What is a “reasonable” budget for a Mendenhall postdoctoral project?
Application packages are evaluated based on four criteria detailed below. One of these covers budget and facilities. This factor considers the proposed budget—if it is commensurate with the level of effort and reasonable with respect to the value of anticipated results. This factor also considers the availability of necessary facilities at the USGS or proposed arrangements for access to required facilities elsewhere. Salary, benefits, and overhead are included with each Mendenhall assignment. The budget request part of the application should cover anticipated operating expenses—for fieldwork, access to specialized equipment, conference travel, publications, and so on. The total amount requested by successful applicants varies considerably. Applicants are expected to communicate the total cost (operating expenses) for a 2-year effort.
