IRD is a Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A) investment program sponsored by the Office of Research and Economic Development (RED). Principal Investigators (PIs) who use OSP funding sources with F&A costs to pay salaries for Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) and undergraduate research support qualify for a 20% return from the Vice President for Research and Economic Development on the F&A generated from GRA account codes 61127 and 61127A, and undergraduate support account codes 61225, 61226, 61227, and 61228. This return can be received each semester (fall, spring, summer), with a maximum payout of $15,000 per semester.

  • Only grants that incur F&A costs are eligible for the IRD program.
  • Processing Intervals:
    • Spring = Jan. 1-May 31
    • Summer = June 1-Aug. 31
    • Fall = Sept. 1-Dec. 31

IRD funds are to be used to further support the research mission at MSU. Eligible expenditures include travel, equipment, supplies, salaries for student and research personnel, tuition and fees, and service agreements. However, IRD funds cannot be used for unallowable expenses such as social gatherings, alcohol, or non-research-related items. For questions about allowable expenditures, please contact Tawnya Morgan, RED Budget Director. Additionally, per MSU policy, IRD expenditures are subject to a 6% administrative fee assessed by the Vice President for Administration and Finance Office.

The RED office will establish a new IRD index for each qualifying PI. Funds will be deposited into that index at the end of each semester in January, June, and August. The IRD index will use the organization number associated with the PI’s home department. A standard nomenclature of “IRD Support PI Last Name” will also be used. IRD funds will be managed by the relevant departmental or Fiscal Shared Services (FSS) personnel and any remaining cash balance at the end of each fiscal year will be carried forward to the following year. Overspent IRD indices will be the responsibility of the PI and their department to manage effectively. It is essential for both parties to closely monitor expenditures and promptly address any overspending. Income may not be transferred in or out of IRD indices, therefore finance expenditure corrections must be processed to resolve any overspent indices. If a PI transfers to a new department/org, a new IRD index can be established to move any remaining balance to the new org. When a PI leaves MSU, any remaining balance will return to RED. 

Before each funding disbursement, a review of the current cash balance in the PI’s IRD index will be conducted to determine the allowable distribution, up to the IRD index cap of $15,000 per semester. RED will only fund IRD indices up to the $15,000 cap at time of disbursement. Calculations will not accumulate or be done retroactively, and undistributed amounts will revert to the central pool in RED. The distributed funds will post as income (account code 53360G) and the description will state which semester was involved (e.g. “IRD GRA FY21 Fall”). PIs can begin spending once funds have been received; NO expenditures can occur in advance of deposits.