What is Participant Support?
Participant Support is funding that is provided to enable and encourage individuals to attend conferences or training programs without undo financial burden. Participant support costs refer to direct costs for such items as, stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences or training periods. Participant support costs (PSC) are excluded from the Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) base.
Who can be a Participant?
A participant is defined as a non-employee who is the recipient, not the provider, of a service or training associated with a workshop, conference, seminar, symposium, or other short-term instructional or information sharing activity.
Participants are not required to provide any deliverable, other than meeting the program requirements (e.g. attendance, testing, etc.).
Examples of Participants
- Students
- Scholars
- Scientists
- Teachers
- Private Sector Representatives
Who can’t be a Participant?
Participants cannot be an employee of the grantee institution, advisory board members, interns with paid appointments or anyone who has a deliverable or is primarily providing a service to the project.
Participant Support Funding Categories
Stipend
Stipends are a set amount of money to be paid directly to the participant. These conditions for receiving a stipend should be in writing and program completion attested to by the PI. Each granting agency may have specific guidelines for participant stipends. Stipends should be a set amount of money given to participants via Disbursement Order.
Travel
Travel includes the costs of transportation and associated costs that must follow the sponsor guidelines as well as the university policies and guidelines. The sole purpose of the trip must be to participate in the project activity. If the training activity involves additional field trips, the costs of transportation of participants may be allowable. Travel costs will be reimbursed via Disbursement Order or Expense Report.
Subsistence
Subsistence covers the cost of housing and meal expenses necessary for the participant to participate in the project. *Providing these costs are reasonable and limited to the days of attendance.*
Fees
Costs directly associated with attending conferences, symposia, or training projects. Such costs could include registration, conference and similar fees.
Other
Certain other costs may also be allowable if consistent with university policy and practice and specified in the proposal approved by sponsor upon review (i.e. training materials or laboratory supplies where approved by the sponsor).
Participant Support PeopleSoft Account Codes
- 16 PSUPPRT – Participant Support
- 2581 – Participant Support (with O/H)
- 2720 – Room/Board/Maintenance
- 17 PSSTIPD – Participant Support Stipend
- 2674 – Participant Stipend (No O/H)
- 18 PSTRAV – Participant Support Travel
- 2670 – Participant Travel (No O/H)
- 19 PSSUBSI – Participant Support Subsistence
- 2672 – Participant Subsistence (No O/H)
- 2676 – Participant Hospitality (No O/H)
- 20 PSUPNOH – Participant Support No Overhead
- 2580 – Participant Support (No O/H)
- 2671 – Participant Supplies (No O/H)
- 2673 – Participant Misc. (No O/H)
- 2675 – Participant Honorarium (No O/H)
Expense Allowability
For Participant Support Costs to be Allowable:
- The costs must be programmatically justified.
- The costs must be explicitly included in the budget and the budget is approved or prior written approval is received from the Federal awarding agency.
- The expense does not take indirect costs.
For costs to be allowable as participant support costs, they must support the participant’s engagement in the activity.
Unallowable Costs
- Speaker Fees
- Costs for PI or Project Staff, such as salary and wages, fringe, or travel
- Costs for a consultant
- Conference/Workshop Support costs such as facility rental, catering, supplies, or media equipment rental
- Costs for collaborators, such as travel
- Incentives (prizes), memorabilia or gifts
- Trainer or facilitator fees
- Meal costs for non-Participants
- Human Subject Payments
- Indirect costs