Funding for procurement of equipment is provided on the basis of independent calls for proposals for research infrastructure.
Depreciation costs in projects
A proportion of the depreciation costs for equipment/infrastructure, associated with the project’s use of the equipment.
Depreciation schedule
The depreciation schedule used in the grant application must be based on the time frame that the owner of the equipment (project owner or partner) has stipulated for equipment write-offs in its ordinary accounting procedures or financial programmes. If the institution does not have any established guidelines, a five-year period of depreciation is to be applied.
Amount to be written off
Depreciation costs to be included in the grant application are limited to the share (percentage) of the equipment to be used in the project. If the project will be using x% of the equipment capacity, then x% of the depreciation costs may be entered as a project cost. This means that it will only be possible to enter full depreciation costs for equipment whose use will be solely dedicated to the project. Depreciation costs may only be included within the period of depreciation established for the equipment (see example below). Good accounting practice and any existing guidelines for accounting-based write-offs are to be employed.
The project’s proportion of the depreciation costs should be entered in the row for “Equipment” on the application form, and correspondingly in the Project Accounts Report.
An institution applies for funding for a four-year project with start-up in 2011. The project will be using equipment installed in 2009 that was purchased by the institution for an amount of NOK 2 million. The Research Council has not contributed to funding for the purchase of the equipment. The depreciation period is five years (2009-2013). It is presumed that the equipment will not have any value after the depreciation period. The project’s use of the equipment’s capacity will be somewhat uneven during the project period, but will comprise an average of 20% of the annual capacity the two first years and 10% the two last years.
| Year | Depreciation cost for the institution (in NOK 1000) |
Calculation, share of depreciation cost (in NOK 1000) | Proportion of the depreciation costs to be entered under “Equipment” in the grant application form (in NOK 1000) |
| 2009 | 400 |
(Project start-up not until 2011) | (Project start-up not until 2011) |
| 2010 | 400 | (Project start-up not until 2011) |
(Project start-up not until 2011) |
| 2011 | 400 | 80 (20% of 400) | 80 |
| 2012 | 400 | 80 (20% of 400) | 80 |
| 2013 | 400 | 40 (10% of 400) | 40 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 (equipment is fully written off) | 0 |
| Total | 2000 | 200 |