General:

It is not uncommon for granting institutions to provide the salary (and benefits) for faculty involved in funded projects. Similarly, private corporations that provide funds for research also realize the need to reimburse that portion of the faculty’s salary committed to projects they fund. The recovery of faculty salary is common for B-base individuals requesting summer salary (either 2 or 3 months). This policy proposes the recovery of salary for all A-base faculty and for that portion of the salary that exceeds the "summer salary" of B-base faculty.

Policy: A-base faculty*

All A-base faculty would request that portion of their salary (including benefits), as indicated as their percent research effort on the project, from the grantor.

This would be voluntary and initiated by the faculty member but supported and encouraged (especially in cases where federal funding is involved such as NIH) by the departmental and college administration. It is recognized that not all granting institutions or firms are willing to pay faculty salaries.

It is also recognized that some faculty may not have the expertise and/or have established the reputation in their field to command reimbursement of their salary.

That portion of the salary (benefits cannot be distributed) that are recovered from the grantor will be distributed back to the investigator, the investigator’s department and the CVM according to the following formula: 50% of recovered funds to investigator (placed into a discretionary account), 25% to the investigator’s department and 25% to the CVM.

In cases where the total research effort of the faculty member exceeds that determined by the department/DEO, the faculty member reserves the right to negotiate with their portion of the faculty salary recovery to "buy out" other departmental responsibilities (e.g. teaching responsibilities). This must be mutually agreed upon by both the faculty member and their DEO.

Rationale

Providing the faculty with 50% of the funds from salary recovery should provide an attractive incentive for faculty to implement the policy. That portion of the funds recovered by the faculty member (i.e. 50%) can be used at the faculty member’s discretion as long as it is within the regulations and policies established by the university for expending funds. It is expected that the portion of the funds recovered by the department (i.e. 25%) and the college (i.e. 25%) will be used to support the research effort and infrastructure of the department and college, respectively.

Policy: B-base faculty*

The policy for B-base faculty would be the same as A-base faculty with the exception that the 2 months annual summer salary (or in some cases 3 months) would be exempt from salary recovery.

Rationale:
This portion of the faculty member’s salary is not provided by the university. Therefore, there is no recovery of that portion of the B-base salary.*

Note the following:

Although benefits are to be calculated into the salary compensation charged to the granting agency, they cannot be distributed back to the investigator, department or CVM.

That portion of the salary recovered by the investigator, department or CVM must be expended within the fiscal year that it is distributed.

Salary Recovery Implementation:

Upon receipt of notice of award:
a.  Check budget for faculty salary line item
b.  Notify departmental coordinator if salary is to be charged to project

Departmental Coordinators:

Upon receipt of notice of award:
a.  Notify Associate Dean for Research Office (IF notification from other than Contracts and Grants Office)
b.  If faculty salary is charged in the award
  1.  Determine pay-base (see policy statement)
  2.  Initiate Form 111 as needed to implement salary recovery policy