POLICY
The mission of Northwest Biosolids (NWB) is to advance environmental sustainability through the beneficial use of biosolids. One of the leading means of achieving this goal is through collaboration with research institutions, individuals and affiliated organizations. Each year, NWB allocates funds for projects that validate the benefits of biosolids as a renewable resource and highly valued soil amendment. Projects can be limited in scope or time, but may also extend to multi-year funding.
NWB recognizes that undertaking research of this nature is more than just the direct costs of the work itself. In the context of research b grants, indirect costs are expenses that support the research enterprise as a whole but may not be tied to a specific project. These costs are allocated to be sponsored projects to cover institutional expenses like utilities, library resources, and administrativebsupport. Indirect costs may provide a source of funding for reinvesting in infrastructure, which supports the academic pursuits of applicable research faculty and staff.
Indirect costs, also known as overhead or facilities and administrative (F&A) costs, may include:
• Facility utilities and maintenance of equipment
• Library resources
• Administrative support (accounting, grants management, IT services, etc.)
• Compliance support (e.g., state and/or federal regulatory requirements)
NWB pays the institutions or organizations for indirect costs in addition to the direct costs as part of a grant or contract award. While this rate is typically a percentage of the total cost of a project, this rate can also be a fixed amount depending on the type of project or overall costs of the specific research.
NWB has established an indirect cost rate of 25% of the total grant funding amount, or less if allowed by the recipient.
Project funding requests with a higher rate may not be prioritized and may be subject to additional review including supporting documentation prior to any grant award consideration.