FAS Faculty Research Fund Guidelines
The FAS Faculty Research Fund is an annual allocation that may be made to individual faculty members to support their research and scholarship. Only the Dean of the Faculty, the Dean of the College or Graduate School, or a Divisional Dean may authorize a Faculty Research Fund.
Typically, research funds are awarded for a period of one to three years, subject to renewal by the Dean based on continued scholarly productivity and need.
The expectation of the dean in granting a research fund is not only that it be used to directly fund research expenses (e.g. travel, conference fees, computer equipment and software, publications, and hiring student employees), but also that the funds be used in such a way as to help the faculty member develop external funding to supplement the deans research fund to support his or her research projects.
To that end, any request for renewal must be sent in writing to the appropriate divisional or school dean, accompanied by a description of how the previous allocation was used and what actions were taken to secure other funding sources.
Fiscal Affairs provides faculty members with their own account number. This reduces the cost of administering the funds by allowing the majority of transactions to be issued from the department directly to Accounts Payable and by allowing faculty members to track their own balances.
Because faculty are in the best position to determine how to promote their research, they are free to determine the kinds of expenses to be charged against the account. Although faculty have discretion in choosing among travel, part-time student assistance, journal subscriptions or other expenditures, charges made to the account must meet three conditions:
- The charge must be an expense made to promote the research of the faculty member. The Faculty Research Fund is not intended to support personal expenditures of the faculty member.
- Only expenditures allowed under University guidelines may be charged to a Faculty Research Fund.
- Only expenditures properly processed in accordance with University guidelines may be charged to a Faculty Research Fund.
If any one of the three conditions above is not met, faculty will be personally liable for payment. Faculty should check with their Department/Program Administrator before incurring any expense to ensure that the charge is allowable.
Research funds are allocated to faculty for a specified period of time. Within this period (usually three years), unused funds may be rolled over from year to year. However, any balance remaining at the end of the specified period will revert back to Arts & Science. To renew a Faculty Research Fund, a request should be directed to the appropriate Divisional Dean before the fund expires.
The Faculty Research Fund is intended to provide faculty members with more freedom in administering their funds and make the processing of transactions and reimbursements more efficient. Along with the flexibility and ease of use faculty have in spending their research funds comes the responsibility to review accounts to ensure that transactions are properly recorded and that the balance is correct on a current basis.
Organization Budget Reports (OBRs) are available over the web to the faculty member and Department Administrator through NYU e-Reports. Faculty should take the opportunity to review the charges made to the account. If there appear to be inaccuracies, they should contact their Department Administrator for resolution.
Uses of Faculty Research Funds
Examples of acceptable expenditures are as follows:
- Books, reprints, and subscriptions to academic journals.
- Computer software and hardware: All capital acquisitions remain the property of NYU even if the item is cost-shared with the faculty member's personal funds. All computer orders must be approved by Richard Israel in the Office of FAS Computer and Information Technology.
- Research assistants: If a faculty member hires a full-time RA, the student must meet the requirements of the Graduate School of Arts & Science.
- Travel: Faculty must follow the guidelines for University and Sponsored Programs Travel in order to be reimbursed.
- Part-time student employment, including salary and fringe benefits.
Payments from Faculty Research Funds
Faculty members must adhere to University policies and procedures. The appropriate forms must be used to purchase goods or to be reimbursed for expenditures. Otherwise, an expenditure may not be reimbursed. A description of each form and its use is provided below:
- The Petty Cash Voucher is the simplest and quickest way to secure reimbursement for a payment that has already been made. This voucher is submitted to the Department/Program Administrator for approval and then processed by the NYU Bursars Office (25 West 4th Street) which will provide immediate cash reimbursement. The petty cash voucher is restricted to payments of less than $150 and must be accompanied by receipts.
- The Expense Reimbursement Form (Form EXP2000) is used for reimbursement of expenses incurred in the conduct of University business that exceed $150. Examples include books, software, or meeting expenses.
- The Payment to Individuals Form (Form IND4000) is used to request payment to individuals who are not NYU employees or students (e.g., independent contractors and consultants) for professional services, honorariums, etc.
- The Business Payment Form (Form BUS5000) is used to request payment to a business entity/vendor for transactions that do not require a Purchase Order. An example would be a subscription to a journal.
Note: Goods costing more than $300 must be ordered through the on-line Purchasing System. Failure to do so may result in payment requests being denied.
- The on-line Stapleslink Ordering System is used to order supplies through the University's Supply Central.
- The on-line Purchasing System is used to contract for higher-value goods and services that cost more than $1,000. The system is used to generate a Purchase Order, which is the most complex form for ordering goods and services. It is also the form that comes under the greatest University scrutiny since it is a contract between the University and a vendor. Please provide sufficient lead-time for processing of Purchase Orders. Please check with NYU Purchasing on the necessary lead-time, which will depend on the cost of the item or service purchased. Items costing less than $1,000 may be processed via the Small Dollar Order Form. (The Small Dollar Order Form is a purchase order that departments are allowed to issue on their own without going through the Purchasing System.)
- The Book Store and Computer Store Requisition forms are used to purchase books, supplies, equipment and software from the University Book Store and Computer Store. It is the preferred method for items that are stocked by the University's Book Store and Computer Store. Note: All transactions up to $2,500 can be approved by the Department/Program Administrator and submitted directly to the applicable offices (i.e. Accounts Payable, Book/Computer Store, etc.). Transactions over $2,500 must be forwarded to the Financial Analyst assigned to the Department/Program for approval before submission to Accounts Payable, Purchasing, or the Book/Computer Store. EXCEPTION: All computer orders, no matter the dollar amount, must be approved by Richard Israel in the Office of FAS Computer and Information Technology.
- The Expense Reimbursement Form is also used for travel expenses. University guidelines apply to all business travel and Federal guidelines apply to any travel that is charged to a federally sponsored research grant. For more information, please review the University Financial Policies (Business Expenses and Expense Reimbursement) or speak with the Financial Analyst assigned to your area.
Fiscal Authority Guidelines
Listed below are financial guidelines established in managing University funds. It includes types of expenditures, who is authorized to approve expenses, types of expenses, and distribution of forms. Questions or inquiries regarding these procedures should be directed to the appropriate Financial Analyst.
Type of Expenditures Authorized
Other Than Personnel Services (OTPS) expenses charged to funds 10, 20, 21, 22 and 24.
Type of Expenditures Not Authorized
Personnel expenses.
Dollar Limitations for Authorized Expenditures
| Dollar Amount: |
Up to $2,500 |
| Authorized by: |
Department/Program Administrator |
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| Dollar Amount: |
$2,501 to $25,000 |
| Authorized by: |
Financial Analyst, Fiscal Services |
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| Dollar Amount: |
$25,001 and above |
| Authorized by: |
Director, Fiscal Affairs |
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These limitations apply to the following types of expenditures:
- Petty Cash Voucher
- Expense Reimbursement Form
- Request for Advance Form
- Payment to Individuals Form
- Business Payment Form
- Stapleslink Orders
- Purchase Orders
- Small Dollar Orders
- Reprographics (used for duplicating and other copying needs)
- Book Store/Computer Store Requisition Form. All computer orders, no matter the dollar amount, must be approved by Richard Israel in the Office of FAS Computer and Information Technology.
Operating Guidelines
Individuals responsible for authorizing expenditures must make certain that:
Accounting information is correct (i.e. the proper FAME account is used).
The purpose of the expenditure is in keeping with Arts & Science and University guidelines (i.e. legitimate instructional, training, research or scholarly purposes).
Documentation necessary to substantiate the expenditure has been submitted (i.e. original receipts are provided).
The expenditure is within the spending limits of the department budget.
For operating accounts (Fund 10), the year-to-date (YTD) amount spent for the fiscal year must be checked to verify that the OTPS bottom line is not in deficit. If the OTPS bottom line is already in deficit, or the expenditure being processed would put the bottom line into deficit, the respective Financial Analyst must be contacted to discuss the situation. The Controller's Department will not process an expenditure request if the OTPS bottom line is in deficit or if the transaction being processed would put the line in deficit.
If operating budget (Fund 10) OTPS funds must be moved from another account to cover a deficit, it can take up to several weeks to complete. Therefore, as OTPS expenditures approach the spending limits of budgets, discussions should be initiated with the appropriate Financial Analyst so that adjustments can be made in anticipation of possible spending overages.
For non-operating accounts (Fund 20, 21 and 22) the balance must be checked for availability of funds. In the case of Fund 24 and 25 accounts, expenses should comply with applicable cost principles and under no circumstance should the overall balance in an account be in deficit.
Document Distribution
Once the authorized person has signed payment instruments, they should be distributed as follows:
| Document: |
Petty Cash Voucher (up to $150) |
| Distribution: |
Bursar’s Office, 25 West 4th Street |
|
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| Document: |
Expense Reimbursement Form/Payment to Individuals Form/Business Payment Form |
| Distribution: |
Accounts Payable, Controllers, 726 Broadway, 2nd Fl. |
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| Document: |
Small Dollar Order (up to $1,000) |
| Distribution: |
Follow instructions on back of Small Dollar Order Form |
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| Document: |
Copy Central |
| Distribution: |
14 Waverly Place |
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| Document: |
Bookstore/Computer Store Order Forms |
| Distribution: |
Bookstore/Computer Store |
Copies of all payment requests should be kept in a central file in the originating office. This central file should be kept by fiscal year, with a new file for each fiscal year.
On all forms requiring the signature of the person requesting the funds and an authorized signature, the same person cannot provide both the requestor and approval signature.
Authorized Signature
A Signature Authorization Form must be on file for each person authorized to sign for any account. To obtain blank forms contact the appropriate Financial Analyst. Once the form is completed, return it to the Financial Analyst assigned to your area for processing. To de-authorize an individual, send written notice to the Financial Analyst for your area, giving the name of the person and the date of de-authorization.
American Express Corporate Card
NYU has arranged with American Express to make available corporate credit cards to qualified faculty and staff for University related travel and dinner/meeting expenses. Information provided by Purchasing Services and Controllers Division describing guidelines on use and procedures for reimbursements are available here.
The card is available to all faculty (including research professionals) and staff who have a need to travel on University business, but is not available to graduate assistants, adjuncts, part-time employees, or employees whose appointments are for less than a full academic year. Cards are issued based on two authorizations. First, Arts & Science authorizes the applicant as eligible to be a card holder, and then American Express conducts a routine credit check to determine if there is any reason the applicant should not be issued a card.
The card is only a convenience for segregating business related travel from personal travel – it is not a method for charging expenses directly to an University account. The main purpose of the card is to eliminate the need to take cash advances and/or to pay for University related travel on personal credit cards. The card can be used to pay for airline tickets, hotels, restaurants, etc. For incidental expenses paid by cash, card holders are permitted to draw a weekly cash advance.
All charges, without exception, made to the card are the personal responsibility of the card holder until authorized by Arts & Science. The University will not reimburse the card holder or make any payments to American Express for unauthorized charges. Arts & Science will not authorize charges made in the following instances:
- Travel expenses for which insufficient funding exists or funding approval was not obtained in advance;
- Travel expenses that do not comply with the University’s business expense and reimbursement policies;
- Purchases of goods or services.
Because all charges made to the card are the personal responsibility of the card holder and can affect credit histories, it is very important that card holders do not incur charges with the anticipation that reimbursement will be approved after the fact. If reimbursement is coming from a research fund or restricted fund, card holders should confirm the balance available before incurring expenses. Card holders should check on the availability of funds with your departmental administrator. If reimbursement is coming from a department or school account, individuals need to obtain prior written approval for the maximum amount allowed to be reimbursed. Reimbursements from departmental accounts are approved by a Chair, and from school accounts, by the appropriate Dean or Fiscal Services.
In addition to the convenience provided the cardholder, the University will have on-line access to information such as frequently used vendors, destinations, as well as individual card information, from balances to detailed information on charges. Please be aware that the University has the right to cancel cards for misuse. This includes allowing the balance on the card to become delinquent or for making unauthorized charges.
Applications should be submitted to the authorized school administrator, Carol Cardwell, who will then forward the application to the Purchasing Services Division. The latest version of the application can be found on their website.
Telecommunications Services
It is Arts & Science policy to provide basic phone service to all full-time permanent faculty and staff. In general, this means a single-line phone and basic local service. Faculty serving in an administrative capacity (i.e. Chair, DGS, DUGS) are provided multi-line phones. Policies covering long-distance usage are determined on the departmental level. Requests for service (telecommunications, long-distance service, and network services) should be handled through your Departmental Administrator who will coordinate with Fiscal Services for budgetary approval.
Web Sites to refer to for specific information:
