Faculty Research Accounts
The College of Arts & Sciences endeavors to provide a baseline of research support for all research-active tenured and tenure-track CAS faculty working in disciplines in which faculty cannot be expected to support their research needs through the award of extramural grants on a regular basis. This generally includes the social science and humanities disciplines. Research accounts were incorporated into all start-up packages for new tenure-track faculty in 2007 and were gradually extended both to other tenure-track faculty and to tenured faculty on a case-by-case basis, with all appropriate tenured and tenure-track faculty receiving a research account by July 1, 2012.
Faculty research accounts, which can be used for any appropriate professional expenses, are non-rollover accounts typically awarded for an initial four-year period. The research account is renewable as long as the faculty member remains research-active. The standard CAS policy awards a $2,000 annual account. The process for renewal consideration is triggered automatically by the CAS Office of Faculty Actions, which notifies department Chairs annually of any accounts in their final year. Faculty Actions requests that Chairs recommend to the CAS Dean which accounts should be renewed for a further three-year period. Departments must have standards for what constitutes evidence of being “research active” in their particular discipline, and the standards must include reference to appropriate research publication within a reasonable period of time.
Faculty research accounts are intended to support legitimate professional expenses, especially related to research and scholarship. Personal expenses such as home internet and cell phone bills, child-care costs, costs associated with parties (including for students or colleagues), and personal travel expenses (including extending conference travel for personal purposes or, under most circumstances, paying for accompanying family members) may not be charged to faculty research accounts.
A (non-exhaustive) list of eligible expenses includes: conference and other research travel expenses (transportation, accommodation, registration fees, meals, mileage, etc.); computers and peripheral equipment (printers, toner, software) used largely for professional purposes; professional membership dues; library or archive fees; payment of honoraria to visiting faculty; journal subscriptions; printing or copying costs; books and journals; data storage; student research assistance; course materials; copyright fees. Research accounts are assigned for the use of individual faculty but they remain part of the University budget and are not personal funds. Any equipment purchased with research account funds, such as computer equipment, is considered the property of Boston University. Expenditures from research accounts are covered by the policies of Boston University and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Research accounts are available on a fiscal year basis, from July 1 to June 30. Faculty should submit all expenses in a timely fashion, especially near the end of the fiscal year.
Faculty or staff who have questions about the appropriate use of research accounts should contact the Office of Faculty Actions (617-353-2404). Other questions about the CAS research account policy may be directed to the Office of Faculty Actions or the appropriate divisional Associate Dean of the Faculty.
Startup Accounts
One-time rollover startup research accounts are generally provided to faculty in the natural and computational sciences to cover the costs of establishing a laboratory and other basic needs necessary to allow the faculty member to launch a research program at Boston University. They are also provided occasionally to faculty in the social sciences and humanities for initial expenditures beyond the scope of the annual non-rollover research account, especially where these funds are necessary to allow the faculty member to launch a research program at Boston University. As is the case for faculty research accounts, any equipment purchased with startup accounts, such as laboratory or computer equipment, is considered the property of Boston University. Expenditures from startup accounts are covered by the policies of Boston University and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Faculty Departure and Access to Research and Startup Accounts
Startup and research accounts are investments by Boston University in the research and professional careers of its faculty. A faculty member who chooses to leave the employ of Boston University to accept employment at another institution will, upon accepting the new position, no longer be authorized to use a startup account to purchase equipment or to charge summer salary. Remaining startup funds may, however, be used to support ongoing work, including personnel (postdocs, research assistants, graduate and undergraduate students) and supplies necessary to the research that will be carried out at BU, especially already committed research expenses.
Similarly, a departing faculty member with an annual research account may use that account to support certain ongoing or already committed research expenses, but may not use the remaining funds in the research account for purchase of equipment such as computers or payment of summer salary.