Participant Support vs Incentive

Participant Support

Per Uniform Guidance- 2 CFR 200.75 “Participant support costs means direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences, or training projects.”

Examples of Participant Support Costs

• Stipends or subsistence allowances
• Travel allowances
• Registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences or training projects

What does not qualify as participant support costs

• Honoraria – guest speaker at a conference, symposium or workshop
• Human Subjects - Incentive payments to encourage individuals to participate in research study and provide private data/information through intervention or interaction.  This includes participation in surveys and interviews.
• Fellowships – financial support for a postdoctoral fellow to do things such as attend conferences or workshops
• UNM employees (faculty, staff, and student employee on the award)
• General collaborator including non-UNM co-PIs
• Project organizer, consultant, facilitator, or coordinator of the workshop, conference, training session
• Speaker (unless the majority of time is spent as a participant and not a speaker)
• Rental fees, catering and general supplies

Participant Incentives

NIH defines Participant Incentives as payments to individuals to motivate them to take advantage of grant-supported health care or other services are allowable if within the scope of an approved project. 

Support vs Incentive

Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A) on Participant Support vs Participant Incentives

Participant support costs are F&A excludable and should be explicitly listed in the proposal budget and budget justification.  

Participant Incentives are NOT excludable from F&A and should be entered on the budget under Other Costs