South Dakota State University (SDSU) recently announced its successful negotiation of an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (ICRA) with the US Government. This ICRA paves the way for the university to recover costs associated with conducting research that are not directly attributed to a specific project.
The ICRA is an agreement between SDSU and the federal government that establishes how the university will recover indirect costs associated with research. Indirect costs include things like administrative support, facilities maintenance, and utilities. These costs are essential to the research process but are not directly tied to specific projects.
The ICRA is significant for SDSU because it sets a method for calculating indirect costs that is fair and consistent across all research grants and projects. Without an ICRA, SDSU would have to negotiate indirect costs on a project-by-project basis, which can be time-consuming and unpredictable.
The new ICRA is expected to benefit the university by allowing it to recover more of the indirect costs associated with research. This, in turn, will help support the university`s overall research mission and allow SDSU to continue to attract top researchers and research funding.
The process of negotiating an ICRA can be complex and time-consuming. SDSU worked closely with the US Government to ensure that the agreement was fair and consistent with federal regulations. The negotiations culminated in a final agreement that both parties believe will benefit SDSU and the federal government.
In summary, SDSU`s Indirect Cost Rate Agreement with the US Government is a significant achievement for the university and its research mission. The agreement will allow SDSU to recover more of the indirect costs associated with research, which will help support the university`s overall research mission. The process of negotiating an ICRA can be complex, but SDSU`s successful negotiation demonstrates the importance of having a fair and consistent method for allocating indirect costs associated with research.