Costing

All research and related projects should be costed using the Full Economic Costing methodology (as defined in the TRAC Manual). It is a requirement of UK Government. This is the cost to the University of the project/activity, regardless of the funder/customer involved. It is used as part of the determination of price, and in order to manage the sustainability of the University. More details on FEC can be found on the University’s FEC web pages. The costing of individual research and knowledge exchange projects is undertaken using a costing tool, available to R&I and school research support staff.

Pricing

The pricing of a project or activity depends on numbers of factors, including the nature of the market (regulated or unregulated), the value to the customer, the uniqueness of the offering, and the cost and benefits to the University. Further information on the University’s approach to pricing can be found in the policy on negotiation and pricing [PDF 52.98KB].

All project costings (research / consultancy / KTPs etc.) are done by Research & Innovation Services using bespoke costing software (pFACT) in use in the HE sector for the purpose.

If you need project costings, please contact Research and Innovation Services (RIS) as early as possible for assistance. Your costs will be prepared and you will be sent a Project Approval Form [DOC 92.50KB] (aka Declaration Form) and the pFACT financial reports that require School approvals/authorisations before you can submit your proposal to the funder.

The salary scales are kept up to date by the Human Resources Division. They provide the base salary cost, not the gross employment cost, and the advice of the Research & Innovation Services Division should always be sought when preparing precise costings. RIS will take into account:

• inflation (where relevant with dates of pay awards)
• incremental dates
• employer costs such as superannuation and National Insurance

Because incremental dates and pay award dates do not often coincide with the start of the project year, it can be complicated to prepare costings. The RIS have had a lot of practice at doing this!

For information and assistance regarding Salary Costs on all new grants, please contact the relevant member of the Research Development Team.

For information and assistance regarding Salary Costs on all existing grants, please contact the relevant member of the Research Finance Team.

STEP 1: For projects and studies that require use of BSMS CISC facilities (scanning services), a Pro-Forma document [DOC 79.50KB] [PDF 88.49KB] setting out your requirements, must be sent to CISC. They will then provide you with the correct costs / charges to include in your project budget.

STEP 2: If your project is funded, you will then need to contact CISC and complete their Project Proposal Form. More information about permissions and booking your scanning slots is available on the CISC facilities website.