F&A stands for Facilities and Administrative costs, also called indirect costs (IDC) or overhead. F&A costs are those costs that are not directly related to a specific sponsored project and are incurred for common or joint objectives. Examples of facilities and administrative costs include: utilities; building maintenance and operations; security; insurance; general purpose supplies and equipment; and central administrative staff expenses.
To better understand F&A, the following resources may be helpful:
COGR Costs of Research Infographic (PDF)
Understanding the Real Costs of Research (Video)