Budgeting Transcription Costs in NIH & NSF Grant Proposals: A Step-by-Step Guide

Budgeting Transcription Costs in NIH & NSF Grant Proposals: A Step-by-Step Guide

• Transcription is an allowable direct cost for both NIH and NSF proposals; list it as Consultant/Vendor Services or Other Direct Costs (Line G.6 on the NSF budget). NSF - National Science Foundation

• NIH modular budgets (< $250 k/yr) don’t show line items, but you must mention transcription in the narrative justification. Grants.gov

• Detailed NIH budgets place transcription under “Other Expenses—Services,” with indirects (F&A) applied after the direct line total. Grants.gov

• As of Feb 10 2025, NIH requires new “standard language” in every budget justification—include it beforeyour cost breakdown. OSP | Office of Sponsored Programs

• Typical GoTranscript EDU rate = $1.25/minute; campus packs drop to $0.95—knowing your total recording hours lets you forecast within ±3 %.

• Tip: reviewers trim 10-20 % if the math looks padded; itemise minutes × rate × contingency (≤10 %).

1. Where Does Transcription Live in the Budget Forms?

2. Quick Formula to Estimate Minutes & Money

1. Total interview hours × 60 = audio minutes

2. Minutes × vendor rate (e.g., $1.25) = Direct Cost

3. Direct Cost × F&A rate (if applicable) = Indirect Cost

4. Add ≤ 10 % contingency for re-records or rush jobs

Example: 20 hrs × 60 = 1,200 min → 1,200 × $1.25 = $1,500 (direct) → $1,500 × 55.5 % F&A = $833 → total $2,333. Round up to $2.4 k in modular increments of $25 k.

3. NIH-Specific Tips

Modular budgets (≤ $250 k/year)

• Use whole $25 k modules; if transcription pushes you over a module, decide whether to absorb the cost or add the next module.

• In the Personnel/Consortium/Other Justification, add a sentence like:

“We anticipate 1,200 minutes of research-interview transcription at an EDU rate of $1.25/min ($1,500) provided by GoTranscript (ISO-27001 certified).”

Detailed budgets (> $250 k/year)

• List “Transcription services — 1,200 min × $1.25 = $1,500” under Section F “Other”.

• Apply your negotiated F&A rate after the line-item subtotal.

4. NSF-Specific Tips

• Line G.6 “Other Direct Costs” is the home for vendor contracts such as transcription. NSF - National Science Foundation

• Spell out minutes, rate, and why human-verified transcripts are “essential and allocable” (NSF cost-principle language).

• Indicate whether indirects use your negotiated rate or the 10 % de minimis.

5. Address the 2025 NIH Justification-Language Mandate

NIH now requires a boiler-plate statement acknowledging indirect-cost policy changes (NOT-OD-25-086). Paste that paragraph before your cost math to avoid a compliance hold. OSP | Office of Sponsored Programs

6. Sample Budget-Justification Snippet (NIH Detailed)

Other Direct Costs
• Transcription Services (GoTranscript) — 1,200 audio minutes of semi-structured interviews at $1.25/min. Includes human-verified accuracy (≥ 99 %), FERPA/HIPAA secure portal, and 48-hour turnaround. Subtotal $1,500. Essential for timely qualitative coding in NVivo and data-sharing compliance.

7. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I lump transcription under “Consultants”?
Yes, but “Other Expenses—Services” is clearer; both are allowable.

Will reviewers cut this line?
Rarely if the math matches your Methods section (number of interviews × length). A 5–10 % contingency is viewed as reasonable.

Do data-management costs cover transcription?
NIH’s Data Management & Sharing Plan focuses on curation and repository fees; transcription should still appear in the budget, not the DMS plan.

How early should I lock pricing?
Get a campus-rate quote letter from GoTranscript and attach it as Other Attachment; it satisfies auditor queries post-award.

8. Take-Home Messages

• Itemise minutes, rate, and necessity—that’s what budget reviewers want.

• Follow current line-item rules: Modular narrative for NIH, G.6 for NSF.

• Leverage campus pricing to stay under module thresholds and avoid painful cuts.