PPE Allowance FAQs

Am I allowed to charge PPE to my Grant?

As mandated by Boston University, masks are mandatory inside all BU buildings at all times except when eating, and outdoors when physical distancing of at least six feet isn’t possible.  Lab personnel should remove their cloth face covering before entering the lab and wear a dust/paper mask along with the other required PPE for lab work.  Unless specifically disallowed by the Sponsor, Boston University will allow PPE to be charged to federal and non-federal research under OMB guidance found here.  Specifically referencing Allowability of Costs not Normally Chargeable to Awards. (2 CFR § 200.403, 2 CFR § 200.404, 2 CFR § 200.405) “Awarding agencies may allow recipients who incur costs related to the cancellation of events, travel, or other activities necessary and reasonable for the performance of the award, or the pausing and restarting of grant funded activities due to the public health emergency, to charge these costs to their award without regard to 2 CFR § 200.403, Factors affecting allowability of costs, 2 CFR § 200.404, Reasonable costs, and 2 CFR § 200.405, Allocable costs…”

As with all Sponsored Research, costs of PPE should follow the four Cost Principles: Allowable, Allocable, Reasonable, and Consistently Treated.  If costs are later deemed unallowable by the Sponsor, the department will have to transfer said costs to a Departmental or School account.

BU Facial Cover and Respirator Guidelines can be found here.