Allocation Rates

FY2024 Allocation Rates

FY 2024 ONR Final Authorization of Use of Interdepartmental Laboratory Allocation Rates Letter [PDF] - August 9, 2023

Current Allocation Rates by Component

Lab Acronym

Interdepartmental Laboratory Name

S&W

M&S

Utilities

CSAIL

Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

9.20%

0.70%

N/A

CTL

Center for Transportation & Logistics

5.60%

0.00%

N/A

HAYSTACK

Haystack Observatory

28.80%

7.10%

5.60%

LIDS

Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems

6.00%

1.00%

N/A

LNS

Laboratory for Nuclear Science

8.40%

0.00%

N/A

MITei

MIT Energy Initiative

6.00%

0.00%

N/A

MKI

MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research

9.20%

0.60%

N/A

MRL

Materials Research Laboratory

4.60%

0.00%

N/A

PSFC

Plasma Science and Fusion Center

11.00%

0.90%

N/A

RLE

Research Laboratory of Electronics

6.90%

0.70%

N/A

SSRC

MIT Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (MIT SSRC)

4.30%

0.00%

N/A

View historical allocation rates

Overview of Allocation Rates

Allocation costs are largely the administrative and support salaries and non-salary expenses incurred for the overall administration and management of the lab. Allocation rates are charged in addition to other indirect cost rates. Unallowable costs cannot be charged to the allocation accounts.

The determination and use of allocation accounts has been approved by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and is restricted to certain circumstances in certain laboratories.   

The expenses of an approved allocation unit's central administrative group are distributed to all accounts administered within 11 Institute labs and centers. Each lab charges its own set of allocation rates.  There are three types of rates to allocate:

  • Salaries and wages
  • Materials and services.
  • Utilities (at Haystack Observatory only)

Allocation costs are largely the administrative and support salaries and non-salary expenses incurred for the overall administration and management of the lab. Unallowable costs cannot be charged to the allocation accounts. 

The allocation rates are used for uniformly assigning allocation costs to all cost collectors (WBS Elements, Internal Orders, Cost Centers, etc.) with certain exceptions (generally, laboratory director general accounts, service facilities, fabricated equipment, payroll/suspense & clearing accounts, and telephone equipment and network accounts).

Within each receiving cost object, SAP applies each allocation rate to all direct expenditures except modifiers, such as equipment, tuition, subcontracts (greater than $25K), employee benefits, vacation accrual, and indirect costs. This base can be referred to as an adjusted modified total direct cost (Adjusted MTDC) base.

Download an allocation costs example

Historical Allocation Rates

Download the FY2023 Final Approved Interdepartmental Laboratory Allocation Rates Letter [PDF]

FY2023 Allocation Rates

Lab Acronym

Interdepartmental Laboratory Name

S&W

M&S

Utilities

CSAIL

Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

9.50%

1.00%

N/A

CTL

Center for Transportation & Logistics

2.80%

0.00%

N/A

HAYSTACK

Haystack Observatory

25.20%

4.40%

5.10%

LIDS

Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems

6.00%

0.80%

N/A

LNS

Laboratory for Nuclear Science

6.90%

0.00%

N/A

MITei

MIT Energy Initiative

6.00%

0.00%

N/A

MKI

MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research

8.50%

0.00%

N/A

MRL

Materials Research Laboratory

4.60%

0.00%

N/A

PSFC

Plasma Science and Fusion Center

9.80%

1.20%

N/A

RLE

Research Laboratory of Electronics

7.30%

0.80%

N/A

SSRC

MIT Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (MIT SSRC)

4.20%

0.80%

N/A
FY2022 Allocation Rates

Lab Acronym

Interdepartmental Laboratory Name

S&W

M&S

Utilities

CSAIL

Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

8.60%

0.60%

N/A

CTL

Center for Transportation & Logistics

3.10%

0.00%

N/A

HAYSTACK

Haystack Observatory

22.10%

5.80%

5.70%

LIDS

Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems

9.30%

0.00%

N/A

LNS

Laboratory for Nuclear Science

6.90%

0.00%

N/A

MITei

MIT Energy Initiative

6.00%

0.00%

N/A

MKI

MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research

9.20%

0.50%

N/A

MRL

Materials Research Laboratory

4.60%

0.00%

N/A

PSFC

Plasma Science and Fusion Center

8.40%

1.20%

N/A

RLE

Research Laboratory of Electronics

10.20%

0.00%

N/A

SSRC

MIT Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (MIT SSRC)

5.10%

0.00%

N/A
FY2021 Allocation Rates

Lab Acronym

Interdepartmental Laboratory Name

S&W

M&S

Utilities

CSAIL

Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

6.90%

0.80%

N/A

CTL

Center for Transportation & Logistics

3.00%

2.00%

N/A

HAYSTACK

Haystack Observatory

20.90%

8.00%

5.80%

LIDS

Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems

6.60%

0.00%

N/A

LNS

Laboratory for Nuclear Science

7.80%

0.50%

N/A

MITei

MIT Energy Initiative

6.00%

0.00%

N/A

MKI

MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research

7.80%

0.00%

N/A

MRL

Materials Research Laboratory

4.60%

0.00%

N/A

PSFC

Plasma Science and Fusion Center

8.30%

1.40%

N/A

RLE

Research Laboratory of Electronics

9.90%

0.00%

N/A

SSRC

MIT Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (MIT SSRC)

1.30%

2.50%

N/A
FY2020 Allocation Rates

Lab Acronym

Interdepartmental Laboratory Name

S&W

M&S

Utilities

CSAIL

Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

7.60%

0.80%

N/A

CTL

Center for Transportation & Logistics

5.40%

3.30%

N/A

HAYSTACK

Haystack Observatory

25.20%

6.40%

11.40%

LIDS

Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems

6.90%

0.00%

N/A

LNS

Laboratory for Nuclear Science

7.00%

0.70%

N/A

MITei

MIT Energy Initiative

6.00%

0.00%

N/A

MKI

MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research

8.00%

1.10%

N/A

MRL

Materials Research Laboratory

4.60%

0.00%

N/A

PSFC

Plasma Science and Fusion Center

8.80%

1.70%

N/A

RLE

Research Laboratory of Electronics

9.40%

0.50%

N/A

SSRC

MIT Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (MIT SSRC)

4.00%

1.30%

N/A
FY2019 Allocation Rates

Lab Acronym

Interdepartmental Laboratory Name

S&W

M&S

Utilities

CSAIL

Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

7.90%

1.10%

N/A

CTL

Center for Transportation & Logistics

4.30%

1.40%

N/A

HAYSTACK

Haystack Observatory

24.70%

8.30%

9.80%

LIDS

Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems

7.60%

1.10%

N/A

LNS

Laboratory for Nuclear Science

7.90%

0.50%

N/A

MITei

MIT Energy Initiative

6.00%

0.00%

N/A

MKI

MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research

7.40%

0.00%

N/A

MRL

Materials Research Laboratory

4.50%

0.00%

N/A

PSFC

Plasma Science and Fusion Center

8.80%

1.60%

N/A

RLE

Research Laboratory of Electronics

8.80%

1.10%

N/A

SSRC

MIT Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (MIT SSRC)

7.10%

1.00%

N/A

Former names of Institute labs and centers

  • Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory: CSAIL formed in FY2004 through the merger of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the Laboratory for Computer Science.
  • Center for Transportation & Logistics: Formerly the Center for Transportation Studies.
  • MIT Energy Initiative: Formerly the Lab for Energy and the Environment.
  • MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research: Formerly the Center for Space Research.
  • Materials Research Laboratory: Formerly Materials Processing Center.
  • Plasma Science and Fusion Center: On July 1, 2013, FBML merged with PSFC.
  • Research Laboratory of Electronics: In FY2010, LEES merged into RLE.
  • MIT Sociotechnical Systems Research Center: Formerly, Center for Technology, Policy and Industrial Development.