An official Cochrane policy. Last updated September 2016.

Cochrane is not a grant giving institution. However, it does provide funding for activities undertaken in pursuit of its mission by Cochrane Groups, which are located in third-party institutions.

As a registered charity (UK registration number 1045921), Cochrane can only undertake activities in pursuance of its charitable objectives and as such does not contribute to indirect costs for activities located in third-party institutions. This includes:

• Administrative, overhead or other expenses or ongoing operational costs incurred by the third-party institution on behalf of the institution’s activities and projects, but that cannot be readily and specifically identified with a particular direct project or activity.
• Expenses related to general operations of the institution that are shared among projects and/or functions.
• Estate costs relating to buildings or premises.

In cases where contribution to indirect overheads is requested and refusal to pay these costs would impact negatively on Cochrane’s ability to function effectively, each case will be referred to the Chief Executive Officer for consideration and recommendation.