Indirect Cost Recovery Program

Overview of Indirect Cost Recovery Program

Howard University has implemented the Indirect Cost Recovery (IDCR) Program to improve current practices for assigning indirect cost recoveries (also known as Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs, indirect costs, or overhead). The primary aim of the program is to enhance collaborative research ventures between investigators in different departments, centers, and schools.

The program establishes the University's position regarding indirect cost recovery. The program is intended to promote an environment of scholarly productivity by incentivizing University researchers. Specifically, indirect cost recovery is intended to reward Principal Investigators, their departments, and colleges for playing a lead role in the acquisition of externally funded grants and contracts for the University.

This program redirects the allocation of indirect costs captured in connection with externally-funded grants in ways that 1) enhance institutional support for research and scholarship; 2) increase faculty competitiveness in local, national, and international grant competitions; 3) magnify the impact of current internal and external investments in faculty-driven research and scholarship; 4) provide direct and significant incentive for faculty, academic departments, and collegiate units to invest in faculty research and scholarship; and, 5) enhance the national profile of the University.

All Principal Investigators, Department Chairs, and Deans that have received grants/contracts/awards for which the sponsoring agency is paying the full University research indirect cost (IDC) rate, will be affected by this program.