Cost Sharing

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The Ohio State University College of Engineering has allocated funds for cost sharing support of certain research grants. The purpose of cost-sharing is to enable the faculty to compete for external research awards. In the college of engineering funding for cost share is available in three distinct forms: large equipment cost share, equipment cost share and general cost share in support of federal, certain state and foundation proposals.

Historical Cost Share requests with OBOR Support:

The Ohio Board of Regents Action Fund is a program for leveraging University funding with State matching funds on proposals submitted to Federal Sponsors that include the need for large / high-dollar value equipment and systems purchases. The university defined large equipment as equipment (or systems which require the purchase of smaller components when combined together comprised a complete system) with an acquisition value over $250,000.00.

However, due to modest appropriations to the OBOR Action Fund the continued availability of these funds beyond FY 06 are in question. As such the University has instituted a policy in October 2005 which will allow us to still use the Action Fund as a potential matching funds source without over committing the university should the Board of Regents funding become unavailable.

Large Equipment Cost Share (purchases of > $400,000)

The new funding ratio under the revised college policy is as follows:

Large Equipment Cost Share Submission Process

NOTE all steps (under item 1) must be completed or the proposed effort runs the risk of significant delays.

1. PI submits the large equipment cost-share request along with the request letter to the Associate Dean for Research, which shall include the following information and an attached budget:
   1. A brief justification for cost share, which answers the following questions. (Maximum 1 page)
      1. The funding agency or sponsor where the proposal will be submitted
      2. Does the sponsor require cost-sharing explicitly? If not, is it expected?
      3. If cost share is required or expected, what percent of the total budget is expected to be cost-shared or what is the going rate for funded proposals of the same scope from that agency?
      4. What are the specific benefits to the department and/or college relating to this proposal?
      5. Total amount of cost sharing being requested and the total cost share from other sources (you must list other sources).
      6. List participating departments, principle investigator (PI), co-PI(s), and other participating faculty and indicate how they will be splitting departmental cost.
   2. Draft budget and project duration (number of years). You must use the templates used by EES proposal coordinators. The budget should show all cost of the direct cost (if applicable) in all budget categories. The cost share should be subdivided in two categories (a) Cost Share with OBOR support b) Cost Share without OBOR support - see below). If this is part of a larger proposal, include information about student support, tuition, faculty summer salary, release time, equipment, and materials and supplies.
   3. ALL request are to be submitted electronically to the Associate Dean for Research. Please use the heading Large Equipment Cost-Share Request in the subject line.
2. After college acceptance the Associate Dean for Research will submit the letter to the Office of Research (currently Fleda Anderson). A separate cost-share letter that will be sent, by the College, to the Office of Research showing two components; a) Cost Share with OBOR support b) Cost Share without OBOR support. See attached form letter.
3. Upon approval from the Office of Research the PI enters proposal on Board of Regents Web site. The PI will then let the Office of Research (OR) know when the proposal is entered and OR will review and approve it.
4. The Office of Research will notify the OBOR that a proposal is waiting in the queue and that the PI would appreciate a support letter at their earliest convenience or by a date that is in line with current OBOR processing (currently 2 weeks).
5. If the OBOR finds all information in order, they will issue a support letter that the Office of Research will forward to the PI with copy to EES.

All Action Fund requests are submitted to the Regents via the office of research on behalf of OSU. Requests for these funds must be presented to the Office of Research least 15 working days prior to the sponsoring agency's published deadline for receipt of proposals to ensure a proper amount of time for review and processing of the request by the Regents. Last minute requests, especially if they involve significant amounts of cost sharing and/or multiple departments or colleges run the risk of not being funded.

If the equipment purchase in question qualifies for OBOR Action funds and these funds are not applied for by the PI, the office of research will not provide its support in cost sharing against the proposed effort. The OSU split is shared equally between the Office of Research, the college of engineering and the department of the Principle Investigator (PI). In the case that the research is interdisciplinary, the departments of the Co-PI's can also participate based on the level of participation of the co-investigator. This is not a requirement however and it is left up to the individual departments to resolve cost share splits for interdisciplinary research.

Equipment Cost Share (purchases of < $400,000)

General Cost Share

There may be proposed projects where equipment cost may not be necessary but cost share may still be required or strongly encouraged. In these cases the cost share (C/S) will be determined on an individual basis based on the requirements of the funding agency. In these cases PI's are first expected to approach their department chair or center director for funds already available to the department in order to meet these sponsor requirements (i.e. release time, summer salary, departmental support such as technicians, and tuition and fees for GRA's / GAA's).

General and Equipment Cost Share Request (i.e. Not Large Equipment Cost Share)

In making requests for cost-sharing on research proposals, the College of Engineering requires certain information to evaluate the request against College of Engineering (COE) priorities and other cost-sharing requests. Applications should be made at least TWO weeks before the proposal submission deadline to provide adequate time to review/evaluate the request. Last minute requests, especially if they involve significant amounts of cost sharing and/or multiple departments or colleges run the risk of not being funded. All requests for cost-sharing should include a brief description (maximum 1 page) of the proposal (Project Summary or Abstract) and the following information:

1. PI submits the large equipment cost-share request along with the request letter to the Associate Dean for Research, which shall include the following information and an attached budget:
   1. A brief justification for cost share, which answers the following questions. (Maximum 1 page)
   2. The funding agency or sponsor where the proposal will be submitted.
   3. Does the sponsor require cost-sharing explicitly? If not, is it expected?
   4. If cost share is required or expected, what percent of the total budget is expected to be cost-shared or what is the going rate for funded proposals of the same scope from that agency?
   5. What are the specific benefits to the department and/or college relating to this proposal?
   6. Total amount of cost sharing being requested and the total cost share from other sources (you must list other sources).
   7. List participating departments, principle investigator (PI), co-PI(s), and other participating faculty and indicate how they will be splitting departmental cost.
2. Draft budget and project duration (number of years). You must use the templates used by EES proposal coordinators. The budget should show all cost of the direct cost (if applicable) in all budget categories. The cost share should be subdivided in two categories (a) Cost Share with OBOR support b) Cost Share without OBOR support - see below). If this is part of a larger proposal, include information about student support, tuition, faculty summer salary, release time, equipment, and materials and supplies.
3. ALL request are to be submitted electronically to the Associate Dean for Research. Please use the heading Cost-Share Request in the subject line.

Cost Share Evaluation

1st priority: Cost-sharing is required by the funding agency. 2nd priority: Cost-sharing is not explicitly required, but is strongly recommended or encouraged by the agency or program manager, as evidenced by the cost-sharing levels of successful grants in the same program. 3rd priority: All other requests

Eligibility

• Principal investigators must be full-time faculty members or Research Scientists of The Ohio State University, with appointments within the College of Engineering (COE). If the proposal includes PI's from other colleges, the COE cost share will only be provided in proportion to the % expenditure credit indicated for COE PIs on the PA005 form.
• Cost share requests made after the proposal is submitted will NOT be considered.
• In order for a PI to be eligible for cost-share from the College it is expected that the home department of the PI will financially participate in the cost sharing arrangement.

Additional Considerations

An additional priority in each of the categories in the cost share evaluation section will be given to:

1. Proposals to federal funding agencies
2. Interdisciplinary research proposals
3. Proposals in which cost share requirements are imposed by the external funding agency.
4. Faculty members who have not received cost-share funds in recent years
5. Junior faculty members
6. Proposals that fall within the strategic research thrust of the College of Engineering
7. Faculty members who are rebuilding their research programs after 2 years or more of research inactivity.

The College of Engineering does not provide for Cost Sharing on projects that qualify for return of indirect cost to the department and PI (i.e. industrially funded efforts and certain state funded efforts). Cost sharing provided to sponsors of these types of efforts is strongly discouraged by the college. As such any cost sharing provided under these class of efforts are the sole responsibility of the PI and his/her home department/org, the College will not participate in any such cost sharing provided under these types of proposals.

For specifics on TREP funding please refer to the TREP guidelines.