Budget Preparation

Guidance on Preparing the Budget for the Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship Grant Proposal

The Fellowship budget should be simple and straightforward. The 3-year grant includes no indirect costs, and relocation and travel reimbursements are administered by the Institute of Medicine separate from the grant. The main cost components for the budget are expected to be the Fellow's salary while in Washington (the fellowship year, along with any extensions beyond August), and costs of policy-related activities after the year of residence in Washington. Line items might include travel to interact directly with policy-makers at the national or state level after the fellowship period, the Fellow's time for research or writing, time of a research assistant or support staff, or other costs directly attributable to policy-related activities.

The total for expenditures all three years may not exceed $165,000.

Stipend for the Washington year

The largest single item in the proposal, and the only expense for most applicants in year one, will be up to $94,000 per year to cover the Fellow's stipend for the year in Washington, DC. The stipend can be no higher than current salary. The stipend during the work placement period in Washington can be supplemented by the Fellow's sponsoring institution. The cost of the Fellow's current fringe benefits at the sponsoring institution should be included in the grant request on a pro-rated basis based on the portion of the Fellow's salary covered by RWJF.

Work placement extensions

The salary line item for year one will include both the orientation period (September-December) and the work placement period (January-August). Year two might include salary to extend the Fellow's work placement period through the end of the legislative session (usually October or November) or through the end of the calendar year.

Other expenses for years 2 and 3

Other expenses years two and three might include travel to interact with policy-makers, part-time support of the Fellow's salary to support policy-related work, time for a research assistant, expenses of operating a website, empirical data-gathering on a policy-related topic, etc.

For further guidance on preparing budgets for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, please look at the Foundation's Budget Preparation Guidlines (Word Document).