Let’s walk through the process of submitting a budget in the Space Telescope Grants Management System (STGMS), which begins after successful proposal selections by the Telescope Allocation Committee (TAC). If you are looking for help submitting a proposal to TAC, you may reach out to the HST Help Desk or JWST Help Desk for more information. Prior to submitting a budget for an HST or JWST grant, proposers should carefully review the budget proposal process, which follows this general timeline:
Once the Telescope Allocation Committee (TAC) recommendations are approved by the STScI Director, STScI sends notification of approved programs, followed by a solicitation for budgets, known as the "Budget Notification letter". This letter is addressed to eligible U.S. Program Administrative PIs and copied to all eligible Co-Investigators. It provides a budget deadline date with instructions for budget preparation and budget submission.
Investigators who wish to submit a budget should first coordinate with the Program Administrative PI and reach out to Sponsored Projects Office at their institution for assistance submitting the budget in STGMS.
The budget is a detailed financial expression of the program. Costs must be allowable, reasonable and allocable and linked directly to achieving the specific science goals described in the approved science proposal. The responsibility for a complete, accurate proposal rests with each investigator and their institution. All budget submissions must be in accordance with the STScI General Grant Provisions using the approved Budget Narrative Template. They are evaluated based on the work proposed in science proposal. It is important to include clear, detailed, and complete information in the budget, budget narrative, and management plan. Missing or incomplete information will likely result in a reduction of funding allocated or approved for the program. Note that budget requirements are different for Program Administrative PIs and Co-Investigators.
Budgets are evaluated by the Financial Review Committee (FRC) to assess if the funding requested is appropriate to reduce, analyze and publish the data, and if the work is commensurate with the approved science proposal. There are different variables in assessing the amount ultimately awarded for a specific program. The FRC will review the complexity of the work and compare it to the budget request and the experience of the investigators performing the work.
Once the budgets are submitted in STGMS, STScI Grants Administration will complete a preliminary review. Budget statuses are updated in STGMS from ‘PI Approved’ to ‘Pending FRC’. This status means that the budget will be reviewed at the next STScI FRC meeting.
The FRC funding recommendations are presented to the STScI Directorate for approval, then sent to NASA for authorization. Contingent on the availability of funds from NASA, further reductions may be applied to the FRC recommendations. With NASA authorization, Program Admin PIs and their institutions will receive notification of funding approved for their program. This is the only notification letter sent. Co-Is will not receive individual notifications. The amount in the notification is the total amount approved for all funded investigators on the program. The notification letter does not signify a grant award (see Grant Awards section below).
If the approved program amount is less than the budgeted amount, the Program Admin PI determines the revised funding allocation for each grant and notifies each Co-I of the amount to submit for their revised budget by the deadline. If a program has been significantly reduced, the PI is expected to revise the scale of the project so that the work can be accomplished within the approved amount.
With the exception of any unallowable costs that must be specifically removed from the budget, reductions are not required in the cost categories listed in the notification. Each Co-I may decide how to reallocate their budget up to the approved amount.
An official award document for each funded grant on a program will be issued separately to each Co-I institution. GO awards are typically issued within 30 days after the first successful observations. AR awards are issued shortly after the Program Admin PI receives notification of the approved amount for the program. All awards are contingent based on the submission of overdue reports from previously awarded grants.
All grants are awarded contingent upon the following:
STScI grants are awarded with a three-year period of performance to allow time to conduct and complete the proposed research. STScI expects that the PI and grant personnel will complete the objectives of the proposed project within the grant period of performance. Award details, dates, conditions, and reporting requirements are stated in the Grant Award Document that is emailed to recipients from STGMS.
Note that NASA has revised the definition of U.S. Investigator and the Eligibility requirements have changed. The revision applies to new HST cost proposals submitted on or after May 25, 2022 and new JWST proposals submitted on or after September 14, 2022.
Reference the STScI General Grant Provisions (GGP), for more details, including the definition of a U.S. Investigator.
At most institutions, the Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) is responsible for submitting the budget in STGMS. Your institution will have internal due dates that precede STScI’s budget deadline. Be sure you are aware of all internal due dates so that your institution is able to submit the budget on time.
Your SPO will assist with calculating the budget and with the budget narrative, while following institutional procedures, federal policies and the GGP.
If you are a Postdoc or Grad Student listed as the scientific investigator on a program, your institution may require that a faculty sponsor be listed as the Admin PI on the budget. Reach out to your SPO if you have any questions.
Note: Program Administrative PIs are no longer required to enter narrative instrument information in the budget proposal. STGMS now retrieves this information automatically.
The budget requirements are different for a Program Admin PI versus a Co-I. The Program Admin PI is responsible for providing programmatic details and approving all Co-I budgets submitted for the program.
Program Admin PIs also have access to PI Program Management in STGMS. This page provides an overview of the program and allows the Program Admin PI to set a budget threshold for each funded Co-I and approve Co-I budgets.
Expand the sections below to learn more information about different program types.
TAC approved GO Programs will receive observations in the cycle for which they are proposed. The current cycle Call for Proposals provides detailed information.
Observations that are no longer exclusive access are available for analysis by interested scientists through direct retrieval from the Data Archive or from the Hubble Legacy Archive (HLA). The retrieval is free and does not involve financial support. The Archival Research (AR) Program can, however, provide financial support for the analysis of such data sets.
STScI has agreements with several other observatories (e.g. Chandra, XMM-Newton, TESS, NOIRLab, NRAO) to award time for joint programs in which HST or JWST science is the prime science, but multiwavelength observations from another ancillary observatory are critical for the science goals of the proposal.
Funding requests submitted for joint programs should support only the STScI portion of the project. Funding for the analysis of data from other observatories should be provided through their budget process. Refer to their respective websites for more information. Clearly describe and differentiate the labor effort for each program in the budget narrative.
Accepted SNAP (Snapshot) Programs are allocated a specific number of targets. There is no guarantee that any individual target will be observed, because SNAPs are placed on the schedule only after the observing sequence has been determined for the higher-priority GO targets. The number of observations actually executed depends on the availability of appropriate schedule gaps. In general, only a fraction of the allocated targets will be observed. Unlike GO Programs, SNAPs cannot request observing time in future cycles. Un-executed SNAPs remain active at decreased priority for a second cycle.
The average expected completion rate for SNAP Programs is ~33%. Budget proposals for SNAPs should be submitted, and will be reviewed, based on the average completion rate. It is not likely that SNAPs that execute in excess of 33% will receive additional funding.
Because GO Continuation programs have TAC approved orbits (HST) or hours (JWST) in more than one cycle, the budget proposal submission process varies somewhat than that for single cycle proposals.
Proposers submit a Science proposal in the first cycle only, but a separate budget proposal is required in the first cycle of the program and for each subsequent cycle of the program.
Note that a new program number will be assigned for each subsequent cycle. Budgets must be submitted using the program number assigned to that cycle.
Ensure that all the components of the budget proposal are complete and in compliance with institutional policies, STScI requirements and Federal regulations. The responsibility of a clear, complete, and accurate budget and narrative rests with each investigator and their institution. The program budget is comprised of the individual budgets submitted by each Investigator requesting funding for their work on the program.
If you have questions about when the period of performance will begin, reference Grant Awards in the Proposal Timeline section.
Period of Performance (PoP) is the time during which the grant recipient may incur costs to perform the work authorized under the STScI grant award. Regardless of the months of support requested in the budget period/proposal, grants are awarded with a 3-year PoP.
To allow adequate time to complete the project and to alleviate the administrative burden of requesting a no-cost extension, the 3-year PoP essentially incorporates a 12-month automatic no-cost extension. The additional year’s PoP is solely for the purpose of completing grant activities, and not to expend the unused balance. If work on the project is completed in less than 3-years, final reports are submitted and the closeout process begins.
Budget Period is the period of time necessary to complete the proposed research effort (in a budget proposal). This will be consistent with the project timeline in the budget narrative. For example: Postdoc salary for 12 months each in years 1 and 2 total 24 months, so the budget period is 2 years.
Depending on the type and complexity of the project, STScI normally expects the budget period to reduce and analyze data, and publish results, to be 1 – 2 years for most programs. It is expected that budget requests will not include more than 24 months of labor effort per person. Major projects may require a longer period of effort in excess of 2 years and up to 3 years. If a program requests funding for more than a 2-year effort, the science goals and justification must strongly justify support in excess of the standard 2-year budget period.
Budgets for U.S. investigators should be proportionate to their level of effort. For example, if the foreign investigators are responsible for conducting the majority of the work on the project, and the U.S. team is responsible for a small portion of the work (e.g. contributing in an advisory role, or reducing a small amount of data), We would not expect to see a proportionately large budget for the U.S. team.
For more information about each budget element, expand the boxes below.
The STGMS User Guide provides step-by-step instructions for submitting a budget.
Budgets are generated and submitted using the Space Telescope Grants Management System (STGMS). Costs are entered in the STGMS budget form by cost-category. If a cost is listed in the budget and not in the budget narrative, or vice versa, the FRC will make a funding recommendation based on what makes the most sense.
A strong, clear budget narrative is key. The Financial Review Committee (FRC) requires this information to review budget proposals and make funding recommendations based on the tasks, level of effort, and other costs required to complete the research in the approved science proposal.
The budget narrative includes I. Summary of contribution of all investigators, II. Technical Program Summary, III. Program Management Plan, and IV. Budget Description, including all non-labor costs (e.g. travel, computer equipment and services, publication charges, etc.).
The required format is the Budget Narrative Template. Requests that do not use the required budget narrative template will be returned. The template includes detailed instructions for completing each section (I-IV) of the budget narrative. Program Admin PIs must complete all sections of the budget narrative template (section IV should only include costs for your budget). Co-Is are only required to complete sections III and IV of the budget narrative template.
Read below for a summary of the different sections of the Budget Narrative Template.
Completed by Program Admin PI ONLY
This summary table is used to demonstrate how much effort is required for the tasks, and who is contributing to the effort. The table should list all persons, including any new investigators who may have been added after the Phase I submission (U.S., foreign, funded, and unfunded).
Completed by Program Admin PI ONLY
Summarize the data sets being collected in this program and major aspects of the data analysis for which funding is being requested.
Completed by all investigators
Program Admin PIs are responsible for providing the information requested in this section for the entire program.
Co-Investigators are responsible for providing the information requested in this section for their portion of the work only.
Detailed requirements are included in the Budget Narrative Template.
Completed by all investigators
Include a brief, clear narrative to describe each cost item, and include the basis of estimate (cost methodology) for administrative and clerical support, supplies and materials (including computing devices), and equipment.
If you are a Program Admin PI, this section should describe the costs requested in your budget only.
Common budget cost categories include:
Salaries and Fringe
For further details about allowable, allocable and reasonable costs, see the GGP.
STScI has the final authority to determine if costs for budgets, awards, and expenditures are allowable, reasonable, and allocable. STScI reserves the right to recover grant expenditures that were not in compliance with applicable policies and regulations Unallowable costs will be removed from the budget request. Some examples of unallowable costs:
For detailed information about submitting a Continuation budget, reference Continuation under "What type of budget are preparing?" above.
Support for ground-based observations may be requested in the budget if they were included within the scope of the research effort defined in the approved science proposal. The total cost of ground-based observations should be only a small portion (generally not more than 10%) of the overall program budget.
Preparatory (prep) funding should be requested at the time of budget submission. The field for this request is in the STGMS budget form under the Indirect Costs accordion section and should be justified in the budget narrative.
Prep funding is available for GO programs only. Up to 25% of the total approved budgeted amount may be requested to begin essential work prior to observations. Preparatory funding is awarded subject to the submission of revised budgets and/or overdue reports.
In accordance with the GGP, pre-award costs are an allowable expense. Please note that such costs are incurred at the grantee’s own risk and will not impose an obligation on the part of STScI or NASA if an award is not subsequently made, or if an award is made for a lesser amount than the grantee anticipated. The costs must be for project activities directly related to a specific STScI program and necessary for efficient and timely performance of the scope of work. Such costs are allowable only to the extent that they would have been allowable if incurred after the date of the grant award. STScI waives the approval requirement for pre-award costs of 90 days or less.
The budget requirements are different for a Program Admin PI and Co-Investigators. Please reference each checklist below for details.
✓ Complete budget form in STGMS
✓ Upload Current and Pending Support
✓ Attach completed Budget Narrative Template (all sections)
✓ Approve Co-I budgets
✓ Complete budget form in STGMS
✓ Upload Current and Pending Support
✓ Attach completed Budget Narrative Template (sections III-IV)
First, verify that your MyST profile is up-to-date! This includes double-checking that your institution and email address are current, which is an important step to make sure you receive our notifications.
If you do not have an STGMS account, contact STScI Grants Administration at gms_mail@stsci.edu for a list of STGMS User Account Managers at your institution who can assist you in creating an account. Levels of access to STGMS system are maintained by the grantee institution. If you require a revision of your access level, contact an account manager at your institution.
Once you are logged in to STGMS, from the Main Menu navigate to Budget > Budget search. There are a few ways to find your budget form but the easiest way is to enter the 5-digit program number (e.g. - 12345) in the Program Number field. Select your grant number as it auto-populates, click Search, then choose your grant from the list below. From the Budget List page you will be able to create new budgets or revise existing budgets. The STGMS User Guide includes step-by-step instructions for using the budget editor feature.
Every budget submitted to STScI must have Current and Pending Support (C&P) for the Grant Science PI. If the PI already has a C&P document for the cycle in STGMS, the document will automatically attach. If the PI must create a new C&P document, select the 'Create Current & Pending Document' button and attach the PDF. The following information is required:
As a reminder, the Program Admin PI should complete sections I through IV of the Budget Narrative Template. Co-Is are only required to complete sections III and IV. Be sure to delete the instructions in each section and convert to a PDF format prior to uploading the Budget Narrative to the budget form in STGMS. Incomplete information will likely result in a reduction of funding allocated to your program.
Give your budget one final review. When you're ready, scroll to the bottom of the budget editor form to either 'Save & Notify' or 'Submit' the budget. Typically, Investigators are only able to 'Save & Notify', which will forward your budget to folks at your institution who have the privilege to submit budget(s) on your behalf.
If you have the privilege to submit a budget, you will receive a pop-up dialog box to certify acceptance and compliance with certifications, assurances, and representations. The submitter must check all three boxes before the submit button is available to click, at which time a password is required.
All budget proposals are reviewed by the Financial Review Committee (FRC), made up of scientists from the user community. The FRC applies specific criteria to assess whether the funding requested is justified. These include:
It may be necessary to apply additional cuts to programs beyond those recommended by the FRC if the total requested by all programs exceeds the funding made available by NASA.
For more details, please consult the GGP.
A notification is issued once the budget has been submitted. If the budget is for a Program Admin PI, the budget is automatically PI approved. If the budget is for a Co-I, the Program Admin PI will be notified to approve your budget. The table below describes different statuses of a budget.
| Status Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Approved | The budget was submitted and has been reviewed and approved by STScI Grants Administration. |
| Denied | The budget is denied. |
| Needs PI Approval | The budget was submitted and is pending approval from the Program Admin PI. |
| Needs Revision | Revisions are required before the budget can be approved. |
| Pending FRC | The budget was submitted and is pending review by the Financial Review Committee (FRC). |
| PI Approved | The Program Admin PI has provided PI approval and the budget is pending review by STScI Grants Administration. (A budget submitted by a Program Admin PI is automatically PI approved.) |
| Saved | The budget is in process. STScI Grants Administration does not have access to saved budgets. |
| Superceded | STGMS automatically supercedes a budget once a revision is submitted. This status is also used for transfer situations. |
You may find the following resources helpful as you go through the budget submission process. Still have questions? Reach out to STScI Grants Administration at (410) 338-4200 or gms_mail@stsci.edu.
For general questions and information, please contact us at
gms_mail@stsci.edu or 410-338-4200.
Institutions may set up electronic payments by emailing accountspayable@stsci.edu.
