Where research activities operate under "fixed" budgetary and resource conditions, allocations of funds must be carefully planned for effective program implementation. Although relatively little information is available on how small research units could use the principles of programed budgeting, a technique for ascertaining program operating costs is essential to these units. A modified PERT model has been proposed for providing research management with estimates of project costs, staff involvement time, lag times, resource allocations, and budgetary surpluses. This technique, with refinements in estimates of activity time, appears capable of providing research management with a tool for making practical estimates of budgetary and resource allocations. (Author)