…if these things (and there are so many more included in the indirects umbrella) had to be attributed to each and every grant as their own line item, max for direct costs would have to increase accordingly, or, there just wouldn’t be any left for science. It’s complex, this is super high level.

The F&A/overhead/indirects cover things that cannot be charged to grant budgets as direct costs. The staff in the central office reviews and submits applications, and also manages them post-funding. Lab maintenance, subsidizing use of cores for the science, electricity, IT support…