Budgets and Budget Justifications

Proposal budgets and budget justifications are the financial road maps of sponsored projects.  When thoughtfully and strategically built they become an indispensable key to effective post-award management.  However, when those road maps are not constructed with a strong understanding of where one is going - or the real-world logistics of getting there - it can result in a high degree of post-award frustration.  Below are templates and resource links to help you build successful budgets and budget justifications. 

Questions?  Concerns? Contact the Client Advocacy & Education team.  We're here to help!

Templates

Budget Template Demonstration Video

Budget Justification Template

Within the budget and budget justification template an annual cost-of-living increase of 3% is assumed for salaries and a 3% escalation rate is assumed for all other categories except where noted.  These increases have been projected into all years of the budget template and are standard budgeting practice for Stanford sponsored projects.  Users may amend the pre-programmed escalation rate(s) to coincide with current Stanford University Budget Office planning assumptions and/or to reflect recent historical growth in costs.  Please note, the UBO's planning assumptions are used by the University Budget Office for planning purposes only and are subject to change. What may be appropriate at the university level may not be applicable at the school or department levels.

Helpful Links for Common Budget Categories

Personnel Costs

• OBI Financial Reporting Payroll and Labor Management (PLM) Reports
• Stanford Post doc Funding Guidelines
• ​Graduate Student Assistantship Salary Rates and Tuition Allowances

Fringe Benefits

• DoResearch- Stanford Rates 

Supplies

• Oracle Financials -> Stanford iProcurement - For supply quotes
• OBI Financial Reporting - For historical supply spending data

Travel

• Egencia - Stanford Travel's Online Booking Tool 
• gsa.gov - Per Diem Rates

Equipment

• Oracle Financials -> Stanford iProcurement - For equipment quotes
• California Partial Exemption for Sales & Use Taxes for Research & Development Equipment

California affords partial exemption from sales and use taxes at the rate of 3.9375 percent from January 1, 2017, to June 30, 2022 for research and development equipment purchases.  Qualifying purchases must pay the remaining state tax and local and district taxes.  Thus, the current (FY21) tax rate for research and development equipment purchases is 5.0625% in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

Facilities & Administrative Cost Rates

• DoResearch- Stanford Rates
• Dean of Research Pre-Approved indirect cost (IDC) exception list
• Project-specific IDC waiver