The House spending bill that would fund the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in FY2018 includes helpful language on the facilities and administrative (F&A) costs issue. The bill includes the following language on the issue:
In making Federal financial assistance, the NIH shall continue to apply the provisions relating to indirect costs in part 75 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, including with respect to the approval of deviations from negotiated rates, to the same extent and in the same manner as the NIH applied such provisions in the third quarter of fiscal year 2017. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be used by the NIH to develop or implement a modified approach to such provisions, or to intentionally or substantially expand the fiscal effect of the approval of such deviations from negotiated rates beyond the proportional effect of such approvals in such quarter.
The measure is scheduled to be taken up by the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee this afternoon. UW Federal Relations will provide additional updates.