF)*
• HW School of Public Health PHS 398 (PDF)*​

• School of Medicine PHS2590 A (PDF)*
• Skaggs PHS2590 A (PDF)*
• HW School of Public Heath PHS2590 A (PDF)​*

• PHS 395 walk-through (PDF)*
• PHS 2590 walk-through (PDF)
  
  

Please see our detailed Biosketches page. This page includes the history and background on the recent updates to Other Support; PDFs and videos of recent training sessions; a walk-through of an example of a Biosketch; and other local and NIH resources. 

• Biosketch Form Page Overview
• Biosketch Form Pages:
  
  •  New Non-Fellowship Form Page (Word) 
  •  New Fellowship Form Page (Word)
• Instructions: New Biosketch Form Page (Word)
• Biosketch FAQs

Please see our detailed Other Support page. This page includes the history and background on the recent updates to Other Support; PDFs and videos of recent training sessions; a walk-through of an example of Other Support; and local and NIH resources. 

• Other Support Form Page Overview
• Other Support Form Pages: New Other Support Form Page(Word)
• Instructions: New Other Support Form Page(Word) 
• Other Support, Foreign Components, and FCOI FAQs

Some agencies' FOAs, including some of NIH's NOSIs, are requiring an institutional letter stating that regardless of COVID-19-related lab closures, research on COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 will still be allowed to proceed. UC San Diego has created a template letter (Word) that can be used with these types of research applications.

Discrimination and Sexual Harassment & Violence: 

The University of California is committed to ensure that proper policies, procedures, and oversight are in place to prevent discriminatory harassment and other discriminatory practices. Sponsors often require that the University provide assurances that policies and practices are in place to protect those engaged in a sponsored research project. This page provides links to the University's policies as well as specific sponsor requirements that may come into play when negotiating a research agreement.

RPAC has secured a letter from UC Provost Michael Brown to meet the new requirement for institutional training grant applications found in NIH Notice Number NOT-OD-19-029. This letter is to be used in all Institutional Training Grants (PDF).

Additionally, RPAC has created a new page that will house additional information and resources on discrimination and sexual harassment in research agreements. 

The University of California, San Diego is fully accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International (AAALAC), and holds an approved NIH Assurance and USDA License.

There are currently approximately 204,000 square feet of animal facilities at 32 locations. Support includes quarantine rooms, sterile operating rooms, post surgical recovery rooms, radiology and diagnostic laboratory services.

There is a farm facility that provides indoor and outdoor housing for farm animals and other species. Veterinary care is provided on a 24 hour basis, including weekends and holidays, by a staff comprised of veterinarians and animal health technicians. Research support services include training classes, seminars and wet labs offered throughout the year.

UCSD Vertebrate Animal Facilities

Budget: Go to Composite Benefit Rates (CBRs) for how to apply CBR - Planning Rates.

Budget Justification
The budget justification for fringe benefits should include a general statement such as: "Fringe benefits are calculated using the current planning Composite Benefit Rates (CBR) in effect for the UC San Diego. CBRs are reviewed and approved by UC San Diego’s cognizant Federal agency, the Department of Health and Human Services."

Cloud Computing Services (research storage, managed services and cloud services) from Information Technology Services (ITS) or San Diego Super Computer (SDSC), or through direct contracts with Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure via Marketplace, will be exempt from the application of the indirect costs when acquired to support extramurally funded research (effective July 1, 2017). 

Here are the SDSC services that fall under this exemption waiver: 

• SDSC Cloud storage 
• Commvault 
• Project Storage 
• Triton Shared Computing Cluster (TSCC) 

• RPPR G.9 FOREIGN COMPONENT Example Language (Word)
• RPPR G.9 FOREIGN COMPONENT Example Language (PDF)

R&R Other Project Information Form: Item 6: Does this project involve activities outside of the United States or partnerships with international collaborators? Indicate whether this project involves activities outside of the United States or partnerships with international collaborators. Check "Yes" or "No." If Yes, list the country(ies) as well as you are required to upload a Foreign Justification under Item 12: Other Attachments. 

Justification under Item 12: Other Attachments 

• The Foreign Justification should "[d]escribe special resources or characteristics of the research project (e.g., human subjects, animals, disease, equipment, and techniques), including the reasons why the facilities or other aspects of the proposed project are more appropriate than a domestic setting. In the body of the text, begin the section with a heading indicating "Foreign Justification" and name the [PDF] file "Foreign Justification.“
• The Foreign Justification example language below can be used when your project involves collaborations with foreign experts that could result in co-authored publications in the future.
  
  •  Foreign Justification Example Language (Word)
  •  Foreign Justification Example Language (PDF)

IRB congruency is the responsibility of the PI.  The PI must send an email to the Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) Officer where they confirm the appropriate IRB Protocol #(s). Once the SPO has received the protocol #(s) and email, they can then verify the approval and dates in Kuali Protocols. 

Email language:

• "I confirm this/these IRB approval(s) is/are associated with this application/grant. This/these protocol(s) represents the research being performed in this application/grant."

Budget Line Item: HS-TSC (Health Sciences Technology Services Charge) $$$$

Budget Justification:

UC San Diego Health Information Services costs have been included to reflect costs associated with the increased level of security required for all personnel within UC San Diego Health, which includes UC San Diego School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, and the hospitals and clinics. These charges are directly attributable and proportionally applied to the individual(s) included in the proposed budget for the project.

To be used in the detailed budget justification:

UC San Diego Health Information Services (IS) provides mandatory Information Technology Services to all Health Sciences faculty and investigators, including costs associated with the increased level of security required for all personnel within UC San Diego Health, which includes UC San Diego School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, and the hospitals and clinics. To mitigate the specific risk profile of this highly connected environment, UC San Diego Health Information Services ensures that all PIs to who IS provides services, whether they directly access patient information or not, operate in a highly secure desktop, application, and server environment with dedicated and highly trained support. Charges are based on the percent of FTE working on a grant and are charged on a monthly basis.

These costs are not included in the campus' Facilities & Administration (F&A) rate as an indirect cost. UC San Diego auditors have determined that it is both equitable and consistent with the OMB Circular 2 CFR 200 provisions on cost allocability that the costs be assigned to FTE on grant and contract funds. Accordingly, an allocable portion of these Technology Services costs is included in this proposal as direct project costs.

For questions about the Health Sciences Technology Services Charge please contact Andrew Greaves as well as see our page on Health Sciences Technology Services Charge that includes the current rate and inflation rate for the out years.

Budget justification, option 1: UC San Diego's F&A rate agreement was signed on May 23, 2018 by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Our current rate for FY 2022 is 58.00%, until amended.

Budget Justification, Option 2: UC San Diego's indirect costs are calculated based on Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) as defined in 2 CFR Part 200.68 using Facilities and Administration (F&A) rates approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). MTDC is comprised of total direct costs less capital equipment, alterations and renovations, patient care costs, off-campus rent, tuition and fee remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs, costs associated with cloud/shared computing services, and that portion of subcontract costs in excess of $25,000. Additionally, the total amount of subawards to other UC campuses are excluded. Proration is based on the number of days at the applicable rate.

Budget line item: NGN Charge (Next Generation Network)
$$$$

Budget justification:
UC San Diego Information and Technology Services (ITS) charges a flat per month fee for services to provide state-of-the-art technology infrastructure and services to the campus community. These charges are directly attributable and proportionally applied for the individual(s) included in the proposed budget on the project. These costs are not included in the campus' Facilities & Administration (F&A) rate as an indirect cost. UC San Diego auditors have determined that it is both equitable and consistent with the OMB Circular 2 CFR 200 provisions on cost allocability that the costs be assigned to FTE on grant and contract funds. Accordingly, an allocable portion of these NGN costs are included in this budget as direct project costs.

For applications due to NIH on or after January 25, 2023, go to the UC San Diego Library for information on the new DMS Policy as well as information and tools (like the free DMPTool) you can use to create your DMS Plan. You can also check out NIH's site for the DMS Plan as well as sign up for updates from NIH.

Question: Does the NIH award mechanism/activity code you are planning to submit an application to require a Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan? Check this handy list to see if it is required or not!