Unless required or specified in the solicitation guidelines, cost sharing is not required or recommended on most proposals to federal agencies. All cost sharing requests included in a proposal need ADVANCE approval from the Engineering Dean’s Office.
Cost share requests must be submitted by the PI to the Engineering Dean. Cost sharing must also be reflected in the Dean’s PC Form during the internal routing and approval process.
Below are examples of acceptable and unacceptable cost sharing.
Allowed/Acceptable
- Academic salary
- Support staff
- Equipment
- Reduced/waived fees on shared facilities
- Overhead (when agency requires lower rate)
- Actual money committed (Dean’s Office, Chancellor, Department)
- Conference grants/symposiums
- Registration fees, participant costs, housing for symposiums, conference grants, etc.
- Refreshments (in conjunction with the specific purpose of the announcements, symposiums/conferences)
Unallowed
- Tuition
Engineering proposals with cost share must also adhere to the Washington University guidance on Cost Sharing and that of the sponsor.
WU Guidance on Cost Share
See guidance from Washington University Sponsored Projects Accounting on cost sharing principals.
(Federal) Uniform Guidance 200.306 on Cost Share
Visit the federal regulations outlining basic cost share principals.