Cost Sharing

  • A funding agency may require (i.e. mandatory) or recommend (i.e. voluntary) that the applicant organization commit to funding allowable expenses (i.e. personnel, tuition, equipment or services).
  • Review requirements of the funding opportunity announcement to determine:
    • Whether cost share commitment is required or voluntary; and
    • How the university’s commitment must be represented, for example
      • In a letter signed by an authorized institutional official (AO/AOR); and/or in the budget.
  • Departmental/Institutional approvals must be attached to the ePAWs record prior to proposal submission.
  • The various types of cost share are detailed in the Proposal Budget Basics presentation.
  • For ePAWs purposes, only committed cost share is tracked:
    • Mandatory Committed Cost Share:  Cost sharing required as a condition of the award which must be tracked and may require reporting. This type of cost sharing is required by the funding agency and must be included in the proposal.
    • Voluntary Committed Cost Share: Cost sharing specifically pledged by NU on a voluntary basis which is quantified in either the proposal budget and/or narrative and becomes a binding requirement on the award, must be tracked, and may require reporting.