The document discusses quantitative research budgets. It defines what a budget is as a financial plan that translates operational plans into monetary amounts. There are generally two types of costs for projects: direct and indirect costs. Direct costs are directly associated with the project while indirect costs support the project and other work and cannot be easily attributed to a single project. The document provides examples of direct costs like personnel, equipment, and supplies. Indirect costs make up around 42% of total costs on average and support basic infrastructure, facilities, and administrative functions. The document includes a sample budget template and provides an example of calculating staffing needs for a survey based on the number of households, data collection timeframe, and a data collector's daily capacity.

1. Quantitative research methods
Budgeting for projects
November 7, 2019
What is a budget?
© The Aga Khan University 2019. This material is the property of The Aga Khan University and may
not be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without prior written consent.

2. A budget is a plan that shows what
money you intend to spend.
A budget is a document that translates
plans into money.
A Budget is also defined as an
operational plan translated into
financial numbers.

3. Generally there are two kinds of costs
associated with a project
- Direct costs.
- Indirect costs
-In kind costs

4. Direct Cost:
These costs are associated directly with the particular
project.
Indirect costs:
Also called F&A costs, these are costs incurred by the
organization to support this and other projects and thus
cannot be easily attributed to a particular project.
An in-kind contribution is a non-cash contribution of a good
or a service.
In kind contribution:

5. Various direct costs
Personnel : Salaries and Fringe Benefits (if applicable) of :-
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigators
Research Officers and Assistants
Data collectors/ interviewers and data entry operators.
Field Staff (Community Health Workers)
Administrative and other Support Staff.
Contd…..

6. Capital equipment:
Capital Equipment Maintenance
Space Rentals and utilities.
Alterations / Renovations
Laboratory Investigations / Tests: Lab tests should be budgeted
based on the prevailing rates as well as future rates.
Field Expenses
Research Supplies: (chemicals, drugs, animals, syringes etc.). As a
rule all supplies must be procured from the Materials Management
Department, hence items should be costed out according to prices
(including freight) provided by the materials department.

7. Data Processing (computer) Supplies and special softwares
Printing & Stationery
Online subscriptions, CD-ROMS, Journals and Books.
Audio-visual Expenses
Other professional services.
Travel (Local and international)
Local transportation
Communication Expenses

8. Meetings/ Workshop / training sessions.
Subcontracts
Consultants – Local & Overseas

9. Indirect costs
Calculations performed by the Aga Khan University in the year 2007
based on the guidelines of the OMB (US Government – Office of
Management and Budget) Circular 21 have indicated that the weighted
average indirect cost of AKU-FHS comes to 42% (45% for on-campus
activities and 28% for off-campus activities) .
This means that at an average, for each rupee spent for example on
direct research costs, (mentioned earlier) another 45 paisa (or 28 paisa)
is spent by the university in one place or another to support it.
Where direct recovery is not possible, efforts should be made to recover
it through recovery of core cost (explained later).
Some of the indirect costs are mentioned on the following slide:

10. Examples of Indirect cost:
Basic infrastructure to facilitate employees like office space,
electricity, water, air-conditioning, equipment like computers and .office
supplies.
Other support activities provided by the University for research like the
Research Laboratories, the Library, internet services, the animal house and
the Audio Visual Library.
Time of departmental senior faculty and chair devoted to research. This is
not restricted only to their own research but also time spent in writing
grants, mentoring young faculty in their research and administrative
activities related to research.
Time of other senior management towards research related activities.
These would include the Dean, the Provost and the President.
contd….

11.  Support to research from various departments like
Finance, Human Resources Department, Information
Technology Department, Maintenance Department and
Safety and Security.

12. Item Category Qty Rate Amount
Sample Budget

13. Item Category Qty Rate Amount
Research Officer 1
Sample Budget

14. Item Category Qty Rate Amount
Research Officer 1 15,000 180,000
Sample Budget

15. Item Category Qty Rate Amount
Research Officer 1 15,000 180,000
Computer 1
Sample Budget

16. Item Category Qty Rate Amount
Research Officer 1 15,000 180,000
Computer 1 40,000 40,000
Sample Budget

17. Item Category Qty Rate Amount
Research Officer 1 15,000 180,000
Computer 1 40,000 40,000
Lab tests 500
Sample Budget

18. Item Category Qty Rate Amount
Research Officer 1 15,000 180,000
Computer 1 40,000 40,000
Lab tests 500 250 125,000
Sample Budget

19. Item Category Qty Rate Amount
Research Officer 1 15,000 180,000
Computer 1 40,000 40,000
Lab tests 500 250 125,000
Questionnaire printing 550
Sample Budget

20. Item Category Qty Rate Amount
Research Officer 1 15,000 180,000
Computer 1 40,000 40,000
Lab tests 500 250 125,000
Questionnaire printing 550 2 / page
(5 pages)
5,500
Sample Budget

21. Item Category Qty Rate Amount
Research Officer 1 15,000 180,000
Computer 1 40,000 40,000
Lab tests 500 250 125,000
Questionnaire printing 550 2 / page
(5 pages)
5,500
Total 350,500
Sample Budget

22. Thank you.

23. Sample budget exercise
The total time for the project is three months, and report is to be
submitted in 15 days of end of project.
A survey of 2,000 households is to be done.
The data collection is to be completed in 2 months.
One data collector can complete 15 households in a day
Four different communities have been identified and all 2000
households are in these four areas.
Each questionnaire is 10 pages long.
Data analysis would require about two weeks to complete
Initial training of 2 days is to be provided to the data collectors

24. How many data collectors are needed?

25. Total no. of households covered = 2,000
Total households that can be covered by a data collector = 15
Total no. of days available = 46