Purchase Release Funds and Faculty Workload Allocations
(Policy and Procedures)
External funding to support faculty scholarship is important for the future of both our research and educational programs. In line with the practice of other universities, grants and contracts are expected to cover faculty time associated with involvement in specific projects and, therefore, to provide funding for appropriate replacement and research development activities. This ‘Research Reinvestment’ philosophy involves: 1) encouraging faculty to generate Purchase Release Time(PRT) from external funding, and 2) applying purchase release funds to generate further external research funding in the College.
1. Budgeting in New Projects
Investigators need to include faculty time in the internal or external budget of their proposal. Research time may consist of:
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Purchase Release Time (PRT): time bought out of teaching by externally funded projects
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Contributed Release Time (CRT): time contributed to an externally funded project by the Department Chair.
2. Faculty Workload Management
Faculty workload is established and monitored by Department Chairs to 1) monitor faculty release time, 2) assure federal compliance, and 3) inform budget planning efforts.Chairs should detail faculty workload allocations by providing the Dean a copy of the Faculty Workload Report submitted each semester to Academic Affairs for purposes of effort verification.
1) Total faculty workload (expressed in percentages totaling 100%) consists of 4 components:
a. Teaching Load (typically 12 hours/semester in absence of release to conduct research)
b. Research Release Time, consisting of:
i. Purchase Release Time (PRT): time bought out of teaching by external funded projects
ii. Contributed Release Time (CRT): time contributed to an externally funded project by the Department Chair, and
c. Unfunded departmental research time, and
d. Administration (Chair or GPD responsibilities; Committee Chair)
e. Other Release:Synchronous/asynchronous course or program development;
2) Each course taught will typically equal 25% of faculty workload.
3) Release from teaching is frequently granted by the Department Chair (in accordance with University “Faculty Research Time” guidelines) for unfunded department research (time granted to develop research funding), PRT, or CRT.
4) For every 25% of purchase release time generated by external funding, a faculty member shall be released from one course per semester
5) Contributed time on grants must be negotiated with the Chair and approved by the Dean
3. Changes in Faculty Time Allocation
1) In compliance with Federal CFR statutes, total faculty workload must not exceed 100% on currently funded projects. Total percentage workload may exceed 100% including pending applications, though, if new applications are funded, prompt workload adjustments need to be made.
2) Faculty must promptly notify the Chair of new awards involving PRT or CRT for workload monitoring purposes.
3) Total faculty workload exceeding 100% requires prompt workload adjustments by either:
a. Reduction of non-research (ie., teaching and/or administration) responsibilities, or
b. Reduction of research time commitments (PRT and/or CRT).
4) Changes in PRT or CRT commitments must be approved by the Chair and the Dean.
5) Changes in time commitments on federal grants must be made in accord with funding agency guidelines.Note in particular HHS 45 CFR Part 74.25 regulations requiring prior approval of changesof 25% or more in Principal Investigator time commitments on HHS grants.
6) Faculty with teaching loads exceeding four courses in a semester may be eligible for overload compensation, with appropriate approvals, in accordance with University policies and procedures.
4. Policy for Reinvestment of Purchase Release Funds:
The College of Health Sciences endorses a philosophy of utilizing external funding to help build research infrastructure.
1) Responsibility for management and oversight of purchase release funds rests with the Dean (refer to University Faculty Handbook).
2) PRT funds are used primarily to support adjunct faculty hired to assist with courses which have been released from faculty.
3) After meeting adjunct faculty needs, use of PRT funds is encouraged to hire research faculty (research scientist, postdoctoral fellow), graduate research assistants, and statistical or other consultation services to help generate further external funding.
4) Chairs should submit proposals for use of PRT funds in a memo including a brief explanation of the intended use of the funds along with the appropriate budget adjustment form to the Associate Dean of Research.
5) After review by the Associate Dean and Business Manager, the Dean will provide notification of approval of the request to the Chair via e-mail.
