F30 Institutional allowance- How much do you actually get and how to spend?

[Lubdub223]

I have an F30 and have questions for you guys about how it works at your school. Ours takes a hefty 'fringe' out of the $4200 and leaves us with less than $2000 to spend. Do other schools do this? What all do they allow for you? Our grants office is declining things like USMLE registration fees, stethoscopes, iphones, and interview travel. They'll pretty much only approve conference attendance and computers. So:

1) How much of the $4200 do you actually get to spend?
2) What do you spend it on?
3) What M3/4 expenses does your institution allow?

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[aaugh]

1) My institution takes $2K for health insurance, leaving me with roughly $2.2K
2) I have not been told anything is explicitly off-limits but have yet to really start spending it for anything other than conference-related expenses. Electronics become property of the institution and I have to give back (despite disgruntled arguments with them), so I did not bother investing in a nicer laptop and bought a cheaper Lenovo instead to get me through the last few years. Past students have told me I can spend it on interview travel, though as time goes on I find our grants and finance offices more and more difficult to please. It is an F grant, therefore the allowance should be yours to spend however you please within reason, but institutions generally don't see grant money as anything but theirs, even though it's more theirs to distribute. Anyone further in their career working more with administration, please feel free to correct me - that's just my impression.
3) I'm planning on spending it for MS3/4 textbooks, exam fees, and question banks.

Purchasing an iPhone with the allowance seems a bit overkill/exploitative.

 

[eteshoe]

1. I've been given access to all $4200 (my PI covers my $2k/yr insurance) --> found out its because I'm in a surgical department and they don't know how to deal w/ F awards so yolo I guess

2. I've mostly spent it on conferences, short courses, and a new laptop. Was told explicitly for electronics that are not computers I'd have to fill out a bunch of paperwork to justify expense reports --> too much of a hassle (originally wanted a newer iPad)

3. I'm planning on using it for typical MS3/4 stuff --> exam fees, q banks, etc.

 

[Reckoner]

Wow, my institution takes all but $1000...

On the bright side, they'll pay for anything you can make a case for. And they only expect it to stay in the lab (explicitly, at least) if it costs > $5k. So small electronics are definitely fair game

So far I've used it for conferences. Going to use it for study aids during MS3 and interview travel during MS4

 

[Lubdub223]

my institution takes all but $1000

Boo! sorry!

 

[Lubdub223]

1. I've been given access to all $4200 (my PI covers my $2k/yr insurance) --> found out its because I'm in a surgical department and they don't know how to deal w/ F awards so yolo I guess

Nice! Jealous!