Western SARE is a federally funded USDA-NIFA program hosted by Montana State University (MSU). As stewards of these federal funds, Western SARE/MSU staff review proposed project costs to make certain they are reasonable, allocable and allowable per Title 2: 2 CFR Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Please see the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR).
To help in the review of proposal budgets, as well as to expedite the award process, applicants must submit a detailed line-item project budget and Budget Justification that provides narrative details for each proposed line-item cost. All items should be described in the Budget Justification in sufficient detail that would enable Western SARE to determine that the costs are reasonable and allowable for the project per the Code of Federal Regulations referenced above. Please note, applicants are required to use the Western SARE Budget Worksheets provided in the online proposal platform for the grant program to which they are applying – no other budget template will be accepted. Please review the Western SARE Budget Categories and Guidance document to learn about the Western SARE – and MSU – approved budget categories.
Additionally, MSU, as well as all recipients of Western SARE grants (subrecipients) are held to the same Research Terms and Conditions and NIFA Agency Specific Terms and Conditions.
Complimentary to the Code of Federal Regulations and the Agency Specific Terms and Conditions, the NIFA Federal Assistance Policy Guide also provides direction for recipients of NIFA-funded grants.