Using Research Grant Funding for Cloud Services
Guidelines for using research grant funding to pay for cloud computing & services
Overview
Cloud computing (AWS, Azure or GCP) through UW contracts can be funded by research grant funds using a DoIT Number, like other IT expenditures (DoIT Numbers - Overview)
Customers are responsible for ensuring that any grant funds used to pay for public cloud services is done in accordance with Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) policy and federal requirements (2 CFR 200 Subpart E). Basic guidance on allowable direct costs can be found here. It is recommended that any customers with questions about using a grant to pay for cloud computing contact RSP for guidance.
For customers planning or expecting to use credits/grants from a Public Cloud Provider, please indicate so on your account request, and contact the Public Cloud team to ensure those credits are deployed appropriately to your account.
Pilot Program - Reduced F&A Charges for Cloud Computing Expenses on Research Grants
UW-Madison is conducting a 2-year pilot that includes a reduced F&A rate for cloud computing expenses on research grants. This reduction applies only to new proposals and awards as of July 1, 2022. For questions about whether your funding source is eligible for this F&A reduction, contact RSP at: rspinfo@rsp.wisc.edu.
- Contact your departmental grant/financial administrator or RSP to obtain a specific Project ID for cloud computing expenses that will be charged the reduced F&A rate. This will be a 7-character string, with letters and numbers, for example, AAA1234 and should include "Cloud Computing" in the Description field. Ensure you have the correct Project ID as changes may not be possible later.
- Sign up for a new UW Public Cloud account, indicate you are eligible for this reduced F&A rate, and enter your Cloud Computing Project ID in the form.
NOTE: if you are a researcher in the School of Medicine and Public Health and want to use the reduced F&A-eligible funding for computing on the Azure-based Platform X, contact platformx-support@mailplus.wisc.edu for more information.