Managing Sponsored Project Funds: Rebudgeting Requests

Find out how to process a rebudgeting request for a sponsored project award.

Rebudgeting requests

Most agencies require a rebudgeting request if you exceed certain expense categories in your fund. A rebudgeting request is an amendment to the award agreement and must be formally submitted to the agency for official approval, and then reported to UCSD contracting offices.

General guidelines

• Review expenditure balances per the budget.
• Review your expense projections.
• Plan your rebudgeting needs, making sure the request will cover expenses for the entire budget or project period.
• Determine expense categories that need to be increased and categories that can be reduced.
• Determine if indirect costs (IDC) are affected by your rebudgeting and increase or decrease the IDC category accordingly.
• Prepare a letter to the agency's project administrator. Include:
  • Amount to be reduced for each expense category
  • Amount to be increased for each expense category
  • Justification for change (e.g., why you did not use funding as budgeted or how rebudgeting will benefit the project)
• Have the principal investigator sign the letter and keep a copy for your files.
• Send the letter and copies as necessary:
  • If your award was processed by the Office of Contract and Grant Administration (OCGA), forward the original letter to OCGA for transmittal to the agency.
  • If your award was not processed by OCGA, send the original letter to the agency and send a copy to Sponsored Projects Finance (SPF).
• When you receive official approval from the agency, send OCGA or OPAFS a copy of the approval.

Sponsor - Specific Requirements

• National Science Foundation (NSF)