Each year there are fellowship opportunities available from a variety of sponsors. Our talented students, with help from their advisors, are applying for and receiving these prestigious awards. Fellowships and their recipients are unique, and institutions treat them differently in pre and post award. So, a bit like the childhood game of duck, duck, goose – when you are ‘tapped in’ for a fellowship proposal or award, it may surprise you and have you running around in circles.
One of the major differences between a fellowship and other sponsored research is the proposal, budget, and award are solely for the benefit of the student. When awarded and work starts on the project, the student becomes a fellow. For some students, such as graduate students, their employment type might change from employee to fellow. Fellowship recipients are not salaried employees. Instead, they are trainees of the fellowship and receive a stipend. While Graduate Assistants may be offered salary and tuition in accordance with guidance from the graduate school, fellowships trainees may be paid a stipend, tuition, and student fees. Unlike other sponsored projects, the budget for a fellowship can include student fees, and they should be allowed if the project is awarded.
Some fellowships, like the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), go beyond allowing fees to be paid. These programs stipulate that the fellowship or institution must pay the fees, they cannot be an out-of-pocket expense for the trainee.
A unique characteristic of a fellowship is the expectation that the trainee will independently complete the work and submit any required reporting. While the advisor may be the PI of record, the sponsor does not expect them to have effort on a fellowship. Their institutional appointment already captures their effort as advisor so CSU’s effort policy of capturing 1% minimum effort as cost share for PIs generally does not apply to fellowships.*
Sometimes fellowships have requirements that are contrary to federal or sponsor guidance; for instance, the NIH NRSA Fellowship. This fellowship encourages the trainee to request, and spend if awarded, $2,500 in childcare costs each budget period. Since it is a requirement to allow it in the proposed budget and subsequent award, the institution must make an exception. NOTE: This exception does not mean that childcare costs are an allowable cost on other awards**.
The examples above are just a couple of the differences fellowships might have from other sponsored awards. Every fellowship is different. PIs along with their research administrators should conduct a thorough review of the solicitation and award and communicate any unique requirements to their OSP Team. This will allow everyone to be on the same page and allow you to stop running in circles – GOOSE!
*Unless the sponsor guidelines or award terms require PI effort. For instance, some fellowship applications require that the faculty mentor provide a Current and Pending Support document in the proposal and that they include THIS proposal and their de minimis effort on it for overseeing the fellow**
**Both Uniform Guidance and several sponsors have made changes to allow childcare in some instances of extended travel for the benefit of an award if the institution has a policy in place. Currently, CSU does not have a policy in place.
Resources
NIH Extramural Nexus – Childcare FAQs