Cost sharing policy Cost share approval form A funding organization may not fully fund a project and may request or require that recipients of its funds share in the cost of the project. UMB’s policy on cost sharing addresses such requests and requirements. As a rule of thumb, cost sharing should be offered as part of an application only if the sponsor requires cost sharing as a condition to receive a grant. Approval of the PI’s Chair and Dean are required for cost-sharing. In general, the cost-sharing or matching funds must be supplied from a non-Federal source. Cost sharing expenses are subject to the same regulations as the grant (for example, for a Federal grant, they would be subject to the OMB Circulars and the agency regulations). Cost sharing expenses are subject to audit and must be fully documented in the grant financial records. Cost sharing may involve “in-kind” contributions. An example is a outside vendor providing copying services and supplies for a project that requires many copies of something such as a survey. These contributions must be documented as part of the grant records if the sponsor requires that they be reported in the financial reports of the grant. A cost sharing approval form is NOT required when an investigator’s base salary exceeds the sponsor’s salary cap. In this case, simply respond to the question on the routing form or the Coeus yes/no questions that addresses the salary cap. The NIH Salary Cap and Your Project Budget More information about cost sharing and salary caps is available at the Cost Analysis and Studies website. | 
