US private funder on indirect costs

摘要

As vice-president of the James S. McDonnell Foundation (JSMF), I wish to clarify our position on the recovery of indirect research costs, which include overheads such as administration and building-maintenance costs (Nature 476,385; 2011). You are correct in that the JSMF does not allow applicant institutions to include indirect costs as a component of budget requests; however, this should not be branded as a 'refusal' to fund indirect costs.