Faculty Research Incentive Program

Faculty Research Incentive Program

Faculty Incentive Compensation for Externally-Funded Sponsored Programs

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) recognizes that many faculty members have the interest and ability to develop very robust research, training and service projects that can generate substantial amounts of external funding. The purpose of the Faculty Incentive Program (FIP) is to encourage faculty to secure externally-funded sponsored programs.

Faculty Incentive Program - Intent To Participate Form

Faculty Incentive Program - Request For Payment Form

Eligibility:

The Faculty Incentive Program (FIP) applies to all UCCS tenured and tenure-track faculty serving as a PI or Co-PI on an externally-funded sponsored program that recovers Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs at the sponsoring agency’s publicly available written rate and funds the PI or Co-PI salary (see exception below when salary is unallowable). Other individuals may be eligible under special circumstances and approvals.

The faculty member will draw salary from the sponsored program account proportionate to the amount included in the grant/contract, thereby creating funds for this incentive program. Examples of salary sources might include:

  1. AY salary that is not accompanied by an appropriate reallocation of workload
  2. Salary from an unused course buy-out
  3. Salary from multiple sources that exceeds the faculty’s allowable summer 3/9ths

Incentive Compensation:

Incentive payments will be 75% of the net amount recovered and available for distribution. Payment is distributed as a lump sum in the fall of the following academic year. The remaining 25% is distributed as follows:

  • 10% is transferred to the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Integrity to fund exceptions (see below); to contribute to cost-sharing requirements; and to enhance the research infrastructure on campus.
  • 15% is transferred to the unit who must incur additional work to manage the payments

Faculty may receive a maximum annual incentive pay up to 20% of their Institutional Base Salary (IBS).  After the maximum is reached, the remainder of salary savings may be transferred to the department FIP speedtype to be used by PI’s/Co-PI’s (who have participated in the FIP and contributed funds to the department FIP speedtype) as research, training, and/or services project support. These funds are subject to university policies.

If the PI and/or Co-PI choose to receive less than the allowable percentage as incentive compensation, the remainder may be transferred to the department FIP speedtype to be used by PI’s/Co-PI’s (who have participated in the FIP and contributed to the department FIP speedtype) as research, training, and/or services project support. These funds are subject to university policies. Funds unexpended at the end of the fiscal year will be rolled over for use in subsequent year(s).  

No funds transferred to the department FIP speedtype are designated for use by a specific faculty member, however, only those PI’s/Co-PI’s who have participated in the FIP and contributed funds to the department FIP speedtype are eligible to request funds from this speedtype. Each department is responsible for establishing processes to receive and approve requests.

Approvals:

The decision to participate in the incentive program is voluntary and at the faculty member’s discretion.  Faculty who receive funding and wish to participate, must submit the intent to participate form before the first day of the academic semester effort is to be charged to your grant(s)/contracts(s) and obtain approval from their chair and dean to participate. If an exception is requested, the intent to participate form within 15 days of the project being awarded.  The PI/Co-PI must select how they prefer to distribute their incentive compensation (salary and/or transfer to the departmental FIP speedtype) at this time.  OSPRI is responsible for confirming the request as related to eligibility based on the individual’s position, proposed F&A rate, and proposed salary. 

Processing Incentive Compensation:

Lump sum payments will be made in the fall of the new academic year. Requests for payment must be made by the PI/Co-PI by July 31st .of the academic year incentive payments are earned. Funds not requested by the deadline will be forfeited. This incentive compensation is paid as a bonus.

The PI/Co-PI department is responsible for managing, tracking and processing incentive compensation, including establishing the department FIP speedtype.

Incentives are not considered creditable compensation for retirement purposes, considered in calculation of IBS, and are subject to all applicable federal and state taxes and withholdings. Incentive compensation does not affect a faculty member’s eligibility for merit or other salary adjustments.

Sponsored program funds may not be used for incentive compensation. Only university funds made available through salary savings may be used for incentive compensation.

Exception:

In cases where the sponsor has a publicly available written policy prohibiting faculty salary, incentive compensation in the amount of $2,500 may be requested when F&A at the approved sponsoring agency rate is funded and the total award is $200,000 or greater. Compensation is requested and paid upon completion of the project. Requests must be received within 90 days of the project end date.  Funds not requested by the deadline will be forfeited.

Program Review:

The FIP is a three-year pilot program. At the end of the three years, the FIP will be evaluated by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research (AVCR) to determine use, impact, and budget sustainability. A recommendation will be made by the AVCR to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance to sustain, revise, or dissolve the program.