Research Grant Budget Calculator

A research grant budget is a detailed financial plan estimating all costs required to carry out a research project. It includes direct costs (personnel, equipment, supplies, travel) and indirect costs (F&A overhead). Funding agencies like NIH and NSF require comprehensive budgets that justify every line item to demonstrate that the requested funds are appropriate, necessary, and reasonable.

F&A stands for Facilities and Administrative costs, also called overhead or indirect costs. They cover institutional expenses not directly tied to the project, such as building maintenance, utilities, and administration. They are calculated by multiplying your institution's negotiated F&A rate by the applicable cost base (commonly MTDC — Modified Total Direct Costs, which excludes equipment over $5,000, tuition, and subcontract amounts over $25,000).

MTDC (Modified Total Direct Costs) is the most common base for federal grants and excludes major equipment (>$5,000 per item), capital expenditures, patient care costs, tuition remission, and the portion of subcontract costs over $25,000. TDC (Total Direct Costs) applies the F&A rate to all direct costs with no exclusions, which generally results in higher indirect cost amounts.

Personnel costs typically include salaries and wages for the Principal Investigator (based on effort percentage), co-investigators, postdoctoral researchers, research staff, and graduate student stipends. You must also add fringe benefits (health insurance, retirement, payroll taxes) as a percentage on top of salaries. Graduate student tuition remission is often listed separately and may be excluded from the MTDC base.

Your budget justification should explain every line item — why it is needed, how the cost was calculated, and how it directly supports your research objectives. Reviewers look for reasonable and well-documented costs. For personnel, include name/role, effort percentage, and salary basis. For equipment, cite vendor quotes or published prices. Agencies like NIH and NSF scrutinize justifications closely, so vague or unsupported costs can reduce your funding chances.

Minor rebudgeting between categories is generally allowed during the grant period without agency approval, up to a threshold (often 25% of the total award). Significant changes — such as adding new equipment, changing the scope, or moving funds across major budget categories — typically require prior approval from the funding agency's grants management officer.

Yes — many funding agencies, including NIH and Horizon Europe, require or strongly encourage open-access publication of research results and allow you to budget for article processing charges (APCs). Include estimated publication fees under 'Other Direct Costs' and justify them in your budget narrative. NIH's public access policy and the NSF open data requirements make these costs not only acceptable but often expected.

For multi-year grants, estimate costs for each project year separately. Apply an annual escalation rate (typically 2–4%) to salaries and supplies to account for inflation. Equipment purchases are usually budgeted in Year 1 only. Some agencies require a detailed budget for each year plus a summary budget for the entire project period. This calculator provides an annual schedule so you can review year-by-year allocations.