Graduate students frequently act as Research Assistants and receive compensation in the form of salary. Unlike fellowships and other stipend payments, GRA salaries are an appropriate charge to a research project. These salaries are not subject to the fringe benefit charge that is normally assessed on salaries.

Sponsors vary in their allowability of compensation for graduate students. Typical expenses allowed on a research proposal for a graduate student are salary, tuition remission and other training expenses. It is important to read the sponsor's guidelines for its rules on graduate student compensation. For further information, see Tuition Remission.

For example, NIH limits the compensation for graduate students. Current NRSA levels are posted at http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm).

For more information regarding this NIH policy, please refer to: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-017.html

When requesting graduate student compensation on a budget, the specific school where the student is matriculating should be consulted for current tuition rates.

Graduate student and postdoctoral fellows have unique budgetary considerations on NIH NRSA training grants. See NIH Training Grants for specific instructions.