Navigate: Advanced Budgeting - Task-Based/Hourly Budgets

Target Audience

The Navigate: Advanced Budgeting - Task-Based/Hourly Budgets course is recommended for intermediate research administrators:

• with approximately two or more years of on-the-job experience;
• who have been exposed to and regularly produce basic budgets for sponsored research proposals;
• are familiar with various appointment types included in sponsored project budgets, including faculty (U-year and 12-month), staff, and graduate students;
• are familiar with how to calculate common budget elements including indirect costs and modified total direct costs (MTDC).

Course Content

This course is part of a series that exposes the learner to more advanced budgeting topics than those found in Fundamentals or Budgeting Basics. It is designed to provide immersive complex budget development and preparation training to the learner actively engaged in research administration on the job.

From class demonstrations and modeling, participants will then apply budget techniques to build their own budgets (including justifications), with more complex elements and attributes. Budgets will represent a variety of budget types and sponsors. The learner will participate in class walk-through demonstrations, discussion of budget-building and problem-solving strategies typical in the context of proposal submission, and then work through reinforcing budget development homework assignments.

Each learning experience will include laboratory assistance and in-class debrief discussion. By the end of this course, learners will master the building of two moderately complex budgets and will keep the step-by-step documentation and Excel templates for use in developing similar budgets in their own positions. Budget attributes in this course include: 

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) (2-year, $315K) and Department of Transportation (DoT) (multi-year, < $1M) budgets for sponsors with mixed effort/appointments in budgets including 12-month, U-Year, and pool (with SVH) appointments;
• multiple methods of fringe rate calculation based on sponsor requirements and appointment types;
• conversion of effort from percent (%) effort to loaded labor hour(s);
• loaded labor rates included on a task-based, multi-year budget with a base budget period and option years; and,
• simple cost sharing.

Additionally, participants will receive reinforcement and practice in multiple appointment types, including:

• University-year (U-year)
• 12-month
• Graduate Student Research Assistants (GSRAs)
• Temp Hourly
• Building loaded labor hour budgets for task-based submissions
• Orientation to nuances of Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Transportation (DoT) submissions
• Tips and tricks for participation from faculty in developing and planning for complex budgets

Training Schedule

Dates/Times: ​

• Day 1: TBD 
  Time:  8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
   
• Day 2: TBD
  Time:  8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Location: Wolverine Tower 

Application and Requirements

Attendees for this course need to submit an application. The course design team members will evaluate readiness for participation in class discussions, budget building exercises and homework. Attendance is mandatory at all sessions since full completion of the course includes demonstration, homework, and review, "lab" time with instructors will be included. The course schedule is as follows:

Prerequisites

Students should have experience preparing general budgets for sponsored research in their current U-M positions, with approximately two or more years of on-the-job experience. In addition, participants should have completed the Navigate: Fundamentals course, Budgeting Basics, former RAIN modules, or equivalent coursework focused on budget preparation for sponsored research.

How to Apply

The application process is now closed. 

• There will be a limit of 20 participants.

Supervisor Requirements

• Ensure the applicant/participant will be permitted time to attend all class sessions.
• Support the participant with tasks assigned between sessions, including in-person meetings as necessary.
• Participate in training evaluations.

Selected Participant Requirements

• Attend all class sessions.
• Complete all assignments.
• Participate in program evaluations.
• Bring a fully-charged laptop to each day of class.

Selection Process

• Applications will be reviewed by the Navigate Training Team to ensure completeness.
• The Navigate Team and Design Team will review applications and select participants.
• Applicants will receive a confirmation email to let them know whether they have been selected.
• Up to 20 participants will be selected to attend this Navigate: Advanced Budgeting course.

Course Fee

The course fee is temporarily waived.

Course Resources / Materials

• Canvas (canvas.umich.edu) will be used to store documents (presentations, job aids, handouts, templates), hold discussions, and post homework materials/assignments (when applicable).
• All session materials will be provided.
• Participants should bring a fully charged laptop to each day of class.