Update: F&A Waiver Justification Guidance

9/10/2021: A pop-up has been added to the F&A Waiver Justification SmartForm in ERA Proposals, providing an updated set of questions and considerations that waiver justifications should address. See below for the new bulleted list.

While waiver requests are highly scrutinized and rarely approved, waiver justifications should address the new bullet points thoroughly, where applicable, when a request is made.

The F&A Waivers page, the PDF F and A Waiver Request Form on the Forms & Templates page, and the How to Start an F&A Waiver lesson in Research Academy have all been updated. Brief instructions for routing a waiver in ERA are also included in the ERA Budgets Guide.

Questions and Considerations that F&A Waiver Justifications Should Address:

  • Budget – Why are we not able to use ASU’s full F&A rate?
  • Future Planning – If this project may be renewed in future, what steps are being taken to ensure that ASU’s full F&A rate will be utilized on future funding for this program?
  • Diversity – Please describe any ways that this project will benefit and include historically marginalized populations.
  • Charter – How does this project advance ASU’s charter?
  • Mission & Goals – How does this project advance ASU’s mission and goals?