General
Who is our grants management specialist? What is EHB?
The Grants Management Specialist' contact information is on the last page of your Notice of Award.
HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHB) is the grants management system that HRSA uses. All of your Notices of Award are in the system. Your organization's Project Director will have access to the system and should be able to access the documents. You can also call the EHB Contact Center to make sure those who should have access do. You can reach the EHB Contact Center at 301-443-2112.
How is the amount in the NOA determined?
We determine the amount awarded on each Notice of Award by many factors, including the amount of appropriation, number of awards, among other things; and is always subject to the availability of appropriations. Each Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) describes how funding amounts will be determined in section II.2. Summary of Funding.
Equipment and Supplies
Can you clarify the previous statement regarding bundling supplies that exceed $5000? I have always treated like items as individual supplies if they are individually less than $5000. However, we were told to "aggregate" like supplies that exceed $5000 in total. Can you please provide an example of supplies that would need to be aggregated and treated as equipment?
Any supplies with an aggregate value that exceeds $5,000 in total would be treated as equipment at the completion of the project or program. For example, if your organization purchased $10,000 worth of medical supplies, for which the unit cost is less than $5,000, during your project period, and you have $6,000 worth of those supplies left, those would be treated as equipment. You can find additional information at 45 CFR Part 75.321.
Budgeting, Carry-overs, and Prior Approvals
How far in advance of the end of the budget period should we submit a re-budgeting prior approval?
You may submit a rebudgeting request at any time during your budget period. Because the funds will need to be used in the current budget period (unless a carryover is approved), it is advised that you submit a rebudgeting request as early as possible. This is to ensure HRSA can review the request and provide a response, and to ensure you have the maximum amount of time to use the funds in the current budget period.
Can you please restate the definition for Program Income? Would you consider donations and private grants as program income?
Program income is defined as income earned by a recipient, subrecipient, or a contractor under a grant that is directly generated by the grant-supported activity or earned as a result of the award.
Program income includes, but is not limited to
- income from fees for services performed;
- charges for the use or rental of real property, equipment, or supplies acquired under a grant;
- the sale of commodities or items fabricated under an award;
- charges for research resources; and
- license fees and royalties on patents and copyrights.
Program income does not include third-party in-kind contributions, gifts, financial assistance from another source, such as another federal or a non-federal grant, or charitable contributions.
Allowable Costs
Please share examples of allowable costs.
Allowable costs vary based on the purpose of your program and the Cost Principles. You should always refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for your program, the Notice of Award, and 45 CFR Part 75 to determine if a cost is allowable. All costs should also be allocable to and reasonable for your program.
What is the cap on hotel amounts?
There is not a specific cap on the amount that you may spend on hotel lodging. The costs should always be reasonable and allocable to the program. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) per diem rates can be used as a guide for determining the reasonableness of hotel rates, but other circumstances should be considered.
You should always ask your Grants Management Specialist if you have questions about what rates are considered reasonable for your program and the area in which the hotel is located.
Are professional licenses and/or professional certifications renewals allowable?
Allowable costs vary based on the purpose of your program and the Cost Principles. You should always refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for your program, the Notice of Award, and 45 CFR Part 75 to determine if a cost is allowable. All costs should also be allocable to your program and reasonable. If you need additional guidance, please contact your Grants Management Specialist.