NHFP Frequently Asked Questions

Grants Administration is always a good place to start as we are responsible for administering and managing the NHFP in accordance with the established policies and federal regulations.

Grants Office – General questions or funding related topics: start date, award, prior approval, budget preparation, allowable costs, report and request submission. Email: gms_mail@stsci.edu  

NHFP Lead – All science related inquiries, changing host institutions, requests for special exceptions. Email: nhfp@stsci.edu

Submit a brief letter via email (gms_mail@stsci.edu) stating that you have completed all of the requirements for your degree.  The letter must submitted on institutional letterhead and signed by an authorized individual from your graduating institution.

STScI does not have a specific requirement for the type of visa obtained by the Fellow. The visa process is the responsibility of the Fellow and their Host Institution. All costs related to obtaining or renewing a visa, including travel, are specifically unallowable and will not be reimbursed from fellowship funds. Please refer all visa questions to your institution.

Typically, we can accommodate a change in start date as long as we are given sufficient notice prior to award. Awards are generally processed 2 weeks prior to your chosen start date.

Yes, a no cost extension may be requested to allow payment of page charges for papers that were submitted to a journal prior to the end of the Fellowship.

Yes, under special circumstances a transfer may be granted. You must send an email, including a justification, to your NHFP Program Lead to receive approval.

Requests for transfers for the upcoming academic year will only be accepted between January and March 31st. Requests for transfers for the following academic year will be accepted through July. Out of cycle transfer requests will only be considered in exceptional cases.

Hubble fellows are eligible to propose for GO/AR grants. Salary support for the fellow may not be included in a GO or AR grant during the time a fellow is already supported by an NHFP fellowship grant. Determining PI-ship is at the discretion of the grantee institution.  If postdocs at your institution are authorized to be Admin-PI on grants (other than HF), it is allowable by STScI.

Fellows must be in residence at their Host Institutions, or have written permission from their Host Institution to telecommute and/or work remotely and must at all times follow the telecommuting and/or remote work policies of their Host Institution. Fellows who wish to spend 3 or more months of a year away from their Host Institution must receive prior approval from the NHFP Lead.

Only Fellows in approved remote work status may use research funds for travel costs between the Host Institution and the remote work location.

See the NHFP Guidelines for complete information.

NHFP Fellows generally do not have privileges to access their HF grant in STGMS. The budget proposal is submitted by, and a grant is awarded to, the Host Institution under the direction of the Admin PI (e.g. mentor/advisor). The Fellow (Science PI) can only view the grant.  Please work with your faculty contact to submit the budget, report, or request. See the NHFP STGMS User Guide for additional guidance on accessing STGMS and submitting reports/requests.

You will only see the reports and requests you have the privilege to prepare or submit. By default, the faculty contact is given the privilege to submit the NHFP specific reports and requests. All other users will need to work with an STGMS Account Manager at their institution to update their privileges.

To find out who the STGMS Account Managers are for your institution, select User Account Managers on the Main Menu.

NHFP pre-award costs are limited to equipment and computing devices; travel that will occur during the grant period of performance; and relocation costs. Any pre-award cost incurred more than 60 days before the effective date of the grant award requires prior written approval from STScI Grants Administration.

No, travel must occur after the effective start date of the grant.

Yes, you may attend the conference. However, only the portion of the travel costs that occur during the period of performance are allowable.

General purpose office supplies are not limited to research, scientific, or other technical activities. Since the cost cannot be linked with a particular award or cost objective, they are generally treated as an indirect cost.

Medically necessary accommodations are typically allowable with a doctor’s note.

Depending on your employment status, an office supply essential to improving your work environment due to a health reason may be covered by your host institution. Please contact the appropriate personnel at your Host Institution to inquire about the purchase and the policies at your host institution.

Yes. The previous restriction preventing the acceptance of an honorarium was removed effective March 18, 2021. Any questions should be directed to your NHFP Lead. The fellow is personally responsible for all tax reporting and tax obligations related to accepting an honorarium.

Regardless of the Fellow’s status, employee or stipendiary, the NHFP does not allow IDC or other types of fees applied to stipend, health insurance, salary or fringe benefits.

The NHFP Fellowship provides full-time support to the Fellow over a 3-year period. As a result, the cost of the membership may be directly allocable to the grant for the portion of the membership period coinciding with the fellowship grant and consistent with institution cost allocation policies.

Textbooks are considered a supply and are an allowable purchase under the fellowship. All supplies purchased under the grant must be allocable, reasonable and necessary.

The NHFP does not require a specific title or type of employment. This matter is at the discretion of the host institution. Host institutions must offer you the opportunity to be an employee. You may choose the hiring status that best fits your needs.

Grants Administration does not object to you choosing another employment option if offered by your host institution. Changes in employment status may only be made at the start of each fellowship year.

For fellows who are not employees, the cost of health insurance is limited per year as defined in the NHFP Policy & Budget Guidelines located on STScI’s GRA web site. 

In exceptional cases the amount required to obtain medical, dental and vision insurance may exceed the limit in the NHFP Guidelines.  Please contact STScI Grants Administration at gms_mail@stsci.edu and include the subject line 'NHFP Medical Dental Vision Premium Question' to discuss your unique situation if this occurs.

Yes.  The institution may use the fringe rate in their approved IDC rate agreement. The limitation in the NHFP Guidelines only applies to insurance purchased outside the institution’s available plans covered by their fringe rate. 

In rare cases the fellow may need to independently purchase insurance if medical, dental or vision coverage is not provided by the host institution’s standard benefits package.  Contact STScI Grants Administration if the sum of the fringe and premium for additional insurance exceeds the limits in the NHFP Guidelines.

No.  The employee portion of premiums is not reimbursable.

No.  Out of pocket costs are not reimbursable.

No, the budget request is for only one year at a time. You will be notified prior to each subsequent year that a new budget is needed via a Budget Notification Letter.

Yes, it is required to ensure all elements of the budget are addressed and to avoid delays in approval due to non-compliant budgets. The budget narrative must detail each budget cost category and provide a detailed justification for each cost item requested in the budget.

STGMS will default to your Current and Pending Support (C&P) since you are logged in under your account. An administrator at your institution should log in under their account and upload the Fellow’s C&P.

The Open Skies Agreement is not a provision that flows down to STScI. NASA requires that grantees are in strict adherence with travel on U.S. flag carriers. This includes flights where a U.S. flag carrier and a non-U.S. flag carrier share a flight number (i.e. a code-shared flight). Booking a U.S carrier operated by foreign carrier, would be considered a U.S. flag carrier.

Allowable:  AA 1234 operated by QF 4321
Unallowable: QF 4321 operated by AA 1234

(AA = American Airlines, QF = Qantas Airways)

If use of a U.S. flag carrier extends travel time by 6 hours or more, a non U.S. flag carrier may be used. To request approval, send Grants Administration a comparison of the flight details to justify the necessity.

All travel cost must be in accordance with the written travel policies of the Host Institution. If your institution’s travel policy allows for reimbursement of dependent travel cost, they may be charged to the grant.

The Fellow must pay for airfare costs in excess of the customary standard commercial airfare (coach or equivalent).

All Fellows must present their research at the annual NASA Hubble Fellowship Program Symposium.

Please refer to the NHFP Guidelines for guidance on Symposium travel support.

Any unexpended funds from symposium travel must be used to reduce the symposium budget for the following year and cannot be used for any other purpose, including travel.

A leave of absence or disengagement from the effort for 3 months or more requires prior approval.

All other leaves of absence must be in accordance with the standard practices and policies of the host institution. If the paid leave (medical) is a benefit provided to you and paid for by your host institution, Grants Administration does not need to provide approval. Contact the STScI Grant Administration office for clarification or if you have specific questions.

Funds in a restricted budget category (salary/stipend, NHFP symposium travel, relocation, and fringe benefits/health insurance) are specific to that cost category and cannot be re-budgeted to any other category. 

You may transfer funds between unrestricted budget categories.

Prior approval is required when the transfer of funds between cost categories exceeds $25,000 or 25% of the total award amount.

Please refer to the NHFP Guidelines for restrictions on the purchase of equipment and computing devices in the final six months of the grant. 

Unexpended funds from all unrestricted budget categories may roll-over into subsequent years.

Yes.  Prior approval is required for any foreign trip that was planned as a TBD foreign trip at the time the budget was submitted.

Prior approval is not required for supplies with a unit cost of less than $250. For supplies not specified in the approved budget with a unit cost greater than $250, prior approval is required.

Pursuant to IRS regulations, expenses associated with relocation must be treated as taxable income.  Your institution is required to make tax withholdings on relocation payments whether they are made directly to you or to a third party on your behalf.  Contact your Host Institution’s Human Resources department for information and guidance related to moving expenses and tax withholdings.

Relocation costs must be in accordance with the standard policies and practices of the Host Institution. It is generally allowable to use part of your relocation budget for the purpose of finding housing including:

• The costs of transportation of the employee, members of his or her immediate family and his or her household, and personal effects to the new location.
• The costs of finding a new home, such as advance trips by employees and spouses to locate living quarters and temporary lodging during the transition period, up to a maximum period of 30 calendar days.

No, you may not be reimbursed for relocation expenses if you relocate to a new institution that is less than 50 miles from your old institution.

If the move is greater than 50 miles, relocation cost must be in accordance with the Host Institution’s policy.

Yes, you are entitled to one relocation allowance.

The Host Institution should follow their standard policies and procedures regarding how cost are categorized and burdened. If categorized as salary, the restrictions on unallowable burdens in the NHFP Guidelines apply.

Providing additional salary in the form of a ‘plus up’ to cover any additional taxes owed as a result of the reimbursement of relocation expenses is unallowable.

Consistent with the Uniform Guidance, 200.464.(c), when relocation costs have been charged to the NHFP fellowship grant and the fellow resigns for reasons within their control within 12 months after the start of the fellowship, the recipient must refund or credit the grant for its share of the relocation cost.

Relocation costs for the purpose of obtaining or renewing your visa are unallowable.