Where equipment has been funded by a RC grant, how should usage be charged out on subsequent grants?
A relevant share of the costs of existing equipment can be charged to a project via a charge out rate. Where RCs have already funded the capital cost, double counting should be avoided due to a set of specific adjustments that have to be made to the estates rates when they are calculated, as set out in the TRAC manual. What is the mechanism for ensuring that academic staff time is not overcharged? Research Councils will not fund more than 100% of an investigators salary (i.e. 1,650 hours pa). They accept the need for flexibility in relation to PIs because of the difficulty in estimating both time and the likelihood of success of applications. They will seek assurance at organisational level that the costs paid for investigators are in balance with the total time attributed to grants. Why have Research Councils gone for a 37.5 hour week when academics often work far longer than this? This figure is in accordance with fEC guidelines. (1,650 hours per year; 44 weeks per year;220 days per
