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Consortium Justification  |  Additional Narrative Justification

Generally, you must use the Modular Budget form at if you are applying for less than $250,000 in direct costs. Modular budgets are simplified; therefore, detailed categorical information is not to be submitted with the application.

The Modular Grant concept establishes specific modules or increments in which direct costs must be requested, as well as a maximum level for requested budgets of $250,000 direct costs per year (excluding any consortium F&A costs). Application directions should be reviewed for specific modular instructions.

For all modular budgets, request total direct costs (in modules of $25,000), reflecting appropriate support for the project. A typical modular grant application will request the same number of modules in each budget period. 

Note on Subawards/Consortiums: If you have a subaward/consortium, only their direct costs should be included as part of the $250,000 limit. All indirect costs (F&A) are added to the overall amount requested and do not count towards the budget limit (there are some exceptions to this - the FoA will give details).

NIH Guidance:

• NIH Application Guide - Modular Budget
• Write Your Application - Developing Your Budget - Modular
• More Info - Modular Budget FAQ

Budget (Personnel) Justification:

The "Personnel Justification" attachment is required. Attach only one file.

There are no page or word limits for this section

• List all personnel, including names, percent effort (use the Person Months metric), and roles on the project.
• Do not provide individual salary information in the justification.
• Use the current legislatively imposed salary limitation when estimating the number of modules. 
  

Consortium Justification:

If you have a subaward/consortium as part of your modular application then a separate Consortium Justification must be included. 

There are no page or word limits for this section

• Provide an estimate of total consortium/subaward costs (direct costs plus indirect [F&A] costs) for each budget period, rounded to the nearest $1,000.
• List the individuals/organizations with whom consortium or contractual arrangements have been made and indicate whether the collaborating institution is foreign or domestic.
• List all personnel, including names, percent effort (use the Person Months metric), and roles on the project. Do not provide individual salary information. 
  

Additional Narrative Justification:

If the requested budget requires any additional justification (e.g., variations in the number of modules requested), include that information in the Additional Narrative Justification attachment. If you have a quote(s), you may include it here. There are no page or word limits for this section

• Additional justification should include explanations for any variations in the number of modules requested annually.
• You can also use this section to describe any direct costs that were excluded from the total direct costs (such as equipment, tuition remission) and any work being conducted off-site, especially if it involves a foreign study site or an off-site F&A rate.
• Note: The Additional Narrative Justification is not needed in applications to FOAs with direct cost limits that do not spread evenly across budget periods (e.g., R21 FOAs that allow $275,000 in direct costs over two years). 
  

Examples and Templates: 

• Template - Budget Worksheet (.xlsx) V10-5 Updated Jan 2024
  Always use the detailed budget spreadsheet to calculate your actual costs before deciding how many modules are needed.
• Template - Modular Budget Justification (.docx) V1.5 Updated Feb 2023
• Template - Modular Budget Additional Narrative (docx) V1.0 Updated Feb 2023
• Template - Consortium Modular Budget Justification (.docx) V1.2 Updated Feb 2023
• NIH Example - Modular Budget Sample - fixed modules
• NIH Example - Modular Budget Sample - variable modules