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title: "Budget and costing"
canonical: "https://research.refined.site/space/Research/48791553/Budget%20and%20costing"
format: markdown
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### Research Budgets

Cost identification and development of a formal budget is required for all research activities. Budgets must be **reviewed **by the research management accountant before being submitted for locality **approval **at General Manager / Head of Division / Director level. 

For advice and to initiate budget review, contact [Buddhika Galahitiyawa](mailto:Buddhika.Galahitiyawa@waitematadhb.govt.nz), Research Management Accountant, Corporate Finance Department. 

Exceptions may apply for low resource impact clinical audit/evaluation for service improvement, and where research is for education purposes. 

### Costing/Budgeting Tool

For ***research grants***, use the budget template provided by the funder or if not available, enquire with the Research & Knowledge Centre or Waitematā District’s Research Management Accountant.  

For ***clinical trials and sponsored research***, download the costing tool directly from the [NZACRes website](https://nzacres.org.nz/costing-tool/).  

### Revenue contract signing process

To comply with the Health New Zealand (HNZ) Delegated Authority Policy, all revenue contracts must be signed by the Executive Regional Director, who is the authorised signatory.

Before a contract can be executed, the **Health Research Agreement Master Signature Sheet **must be completed. Please download the form and complete Section 1. Following budget review, obtain Finance endorsement in Section 2. After legal review, obtain Legal endorsement in Section 3 (if applicable), followed by endorsement from the Research & Knowledge Centre in Section 4.

Once Sections 1–4 have been completed, the Research & Knowledge Centre team will coordinate completion of Section 5 and arrange for contract execution.

 

### Overhead (from CMO)

A 15% overhead will apply on industry funded projects and investigator initiated non-commercial funded projects (for example HRC) which contribute to overheads costs. The funds will directly go toward supporting research in the District. It is important to note that this rate is on the low end of the spectrum compared to other Districts and research institutions which have a much higher overhead figure, and may be reviewed in future. The 15% overhead may reduce on a case for case basis if the research can demonstrate direct cost benefit to the organisation. The amount will be confirmed through the costing process and will be at the recommendation of the divisional General Manager and Head of Division to the Chair of the Research Governance Group and Chief Financial Officer.

Publicly funded research (e.g. HRC) will be fully costed, however, for some publicly funded projects these overheads will be zero (e.g. where research costs relate purely to salaries and incidentals fully funded by the research grant, and where the other Health NZ -Waitematā-related overheads are already covered by rental charges for offices etc). There may remain instances where it is appropriate to charge overhead if access to Waitematā facilities and systems is required that is not routinely be part of a rental agreement. 

> 📝 Note that not all funders allow overheads to be charged.  Refer to individual grant guidelines.

### Research Contracts

Visit our [legal and contracts](https://research.refined.site/space/Research/48333417/Legal+and+contracts) page.

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###### Last reviewed June 2026   
Author: Victoria Andersen & Kathryn Tennant