Sponsored Programs

If allowed by the sponsor, you may include people who are not employed at Appalachian for their participation on your sponsored project. You would pay them as a consultant or contractor via a work order—as opposed to paying them via a subrecipient agreement with their institution—when:

• They provide professional services (defined as unique, technical, and/or infrequent functions performed by an independent contractor qualified by education, experience, and/or technical ability to provide services);
• They need little or no oversight or direction;
• They are not involved in the overall project design and/or development;
• They are not listed as co-authors on publications reporting project results;
• They do not use their institutional resources but instead conduct work on their own time (evenings, weekends, vacation/holidays), using a home office and personal equipment (such as a personal computer).

Examples of professional services consultants/contractors might provide include marketing analysis, auditing, statistical analysis, project/program evaluation, translation services, website and software development/design, and editing services.

When including consultants/contractors in your proposal budget, keep in mind:

• You should obtain a letter of intent from each individual that includes:
  • Services to be performed;
  • Period of time in which those services will be performed;
  • Daily rate of compensation.
• Payment for a consultant's services may not exceed the daily equivalent of the current maximum rate paid to an Executive Schedule Level IV Federal Employee.
• You may need to include his or her CV or resume in the proposal so the sponsor can verify skills and credentials.