Does anyone know how you figure out how much you can justify giving yourself out of a small (i.e. $15k-ish) grant? Is it even typical to give yourself some money out of those kinds of small grants, or is it all supposed to be for equipment?
If you're in the writing phase of a grant, the formula I've seen faculty use is more:
Annual salary * percent of work grant will occupy during terms of effect
e.g., 10 hours a week = 1/4 salary for the time period of the grant. If you make 52,000/year, that's 1,000/week= $250/week for the grant period.
BUT I've also seen other institutions and or grant-writing agencies use different formulas (and feel quite strongly about them.)
Important is to have a formula - to be able to specify how you got to the $ value you're putting on your time.
And if the grant is for $15,000 of equipment and you NEED $15,000 of equipment, you could be in trouble - most institutions take a percentage of the grant 'off the top' as an overhead fee. Some grantors don't allow that, and some (like NIH) build it into their system, so if they say they're giving you a $10,000 grant, you get $10,000, then your university gets its $300 from a separate check. But that's just the NIH. A grant from Pew for $10,000 would result in a check to you for (at best) $9,700. (or whatever your institution's cut is).
Almost all institutions have a grant writing center that knows this kind of stuff. I would go talk to them early and often. They are strongly motivated to help people write good grants.
If you're currently a volunteer, find out if there is anyone in the area who works in the same general field as you for pay and use their salary as a base. Then figure how much time you'll spend and go from there. But always use a formula, and show your work.
/no, I haven't written many grants. And only a few of those got accepted.
//but I did spend four years in a relationship with a program officer who read and accepted or rejected grants
/best thing to come out of that relationship...
