Search
FAQs
Below are some commonly asked questions regarding payments under CRDF & GAP awards broken down by payment type: Equipment, Supplies & Services; Individual Financial Support; Institutional Support; Travel; and U.S. Participant Expenses.
This information is provided as guidance for CRDF grantees, prospective grantees and project participants. This information is general and the rules governing payments may vary depending on the CRDF program or specific conditions of a given project. Should the information provided below conflict with the provisions of a specific CRDF program announcement or project agreement, the provisions of the program announcement and/or project agreement shall take precedence. CRDF may revise this information at any time and for any reason. Any questions relating to the information provided herein or relating to issues not covered below should be directed to the CRDF Award Administration Representative identified in your CRDF project agreement.
Travel FAQs for Foreign Grantees
- How do I submit a travel request to CRDF?
- How long will it take for the payment request to be processed?
- How do I determine the amount of funds I will need to cover travel, lodging, and per diem expenses?
- How can I find CRDF travel allowance rates for the needed city in the US?
- My travel allowance funds provided for the number of days I spend at the destination city/cities. Can I be reimbursed for the time I spend in transit?
- What types of receipts are required to verify or claim reimbursement for travel allowance amounts?
- What is the procedure for obtaining an additional payment for costs allowable incurred above the amount advanced?
- Is any confirmation of expenses for lodging required?
- I rented an apartment during my visit to the US. What kind of documentation is required for my trip report and travel reimbursement request?
- Can I receive reimbursement for visa-related expenses?
- Can CRDF assist me with getting a visa?
- Who is responsible for issuing the visa invitation letters – CRDF or the host party?
- Is medical insurance required for travel under this award? What kind of insurance? Will CRDF pay this expense?
- How should I complete conference registration documents to facilitate payment?
- Do the provisions of the Fly America Act apply to my project?
- Where can I purchase international airline tickets?
- Can I use my own travel agent?
- Can I change my ticket once issued? Will CRDF pay the penalty?
- If I use my frequent flyer miles on Delta to get a free ticket, can I get reimbursed the amount the ticket would have cost if I had bought it full fare?
- Are there any restrictions on where I can travel or what forms of transportation I can use?
- Can I rent a car during my visit to the US Principal Investigator's lab and cover the expense with award funds?
- Can my spouse travel with me on this trip and CRDF purchase the tickets?
- I am disabled and require a caregiver to travel with me. Can CRDF grant funds be used to pay the travel costs of my caregiver?
- Travel FAQ's for Foriegn Grantees - Printable Version (Jul 08)
- LINK: Travel FAQs for Foreign Grantees - Russian Language Version
- LINK: Travel FAQs for Foreign Grantees - Ukrainian Language Version
U.S. Participant FAQs
- A Foreign Principal Investigator arranged for a U.S. traveler on my team to stay in a friend's apartment while in Russia. As the U.S. investigator, may I request that funds be paid to the host for the lodging? Is this an allowable expense?
- As the U.S. Principal Investigator, I would like to use funds allocated for supplies to cover additional travel expenses. Do I need approval to do this?
- Do the travel policies of my U.S. institution regarding expenses supercede those of CRDF?
- I used my personal vehicle to travel to a project-related conference. Are the mileage expenses I incurred reimbursable?
- I would like to purchase a gift for my FSU counterpart as thanks for his/her hospitality. Is this allowable?
- May my institution received grant funds in advance?
- My lodging costs exceed the per diem limits. Will CRDF pay the actual costs as opposed to the normal lodging allowance?
- U.S. Participant FAQ's - Printable Version (Mar 05)
Travel FAQs for U.S. Grantees
- What travel expenses are allowable for US participants? What kind of documentation is required for reimbursements to individuals?
- Can I receive reimbursement for mileage? How is the reimbursable amount calculated?
- I have incurred travel expenses under my CRDF award. How can I receive a reimbursement?
- My institutions travel policies differ from CRDF's guidelines. Which govern?
- Do the provisions of the Fly America Act apply to my award?
- If I use my frequent flyer miles on Delta to get a free ticket, can I get reimbursed the amount the ticket would have cost if I had bought it full fare?
- Is medical insurance required for U.S. participant travel under this award? What kind of insurance? Will CRDF pay this expense?
- How do I determine the amount of funds I will need to cover travel, lodging, and per diem expenses?
- Can I receive reimbursement for visa-related expenses?
- Can CRDF assist me with getting a visa?
- Do U.S. participants have to use a CRDF-designated travel agency?
- Travel FAQ's for U.S. Grantees - Printable Version (Jul 08)
Equipment, Supplies & Services FAQs
- How can Foreign Principal Organizations purchase equipment, supplies and services under CRDF awards?
- How does a grantee initiate a procurement request?
- When can a grantee begin submitting requests for Equipment, Supplies & Services?
- What is required in a proforma invoice or price quotation from a vendor?
- I would like to change the technical specifications, quantities or other aspects of my request. How do I do this?
- How do I submit a request for individual reimbursement for supplies and services to CRDF?
- What are the reporting requirements for Individual ESS advances?
- How can an individual participant on my project receive an advance to purchase some needed supplies?
- I received an advance for $700 for supplies but the actual cost of the items was $800. May I receive reimbursement for the difference?
- I received an advance for $700 for supplies but the actual cost of the items was $500? May I use the remaining funds to purchase additional items?
- Is it possible for the Foreign Principal Organization to purchase equipment and request subsequent reimbursement from CRDF?
- Can the Foreign Principal Organization receive an advance from CRDF to make an equipment purchase from an in-country vendor?
- What are CRDF rules relating to competitive vendor selection?
- What are “Preferred Vendors?”
- Am I required to use a Preferred Vendor for purchases of equipment and supplies?
- What if I am unable to identify three potential suppliers?
- Is CRDF required to use the vendor I select?
- Is it necessary to obtain a certificate from the Technical Assistance Commission in Russia in order to place capital equipment on the institutional balance?
- What is the process for obtaining a certificate from the Technical Assistance Commission in Russia?
- How quickly can we receive a certificate from the Technical Assistance Commission in Russia?
- I would like to make a purchase from a local vendor? Can CRDF make payment to the vendor in local currency?
- If equipment is purchased from a foreign vendor, who coordinates the purchase?
- What is an “Equipment and Supplies Annex” and when is it required?
- My grant includes equipment to be purchased for a secondary collaborator institution? How do I go about purchasing the equipment?
- Who owns equipment purchased with CRDF funds?
- Can equipment be located at my personal residence?
- Can I request that equipment/supplies be delivered to an organization other than the Principal Organization?
- Is it possible to purchase equipment that was not specified in the original budget?
- Do I need a customs broker?
- Can the CRDF foreign offices or support contractors receive cargo and then transfer it to the grantee Principal Organization?
- What is the normal processing time for purchase requests?
- May grantees negotiate contracts with vendors?
- I am planning a purchase using funds from CRDF and from other non-CRDF sources. Do CRDF rules apply?
- May I purchase equipment from non-US vendors?
- Can I just have bills sent to CRDF for minor purchases such as journal subscription renewals?
- If I am in the US, can I purchase equipment and take it back with me to my home country?
- Can Institutional Support funds be used to purchase materials and services?
- Are there any special guidelines for purchasing lab animals under CRDF awards?
- I need to purchase lab rats for work related to my project. Are there any specific requirements?
- Can I purchase biological agents, hazardous chemicals, toxins, radioactive materials, or weapons?
- Are there restrictions on who may use the equipment?
- What is an Equipment Usage Log and when is it required?
- At the conclusion of the award term, what happens to equipment and property purchased using CRDF funds?
- This is the last quarter of our award and we have not spent the entire award funds budgeted for ESS. May we use these funds to pay additional Individual Financial Support to the project participants?
- We had a major item of equipment in our approved budget but we were able to complete the work without it. Now our award is almost over and we would like to purchase the equipment for general use in our laboratory. May we do so?
- What types of services are allowable under CRDF awards?
- Can expenses for consultants be included in an award budget? Are these expenses considered IFS or ESS?
- Does CRDF contract with the consultant or is the grantee required to?
- ESS FAQs - Printable Version
- LINK: ESS FAQs - Russian Version
- Link: ESS FAQs - Ukrainian Language Version
Individual Financial Support FAQs
- I just received notification that my proposal was selected for funding by the CRDF. When can I submit my first request for IFS payments?
- Is there a specific format for IFS requests?
- Where do I send my requests? Are electronic copies acceptable?
- How will my team members receive IFS payments from CRDF?
- About how long does it take CRDF to process an IFS request?
- In order to simplify the payment process, can the Principal Investigator/Project Director receive the funds for the entire team and then distribute the payments to the individual team members?
- Do I have to use a bank specified by CRDF or may I use my pre-existing bank account to receive CRDF funds?
- Can I receive IFS funds in the U.S. while I am here on travel working with my U.S. collaborator on project-related activities?
- One of my team members recently passed away before receiving his IFS payment? How does CRDF handle these situations?
- One of my students working on the project recently received his Ph.D. I would like to increase his IFS rate based upon this development. Is this possible?
- We have requested and received a six-month no-cost extension to the term of our award. Since the final report will not be due until after the extension period is complete do we have to wait six months to receive our final IFS payments or can we receive p
- My project involves payments to numerous support staff and technicians who only work on the project for a few days or weeks and will not be part of the main project team. How can these individuals be paid under the CRDF grant?
- Our main project team is in Moscow, however, in order to carry out the project we are collaborating with colleagues in Kyiv. Can our colleagues in Ukraine receive IFS payments?
- In what currency are IFS payments made?
- I would like to include several new team members in my next IFS request. Is this permissible? What is the procedure for this?
- This is the last quarter of our award and we have not spent all of the award funds budgeted for Materials & Services and/or Travel. May we use these funds to pay additional Individual Financial Support to the project participants?
- May we use Institutional Support funds to pay Individual Financial Support to project participants?
- Can institute administrators (directors, deputy directors, department heads, etc.) receive Individual Financial Support as part of the project team?
- Can foreign Consultants be paid as Individual Financial Support (utilizing CRDF's tax privileges)?
- IFS FAQs - Printable Version
- LINK: IFS FAQs - Russian Language Version
- LINK: IFS FAQs - Ukrainian Language Version
Institutional Support FAQs
- What is Institutional Support?
- What can Institutional Support funds be used for?
- Can Institutional Support funds be used to purchase equipment, supplies and/or services?
- What types of expenses cannot be covered as Institutional Support funds?
- Can Institutional Support funds be directed to pay individuals tax-free and/or reallocated to individual financial support?
- Are there any exceptions to the prohibition of Institutional Support as IFS, for example one-time payments to institutional support personnel such as drivers, accountants, customs brokers, etc.?
- Can US institutions receive institutional support?
- How are Institutional Support funds paid?
- What types of supporting documentation are considered acceptable backup to an ISER?
- Does the delay in submission of an ISER affect the timely processing of payments in other budget categories?
- What if unallowable expenses are reported in ISER?
- What if the final expenses reported are less than the balance remaining in the Institutional Support budget? May my institution request these additional funds or allocate them for other purposes?
- Printable Version - IS FAQ (Aug 05)
- LINK: IS FAQs - Russian Language Version
- LINK: IS FAQs - Ukrainian Language Version