Participant Support Costs (PSC) Grids

General Information about the PSC Budget Category

This budget category is usually considered a special category of Travel, and refers to costs of transportation, per diem, stipends and other related costs for participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences, meetings, symposia, training activities and workshops.  In order for Travel to qualify as PSC, the sole purpose of the trip must be to participate in an official meeting, conference, or symposium.

Indirect Costs and UCAR Fee are generally not allowed on Participant Support Costs, and so are not applied to entries on the PSC Budget Grids. 

Make sure that what you enter here actually meets the qualifications for PSC, as costs awarded as PSC but expensed as non-PSC may incurr unbudgeted Indirect charges.  PSC funds awarded under the PSC category may not be used for other expense categories without the specific prior written approval of the sponsoring agency, and may require formal reprogramming of the award budget.

For UCAR PSC guidance, see PSC Guidelines: http://www.fin.ucar.edu/guide/psc.html.

For detailed PSC requirements, see the NSF Proposal Guide:  http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf11001/gpg_2.jsp#IIC2gv

See also OMB A-122 (Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations)

PSC Budget Grids

Enter costs either with Detail or with No Detail

Detailed PSC Budgets:

   [screen shot of PSC Detail Budget Grid]

Detail Grid Budget Categories

• Purpose of Trip
• Destination
• Foreign (Y/N)
• Apply Inflation (Y/N)
• Apply Inflation to First Period (Y/N)
• Apply Indirects (option N/A)
• Indirect Type (MTDC vs UCP Offsite MTDC) (why is this an option??)
• Airfare
• Lodging - Number of Nights/Person
• Lodging - Rate/Night
• Per Diem - Number of Full Days (day of departure and day of return are calculated at 75% of daily PD rate)
• Ground Transportation
• Mileage - Number of Miles
• Mileage - Current Rate (why is this an option?)
• Registration Fee
• Rental Car - Number of Days
• Rental Car - Rate/Day
• Other (Honoraria, Stipends, etc.)

No Detail PSC Budgets

Requires only a  Cost Type, Description, and Dollar Amount

Cost Types

• None
• Honorarium*
• Other
• Stipend*
• Subsistence

Stipends and honoraria are payment methods for different types of services rendered on a project.  They are written into proposal budgets and, if allowable, are itemized in the budget in the award notification.  They may not be paid to employees.

Honoraria (may be considered a type of Stipend) is this true?

• Are paid to a person for their services such as presentations or lectures related to a project, or payment to a guest speaker at a conference to cover their travel, accommodation, or preparation time.
• Are issued in a single, one-time payment
• Honoraria may be taxed

Stipends

• Is usually an allowance to offset certain expenses (such as subsistence or travel);
• Are used for training and educational purposes related to a project
• Are not used to pay for work or services performed (i.e. presentations, workshop facilitators, etc.)
• May be issued in multiple payments

*Criteria for Honoraria or Stipends :

• Must be in association with an official meeting, symposium, training activity, or conference
• If above condition is not met, Honoraria must be entered as Purchased Services
• If above condition is met, does not have to be in conjunction with Travel
• Participation via ReadyTalk or Go To Meeting costs are allowable as PSC if above conditions are met

Subsistence Expenses (see UCARpolicy for travel reimbursement www.fin.ucar.edu/polpro/)

• Lodging
• Meals & Incidental Expenses (Per Diem)

The number of participants must be included on the proposal budget.

Both Detail and Non Detail provide space for "Notes for Budget Justification"