FINANCIAL & FUNDING-RELATED QUESTIONS

Is funding awarded to me or to my institution?

Research grants are made to the PI but are paid to the sponsoring institution to administer. Funding cannot be transferred to another person to complete the project if the original PI is unable to continue.

Travel-related awards are made to the awardee and are paid to the awardee only. No reimbursement for travel funds will be paid to an institution/employer under any circumstances.

Are Foundation awards fixed-price grants?

No. At the end of the award term all free or unobligated funds must be returned to AASLD Foundation.

What costs does AASLD Foundation allow?

In general, allowable costs for research project-based awards include PI salary support, technical support, and laboratory supplies/equipment (excluding capital and general-purpose equipment). Salary for mentors or other senior personnel is not permitted. See below for special restrictions/exemptions:   

Special PI Salary Restrictions:

• Bridge Award in Liver Diseases: Maximum allowable cost for PI salary is $20,000

• Gupta Family Pilot Award in PSC Research: Maximum of $10,000 allowed ONLY if PI is at postdoctoral level. No salary support provided for PIs with a faculty appointment.

Capital Equipment Exemption:

• Pilot Research Award in Liver Diseases: Equipment acquisition of $5,000 or greater may be allowed with prior written approval from AASLD Foundation.

• Frank J. Tusa Pilot Award for Research in Hepatic Encephalopathy: Equipment acquisition of $5,000 or greater may be allowed with prior written approval from AASLD Foundation.

Limited Travel Support Allowed:

• Pinnacle Research Award in Liver Diseases: Up to $2,000 of Award funding may be used for travel support only in the third/final year of the grant term to offset the PI’s costs to attend The Liver Meeting and present an in-person progress update on their funded project to AASLD Foundation leadership.

• Clinical, Translational, and Outcomes Research Award in Liver Diseases: Up to $2,000 of Award funding may be used for travel support only in the second/final year of the grant term to offset the PI’s costs to attend The Liver Meeting and present an in-person progress update on their funded project to AASLD Foundation leadership.

Foundation funding may not be used for any indirect costs (e.g., facilities management and utilities; general-purpose or capital equipment; travel other than the limited travel support mentioned above; memberships and dues; subscriptions/books/periodicals; etc.).

Applicants should review the relevant RFA with their mentor and fiscal officer to ensure they understand eligible costs.

Recipients of travel-based awards should refer to AASLD Foundation’s Travel Expense guidelines for allowable costs.  

Is there a limit to how much of the funding can be used for PI salary vs research costs?

Unless a salary maximum is stated in the RFA, there are no restrictions on how much of the funding is used for each cost category. This is left up to the sponsoring institution.

Special PI Salary Restrictions:

• Bridge Award: Maximum allowable cost for PI salary is $20,000

• Gupta Family Pilot Award in PSC Research: Maximum of $10,000 allowed ONLY if PI is at postdoctoral level. No salary support provided for PIs with a faculty appointment.

For awards with a salary cap, does the cap include fringe?

Yes, if an award has a stated salary cap, this cap applies to total direct salary and wages costs including fringe benefits. 

Do I need to submit a project budget?

Most AASLD Foundation RFAs do not request a project budget; budget proposals submitted by PIs to their institution’s sponsored projects office should not be considered to be approved by AASLD Foundation.

The following awards do require project budgets as part of the application. Please refer to the RFA for specific instructions:

• Bridge Award in Liver Diseases

• Pilot Research Award in Liver Diseases

• Frank J. Tusa Pilot Award for Research in Hepatic Encephalopathy

• Gupta Family Pilot Award in PSC Research

Does AASLD Foundation allow pre-award spending?

No, all funds must be expended during the award term listed in the signed grant agreement.

Can I request a no-cost extension (NCE) if I have unused funding remaining at the end of my award term?

NCE requests are subject to approval by AASLD Foundation and must be made at minimum 45 days prior to the end of the award term listed in your grant agreement. Contact awards@aasld.org for instructions on submitting a request.