Project Type Level Funding Rules - CPT

In this topic ShowHide

About this page
View an existing project type level rule
Add and configure a project type level rule
Change funding rules
Related topics

About this page

This page is used to set funding rules for defined research project types for the Costing and Pricing Tool (CPT). You can set rules for different project types.

Project type level rules override the institution level default rules, however, applicable fund scheme rules may apply. See: Rule precedence

This page supports the Costing and Pricing Tool (CPT), which was implemented in version 7.7.0 in mid-2021. Research Costing and Pricing (ReCaP) is a separate tool.

Menu path: RME menu > Projects > Funding Rules > Project Type Level

View an existing project type level rule

1. To view an existing project level rule, go to RME > Projects > Funding Rules.

2. Select the Project Type Level tab.

3. In the grid, click the Open icon next to the project type rule. For field descriptions, refer to the field table below.

Add and configure a project type level rule

1. Go to the Funding Rules page and select the Project Type Level tab.

2. In the toolbar, click the New button.

3. Complete the fields, using the table below as a guide.

4. In the toolbar, click Save. To go back to the previous page, click it in the breadcrumb trail or use your browser Back button.

Project Level: Fields

Field (in layout order)	Description
Project Type *	Mandatory Kind of project that the rule applies to, from a lookup Source
Use Pricing for Consultancy Projects?	Default: No Whether to use the consultancy project fields in the Consulting Project Pricing section below it. • If Yes, the fields in the Consulting Project Pricing section are enabled. • If No, the fields in the Consulting Project Pricing section are disabled with default values of No.
Allow Salary Step Level?	Default: No Indicates whether to use salary step level in calculations, and if using, allow users to select the step level for project team salary calculation for projects with the selected project type If No, salary is calculated at the highest step level for the selected HEW Level. Users cannot select a salary step level. If Yes, users can select a salary step level which is used in calculations. A Step field can be added to an RPR eForm to allow users to select a step level in a form. The Step field is a dropdown that is populated with relevant options based on the selected HEW Level. Steps are considered in step progression, which is defined in the Institution Level rules for existing and new staff.
Indirect Cost Recovery Percentages	When setting up a new rule, this section initially reflects the values set for indirect cost recovery at the Institution Level. To set a specific project type rule for ICR percentages, change the Override Default? flag to Yes, then define the relevant fields. These will override the institution level percentages. If the CPT Configuration Use Project Location for Indirect Cost Recovery? option is Yes, two sections display to define ICR percentages, one for lab and one for non-lab locations. Note that you can also set separate ICR variations for specific combinations of AOU, fund scheme or project type in the Indirect Cost Recovery Variation tab.
Override Default?	Default: No Indicates whether you want to set a different ICR percentages for the project type If Yes, the fields in this section become editable. The values you set will be applied instead of the institution level percentage to projects with the specified project type.
Method *	Indicates which option to use to apply indirect cost recovery for projects of the defined type: • Mixed: Select this to apply indirect cost recovery on both total direct cost and total salary cost • Total Direct Cost: Select this to apply indirect cost recovery on the total direct cost • Institution Direct Salary Cost: Select this to apply indirect cost recovery on the total salary cost When you select an option, the corresponding field/s in this section will be enabled. Source
Institution Direct Salary Cost	Enabled and mandatory when Institution Direct Salary Cost or Mixed is selected in the Method dropdown Percentage for cost recovery based on the total salary cost for the project Must be a number between 0 and 100 inclusive, with up to two decimal places. If the method is Mixed, set a percentage for this field as well as the Other Direct Cost field.
Other Direct Cost	Enabled and mandatory when Mixed is selected in the Method dropdown Percentage applied to non-salary costs of the project to calculate the ICR amount Must be a number between 0 and 100 inclusive, with up to two decimal places. Set a percentage for this field as well as the Institution Direct Salary Cost field.
Total Direct Cost	Enabled and mandatory when Total Direct Cost is selected in the Method dropdown Percentage for cost recovery based on the total direct cost of the project Must be a number between 0 and 100 inclusive, with up to two decimal places.
Consultant Project Pricing	The fields in this section are only enabled if Use Pricing for Consultancy Projects? is Yes. When enabled, one of the fields must be Yes.
Apply Consulting Rates?	Default: No Indicates whether price is calculated based on consulting rates when this rule is applied • If Yes, price is calculated based on consulting rates for the specified project type • If No, the Use Price Adjustment? field is enabled. eForm impact If the fields for Chargeable Rate, Institution Consultancy Rate and Rate Type are included in a Linked Personnel or New Staff RIC in an eForm template, the fields will only display for users when Apply Consulting Rates? is Yes in an applicable Project Type Level funding rule. In Rate Type (RATE_TYPE_CAT_FK), researchers select a rate unit – either Daily or Hourly (default) – then enter the rate accordingly in Chargeable Rate (CONSLT_CHARGE_RATE). In this case, calculations factor in the selected Rate Type, Chargeable Rate, and Work Hours per Day as defined in the Institution Level rules.
Use Price Adjustment?	Default: No; only enabled if Apply Consulting Rates? Is No Indicates if prices can be adjusted in CPT when this rule is applied • If Yes, price adjustment options are displayed in the Project Price page in CPT. Users with page access can adjust the automatically-calculated prices • If No, automatically-calculated prices cannot be adjusted in the project price page in CPT.
Use Quotation Builder?	Default: No Indicates if users can create quotations in the Quotation Builder page in CPT when this rule is applied • If Yes, the Quotation Builder page will be available to the users with page access. • If No, the Quotation Builder page will not be displayed.
Contingency Percentage	When setting up a new rule, this section initially reflects the values set for indirect cost recovery at the Institution Level. You can set a different contingency percentage for projects with the defined project type. This will override the institution level default percentage.
Override Defaults?	Default: No Indicates whether you want to set a different contingency percentage value for the project type If Yes, the Applicable Contingency field becomes editable. The value you set will be applied instead of the institution level percentage to projects with the specified project type.
Applicable Contingency	Default: Institution level value Only editable if Override Default? is Yes. Allowance value to factor in the risk of unknown costs for the specific project type Must be a number between 0 to 100 inclusive, with up to two decimal places.
Margin Percentage	When setting up a new rule, this section initially reflects the values set for Pricing at the Institution Level. To set specific Project Type rules, change the settings below. These will override the institution level default rules.
Override Default Margin Percentage?	Default: No Indicates whether you want to set a different Margin Percentage for projects with the specified project type By default, the Margin Percentage field reflects the institution level percentage. If you select Yes, this field in the page becomes editable. Values you set will be applied instead of the institution level percentage to projects with the specified project type.
Margin Percentage	Default: 0 Default percentage to apply to pricing for projects with the specified project type Must be a number between 0 to 100 inclusive, with up to two decimal places.
Consumable and Capital Item Groups	When you save a new rule, this section reflects the values set at the institution level. You can set different consumable and capital item groups and item to be applied for a defined project type. You need to save the rule details first before you can add or edit items in this section. These items and groups will be used in eForms and CPT for projects from the selected project type. Researchers can select relevant items for their project, unless there is an applicable overriding rule at the AOU or fund scheme level that has different consumables and capital items defined. You need to save the rule details first before you can add or edit items in this section. For details, see: Consumable and Capital Item Groups below.

Consumable and Capital Item Groups: Fields

When you save the rule, the grid in this section displays the default institution level consumable and capital item groups and items.

To create different consumable and capital groups and/or items to apply to projects from the project type selected in the rule, you can override the institution level groups and items. When you set different groups and items, the Overidden label displays at the top left of this section to indicate that institution level consumable and capital items are no longer applied.

If you want to remove project type-specific items and return to the default items from the institution level, click the Revert Override option.

To create different groups of consumable and capital items for the project type, and define items for each group, follow these steps:

1. Click Add above the Consumable and Capital Items Groups grid. The Create Consumable and Capital Item Groups popup displays.

2. Enter a name for the group of similar items in the Name field (mandatory). Examples: Travel, Facilities/Buildings

3. In the Display Order field, enter a number to indicate the sort order of the group in the grid. 1 is at the top.

4. For the Outward Expenses? slider, indicate if the new group is for expenses that are related to sub-contract work, other services or costs that will be paid out for the project. Any costs for items in this group will be deducted from the total price received from an external funder (not including: a) salary of externals, b) cash consumable and capital items identified as outward expenses, and c) disbursements to external organisations) to calculate the amount of funding remaining with the institution in a Staying with the Institution field in an RPR eForm used for CPT.

5. In the Items field, click the down arrow to display a list of items. Select one or more items to add to the group, then click Close to close the list. Source

6. If you want to create a new group after saving, click the Create another checkbox.

7. Click Save. If creating another group, repeat steps 2 to 4 above. At any time if you change your mind and no longer want to create a group, click Close.

Edit a group

You can edit a group however changes will not be applied to existing projects that have had a costing initiated.

• To delete an entire group, go to the Consumable and Capital Items Groups grid, select the checkbox to the left of the item and click Delete at the top right of the grid.

To change the details for a group, click the linked item in the first column in the grid for the group to open the group and make one of the following changes:

• To change the group name, place your cursor in the field and edit it directly.

• To change the order of the group in the grid, place your cursor in the field and edit it directly.

• To remove an item from the group, click the cross (x) at the top right of the item.

• To add items to the group in the Items field, click the down arrow to display a list of items. Select one or more items to add to the group, then click Close to close the list.

• To re-name or add new items that do not appear in the Items field list, go to the Finance Category Types category under RME > Setup > Categories > Common Categories > Finance Category Types.

• You can enter guidelines for an item that display in an eForm from the Help icon (?). See: Consumable and Capital Item Guidelines.

Change funding rules

When you configure funding rules, they are stored as a master copy in RME. When a costing record is created for a project, the system determines the applicable rules based on the project details, AOU, project type and/or fund scheme, as relevant. The rules that are applicable are collated and copied as a kind of “snapshot” from the RME master and saved as an internal copy to that individual costing record in CPT. The saved internal rules are then used for all costing and pricing calculations for that project.

Once a costing has been initiated for an existing project in CPT, changes to the master funding rules are not updated in the internal copy in the record unless new rules are applied to a project in the Funding Rules page in CPT, or the Primary AOU field, Project Type field and/or Primary Fund Scheme field has been changed, for which different funding rules may now apply.

• If new funding rules are applied to a project in the Funding Rules page in CPT, previous funding rule values will be replaced with new values noted in the page. The project costing and pricing is recalculated based on the new rules, which is confirmed with a message.

• If a primary AOU, Project Type or primary Fund Scheme field is changed, internal funding rules are updated and changes are applied to all existing records, except for changes to Consumable and Capital Items.

• Changes to the configuration of the Consumable and Capital Items in RME (rename a group, add a new group or item, delete a group or item) will not be updated for existing costing records in CPT.

• If there are no changes to the Primary AOU, Project Type or Primary Fund Scheme fields, changed funding rules will only be applied to newly-created Project records in CPT.