If you and your department chair decide that space outside of that allocated to the department will be required, discuss your needs with the Associate Dean for Research. Include any space needs related to project GAs in your discussion with the Associate Dean for Research. There are times when it may be necessary for the College to negotiate for project support space outside of the College. This may require an additional budget line to pay for space, and it will almost certainly require some lead time. Therefore, begin your discussions with the department chair, and Associate Dean for Research if necessary, early in the proposal development process.
Consultants can be a valuable addition to proposals.
Reviewers are good at identifying what the various project staff can manage well and what may be more of a problem. If you include consultants justify them by describing what expertise they bring to this project and what, specifically, they will do. Also, if travel will be needed, be sure to include it. It is always difficult to establish the appropriate amount to budget. In NIH grants, it is usually reasonable to request expenses for attendance at professional meetings.