In a modular grant application to the National Institutes of Health, total direct costs up to $250,000 per year are requested in $25,000 increments or "modules" instead of being compiled from detailed and separate budget categories. At time of submission, NIH will accept a modular budget; however, at JIT, Duke must submit a detailed budget and justification. Supplies $1000 or more will require a detailed description within the budget justification.

A typical modular grant application will request the same number of modules in each year. Application budgets are simplified and the budget form pages of the PHS 398 application are not used. Instead, total direct costs requested for each year are presented on a simple modular budget form. A budget justification in narrative form is provided only for personnel and, when applicable, for consortium or contractual costs and major equipment costs.

Note that SPS and grants.duke are designed to prepare both regular and modular budgets in the correct format for NIH. Duke recommends creating a detailed budget in SPS at the time of submission.

Additional narrative budget justification is required if there is a variation in the number of modules requested from year to year. There is no routine escalation for future years. In determining the total for each budget year, applicants should first consider the direct cost of the entire project period. Well-justified modular increments or decrements in the total direct costs for any year of the project that reflect substantial changes in expected future activities may be requested. For example, purchase of major equipment in the first year may justify a higher overall budget in the first, but not in succeeding years.

NIH will request detailed budgets at Just-in-Time along with complete budget justifications. Important information regarding NIH Just-in-Time requests can be found here.