PrintOCTOBER 7, 2008
NSF Faculty Salary Update
Last week, NSF issued new guidance on their supplemental compensation policy. Previously, NSF grants paid up to two months of summer salary, and the effort corresponding to that salary had to be expended exclusively in the summer months. In the new policy, there is no mention of "summer salary," though the limit of the equivalent of two months of supplemental compensation remains. As described in the NSF Award and Administration Guide Summary of Significant Changes: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_1/aag_sigchanges.jsp
Chapter V - Section B.1, Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits, has undergone a major revision of NSF's salary reimbursement policy. In general, the Foundation will now limit salary compensation for senior project personnel to no more than two months of their regular salary in any one year. This limit includes salary compensation received from all NSF-funded grants. This change moves away from the concept of summer salary and allows for reimbursement of two months of salary per year whenever appropriate during the year.
Here's the full text of the new NSF policy:
(a) Senior Project Personnel Salaries & Wages Policies
In accordance with GPG Chapter II.C.2g, NSF normally limits salary compensation for senior project personnel on awards made by the Foundation, to no more than two months of their regular salary in any one year. This limit includes salary received from all NSF funded grants. Salary is to be paid at a monthly rate not in excess of the base salary divided by the number of months in the period for which the base salary is paid. As such, proposal budgets submitted should not request, and NSF-approved budgets will not include, funding for an individual investigator or co-principal investigator which exceeds two months of their regular year salary. If anticipated, any compensation for such personnel in excess of two months must be disclosed in the proposal budget, justified in the budget justification, and must be specifically approved by NSF in the award notice.
NSF award funds may not be used to augment the total salary or salary rate of faculty members during the period covered by the term of faculty appointment or to reimburse faculty members for consulting or other time in addition to a regular full-time organizational salary covering the same general period of employment. Exceptions may be considered under certain NSF grants for teaching weekend and evening classes or working at remote locations. If anticipated, any intent to provide salary compensation above the base salary must be disclosed in the proposal budget, justified in the budget justification, and must be specifically approved by NSF in the award notice.
To accommodate this new NSF policy, effective immediately, we ask that you:
- Use the CY (calendar year) column instead of the Summer column on NSF budgets,
- Use the term “supplemental compensation” rather than “summer salary” when requesting faculty salary from NSF grants, and
- Use the new language on the FAS RAS website: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~research/policy/effort/fac_effort.html when describing faculty effort in proposals, either in the budget justification or the current and pending support pages
AUGUST 7, 2008
Procedures on Faculty Effort Commitments Have Been Updated
Details about how and when to commit faculty effort in proposals may be found on the Procedures Regarding Commitment of Faculty Effort page. Changes include a revision of wording to be used in proposal narratives and budget justifications and, for NIH, stating effort in terms of calendar years. For more information, please also see Commitment and Documentation of Effort on Sponsored Projects.
JULY 7, 2008
New Subcontract Object Codes
Two new object codes, 8190 and 8191, have replaced the old object codes (8180-8189) used to charge subcontract expenses to Harvard sponsored awards, effective July 1, 2008. Please refer to the memo below for details.
JULY 3, 2008
Revised Sponsored Travel Policy Effective July 1, 2008
The Office for Sponsored Programs has issued a revised travel policy for travel booked on or after July 1, 2008. Please note: travel booked before July 1 must still adhere to the old policy. Major changes are listed below. Please refer to the policy and download the form below.
Federal Awards Travel Reimbursement Exception Form
Two Major Changes:
1. Use of Preferred Vendors is no longer required.
2. There is a new Federal Awards Travel Reimbursement Exception Form (FATREF) to be used when a traveler is asking to be reimbursed from a federal award for travel on a non-U.S.-flag air carrier. Use of U.S.-flag air carriers when booking travel to federal awards is still required.
JUNE 17, 2008
Harvard University's Intellectual Property Policy
In February 2008, Harvard University adopted and instituted a new policy governing Intellectual Property (IP). This concise Guide provides basic information that will assist members of the Harvard community to quickly understand the core elements of Harvard's new IP Policy. For those wishing to review the IP Policy, please see http://otd.harvard.edu/resources/policies/patent.
JUNE 6, 2008
FAS RAS Summer Workshops and Clinics Have Begun
To see a schedule and register for sessions, click here.
JUNE 6, 2008
Revised Annual Salary and Effort Certification Policy
The FAS Faculty Effort Certification Policy and Procedures document has been revised. Annual review and certification is required for salaries paid to faculty from sponsored awards and for effort committed to sponsored projects. Questions about this process should be addressed to Alan Long, Assistant Dean for Research Finances and Systems, aklong@fas.harvard.edu , 6-2491.
MAY 28, 2008
New Faculty Summer Salary Procedures
Please download the documents below for more information.
Original communication and request form:
Summer Salary Email from Dean Smith and the Divisional Deans
Faculty Supplementary Compensation Application 2008
Clarification Memo and Frequently Asked Questions:
Supplemental Compensation Clarification Memo 5-28-08
Supplemental Compensation FAQ 5-28-08
APRIL 2, 2008
NIH Public Access Mandate
Effective April 7, 2008 Principal Investigators must ensure that electronic versions of any peer-reviewed manuscripts arising from NIH funding and accepted for publication after that date are deposited in PubMed Central (PMC), NIH's digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature, and that the articles may be made publicly available by PMC no later than 12 months after publication.
To assist with this process, Harvard University has released a document outlining this new NIH Public Access Policy, and the steps investigators must take in order to comply. More information is also available on the Countway Library Website.
MARCH 19, 2008
New Dean's Approval Form Posted
The Dean's Approval Form and Guidelines for Completion of the Dean's Approval Form have been updated to reflect the new fringe benefit rates for FY2009. Also, the rates for exempt and nonexempt personnel now include the vacation fringe assessment.
Please begin using the new DAF immediately for all proposal submissions.
MARCH 11, 2008
New Fringe Benefit Rates
OSP has announced Harvard's new rate agreement which includes the new fringe benefit rates which have been approved by DHHS. Please use these rates for all proposals going forward. We will be updating the Dean's Approval Form and budget templates to reflect these changes shortly.
| TYPE | EFFECTIVE FROM | PERIOD TO | RATE (%) | LOCATIONS | APPLICABLE TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed | 07/01/07 | 06/30/08 | 24.6 | All | Faculty |
| Fixed | 07/01/07 | 06/30/08 | 41.3 | All | Exempt |
| Fixed | 07/01/07 | 06/30/08 | 52.1 | All | Union (non-exempt) |
| Fixed | 07/01/07 | 06/30/08 | 42.3 | All | Union (hourly) |
| Fixed | 07/01/07 | 06/30/08 | 7.7 | All | Temporary |
| Fixed | 07/01/07 | 06/30/08 | 22.6 | All | Post Docs |
| Fixed | 07/01/07 | 06/30/08 | 18.2 | All | Teach. Asst. |
| Fixed | 07/01/08 | 06/30/09 | 25.0 | All | Faculty |
| Fixed | 07/01/08 | 06/30/09 | 41.6 | All | Exempt |
| Fixed | 07/01/08 | 06/30/09 | 53.5 | All | Union (non-exempt) |
| Fixed | 07/01/08 | 06/30/09 | 43.6 | All | Union (hourly) |
| Fixed | 07/01/08 | 06/30/09 | 7.9 | All | Temporary |
| Fixed | 07/01/08 | 06/30/09 | 23.3 | All | Post Docs |
| Fixed | 07/01/08 | 06/30/09 | 16.7 | All | Teach. Asst. |
| Prov. | 07/01/09 | Until Amended | Use same rates and conditions as those cited for fiscal year ending June 30, 2009. | ||
