Anyone with a F30 buy a computer?

[gstrub]

I am wondering if anyone out there with a NIH F30 grant used any of the institutional allowance to purchase a computer. The NIH description says it can be used for equipment. I spoke to the NIH and they basically said that my PI decides how to allow usage of these funds, I am just trying to see if anyone out there has used the funds to make such a purchase.

Also, I know a friend of mine who used some of the funds to offset interview expenses. Anyone else pull that off? I think that would be fantastic...they will be providing $4200/year during even after my PhD is completed for "educational expenses, travel to meetings," etc. That will be a tougher sell to my PI I think as I will no longer be in the lab!

Anyone who has used any of their F30 IA for items other than lab supplies like antibodies please give me your input.
Thanks,
G

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[Hurricane]

I had an NRSA during the grad school part of my training, and I bought a laptop with it. I just had to get a purchase order through the department. Technically, anything you buy with it belongs to the institution, not you personally, so when you graduate they can ask you leave it behind. But my PI was cool about that and when the bar code lady came to slap a "property of" sticker on it, she made sure they put it on the (removable) battery. 😎

I also used it for travel to meetings. I paid for stuff up front, then got reimbursed.

And right before I graduated, I bought a PDA to use in med school. And then I got out of there before the bar code lady found me. 😀