An Alteration and Renovation (A&R) project under a grant whose primary purpose is other than construction or modernization, including a project involving improvement or remodeling, which does not exceed $500,000 in direct costs. Minor A&R is not an allowable activity or cost under grants to individuals or grants for limited purposes, such as grants in support of scientific meetings (conference grants). Routine maintenance and repair of the organization's physical plant or its equipment is not considered A&R; these types of costs are typically treated as Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs.
Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.
