Can I request funds for secretarial salary on a federal grant?
Only if a substantial amount of the secretarial time (50 percent or more) is allocated only to the grant activity. OMB circular A-21 (Cost Principles for Educational institutions) states: “The salaries of administrative and clerical staff should normally be treated as indirect costs. Direct charging of these costs may be appropriate where a major project or activity explicitly budgets for administrative or clerical services and individuals involved can be specifically identified with the activity.
