Budget reviews for site specific approvals

Research project budgets

All researchers planning to undertake a research project at the RMH or who are planning to use RMH resources must, as part of their governance submission for site-specific approval, contact the Management Accountant – Research (MAR).

The MAR will advise whether a meeting to discuss the project is required. It is strongly recommended that the MAR be contacted as early as possible during the preparation of their governance application.

Budget review submission

The following documentation and information is required for the budget review.

Agreements (outlining financial income and/or expense to the RMH)

A clinical trial research agreement, research collaboration agreement, funding agreement or letter of offer should detail the source of external funding for the project. A completed draft version of the relevant agreement for preliminary review is sufficient. A finalised version of the agreement will then be required for final budget approval.

Project protocol

A project protocol is the document that describes the objective(s), design, methodology, statistics and organisation of a project.

All Statement of Approval forms relevant to the project

SOAs must be completed and signed by the Head of Department for each RMH department used to conduct the project. This includes, but is not limited to, departments that will be used for services, staff, infrastructure or recruitment purposes.

Estimated labour time

Provide details of the estimated time that all RMH staff members will contribute to the conduct of the study using the Estimated Labour Time Template. A simplified labour template is available for non-commercially sponsored studies. Contact the MAR if the simplified labour template is likely to be more suitable.

Details of other project expenses

Consider any other project expenses. These expenses may include archiving costs, capital equipment, ethics fees, meal allowances, postage, printing and stationery, statistical analysis, software, travel allowances.

Cost centre number (RMH only)

Provide the RMH cost centre number from which the project will operate.

Participants

Provide details of the anticipated number of participants to be recruited at each site and the anticipated recruitment period.

Budget approval notification

The approval will be emailed to you either as:

• A budget document prepared by the MAR, or
• A confirmation by the MAR that the project's budget has been reviewed.

Allow at least three weeks from the date of the meeting with the MAR for the budget approval notification. The budget approval must then be submitted to the Office for Research as part of the governance submission.

Invoicing and payment clauses

All funding agreements to which the RMH is a party must include the standard invoicing and payment clauses in "Schedule 2 - Payments" of the appropriate Medicines Australia Clinical Trial Research Agreement template.

• Neurology and Neurosurgery departments use the Neurosciences invoicing & payment clauses for research agreements
• All other departments at the RMH use the RMH invoicing and payment clauses for research agreements