For PIs, coordinators & grant writers
Transcription Costs for Your Grant Proposal
Writing the budget is the worst part of a proposal. Here is everything you need for the transcription line item: exact per-minute rates, ready-to-paste budget justification language, and the vendor and IRB documentation your grants office will ask for — months before your award ever arrives.
The Numbers for Your Budget
| Line item | Rate | Per audio hour |
|---|---|---|
| One-on-one interviews | $1.99 / audio minute | $119.40 |
| Focus groups (3+ speakers) | $2.69 / audio minute | $161.40 |
| Timestamps, speaker ID, HIPAA de-identification | Included | $0 |
Volume discounts available for large studies — see full transcription rates or request a written quote below.
Copy-Paste Budget Justification Language
Drop this into your NIH, NSF, or foundation proposal and adjust the numbers.
Audio recordings of study interviews and focus groups will be transcribed by Landmark Associates, Inc. (thelai.com), a HIPAA-compliant professional transcription service specializing in qualitative research. Transcription is billed at $1.99 per audio minute for one-on-one interviews and $2.69 per audio minute for focus groups with three or more speakers. We estimate [NUMBER] hours of recorded audio, for an estimated transcription cost of $[TOTAL]. The vendor provides speaker identification, timestamps, HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification of transcripts at no additional charge, a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA), and security documentation suitable for IRB review.
Replace [NUMBER] and [TOTAL] with your estimates — one audio hour costs $119.40 (one-on-one) or $161.40 (focus groups).
What Your Grants Office Will Ask For
- Vendor registration & purchase orders — we complete your procurement office's paperwork and invoice against POs.
- Line-item invoices — itemized to map cleanly onto your awarded budget for effort reporting and audits.
- Business Associate Agreement (BAA) — signed for HIPAA-covered research; we can use your template or provide ours.
- IRB-ready security documentation — encryption, data handling, staff confidentiality agreements, and our de-identification methodology. See security & confidentiality.
Grant Proposal FAQs
How much should I budget for transcription in a grant proposal?
Budget $1.99 per audio minute for one-on-one interviews (about $119 per audio hour) and $2.69 per audio minute for focus groups with 3+ speakers (about $161 per audio hour). Multiply your planned interview count by expected length, and add contingency for follow-up interviews. Timestamps, speaker identification, and HIPAA de-identification are included at no extra charge, so no additional line items are needed.
Can I get a written quote to attach to my proposal?
Yes. Send us your estimated audio hours and study design and we will prepare a written quote you can attach to your budget justification. Rates have held steady for years, and if anything changes between your submission and your award, we will talk it through with you rather than surprise you.
Can Landmark register as a vendor with my university?
Yes. Landmark Associates is a registered vendor with research universities across the US. We work with purchase orders, provide line-item invoices that map to your grant budget, and complete vendor registration paperwork for your procurement office.
What documentation is available for my IRB application?
We provide security and confidentiality documentation suitable for IRB review, including our de-identification methodology, encryption and data-handling practices, staff confidentiality agreements, and a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for HIPAA-covered research.
Get a Written Quote for Your Proposal
Start with a free account. Reply with your estimated audio hours and we'll build the quote, plus whatever vendor or IRB paperwork your office needs.
Free account, no credit card. We'll follow up to build your quote and any vendor paperwork.