As a general rule, it is normally not appropriate to include a request for secretarial or administrative support in the proposed budget for an external grant. The federal government, for example, has determined that such an expense is an indirect cost that would be covered by the facilities and administrative (F & A) cost added to the proposed budget. (See OMB Circular A-21, section F-6-B-2.)
In some cases, however, it might be appropriate to include administrative and secretarial costs as a separate budget item if the activities to be performed are significant and would amount to more that what would reasonably be expected to be performed as a part of normal administrative support. Another important factor is whether or not the guidelines provided by the granting entity make explicit reference to how to handle secretarial support as a part of the budget request.
For guidance if questions arise regarding how to accomplish the clerical program support that will be required as a part of a particular grant project, faculty members of the University of Mary Washington interested in submitting proposals to external funding sources contact their Department Chair (CAS) or Associate Dean (COB or COE). Staff members should contact their Immediate Supervisor.