does your university supplement fellowships?

[rabbitandfox23]

Hi all,
Just curious to hear how accepting an external fellowship offer affects your salaries at your own universities...  I just got offered a prestigious one year fellowship from a German institution to do nothing but write, but it requires going to Germany to work at their centre.  It pays less than my annual salary.
I discovered that my university/department does not "top off" the fellowship so that I can maintain my usual salary.  Maybe I'm being ungrateful - getting paid to take a year off and write is a luxury - but it seems strange that the university does not actually incentivize applying to outside fellowships!
My teaching duties will covered by a grad student, who will cost less than faculty...
So is this normal? Or is my department/university unusually ungenerous?

[mleok]

At my institution, it's possible to use my sabbatical credit very flexibly. Essentially, every quarter I work gives me 1/9 of the salary for one quarter, and one can use sabbatical credits to supplement a fellowship.

[theteacher]

I discovered that my university/department does not "top off" the fellowship so that I can maintain my usual salary.

This is normal. My institution uses the fellowship to *buy* your research time. You still need to cover your teaching and service time.

[Ruralguy]

If is not a sabbatical, my school would give nothing for a leave, not even health insurance.

[hazelshade]

Hi all,
Just curious to hear how accepting an external fellowship offer affects your salaries at your own universities...  I just got offered a prestigious one year fellowship from a German institution to do nothing but write, but it requires going to Germany to work at their centre.  It pays less than my annual salary.
I discovered that my university/department does not "top off" the fellowship so that I can maintain my usual salary.  Maybe I'm being ungrateful - getting paid to take a year off and write is a luxury - but it seems strange that the university does not actually incentivize applying to outside fellowships!
My teaching duties will covered by a grad student, who will cost less than faculty...
So is this normal? Or is my department/university unusually ungenerous?

My institution has a standard policy for when fellowships got topped off. Prior to having this policy, we often, but not always, did top-offs--but it was dependent upon negotiation between the grantee and the administration, which creates lots of issues (equity chief among them). However, my institution is pretty well-resourced, and we put this policy in play when there was a lot of administrative energy behind supporting faculty research. While I know plenty of other institutions that top off external fellowships, there are lots that don't (except, presumably, in cases where they have to as a condition of the application, like the career enhancement fellowships the Institute for Citizens and Scholars offers). If you're interested in trying to advocate for a different strategy, it could be worth talking with whoever oversees research development at your institution (and, especially if you're outside the sciences, framing this as necessary research infrastructure to support research in non-STEM fields).

[Hibush]

The situations really vary based on these comments.

At one extreme, you are supposed to raise external funds to cover any time you spend on research, so the fellowship is really something you are expected to contribute.

In the middle, this is a leave of absence to take a different job, but your position will be held for you so you can return.

At the other extreme, this is a sabbatical leave with the fellowship topping up whatever you have coming towards the sabbatical.

It really pays to know how institutions view various kinds of fellowships and donations!

[Ruralguy]

Although my school probably wouldn't top off the salary or even give you health insurance, if the leave is for a prestigious fellowship, the leave is practically guaranteed, as is your job on your return. 

[mamselle]

I don't see another option here, which is raising grant funds to do some particular part of the project that might not be covered with the fellowship itself (if that's allowed by both the granting agency and the school; some don't, I believe).

That's a way of "sort-of" topping it off, as would some amount of teaching release time written into the grant, which I've also seen.

Again, those options vary by what your institution allows. And you have to be VERY sure your EA or grant administrator (if a different person) is very clear on what accounts are charged for what line items--an error could cause very bad optics...

M.

[rabbitandfox23]

Thanks all - this is really interesting. Seems like every university has different policies around this.
On a related note: does your university have a straightforward "buying out" process so that you can use your fellowship to buy out of teaching?

[mleok]

Thanks all - this is really interesting. Seems like every university has different policies around this.
On a related note: does your university have a straightforward "buying out" process so that you can use your fellowship to buy out of teaching?

I have a 3 quarter-long course load per year, and the cost of buying out 1 course is 1/6 of my academic year salary. While this is 1.5 months of salary, the benefits rate during the academic year is substantially higher than during the summer, as it also includes pension contributions. I am only allowed to buy out 1 course per year.

[rabbitandfox23]

Thanks all - this is really interesting. Seems like every university has different policies around this.
On a related note: does your university have a straightforward "buying out" process so that you can use your fellowship to buy out of teaching?

I have a 3 quarter-long course load per year, and the cost of buying out 1 course is 1/6 of my academic year salary. While this is 1.5 months of salary, the benefits rate during the academic year is substantially higher than during the summer, as it also includes pension contributions. I am only allowed to buy out 1 course per year.

I see. Is this rule written in a handbook and the same for all faculty? I just discovered from HR that buying out of teaching to take up a fellowship is possible at my University but they have no standard, not even within departments, so it basically comes down to negotiating with one's Chair. Sounds like a set up for inequity and favoritism...

[mamselle]

Isn't everything?

M.

[Cheerful]

I see. Is this rule written in a handbook and the same for all faculty? I just discovered from HR that buying out of teaching to take up a fellowship is possible at my University but they have no standard, not even within departments, so it basically comes down to negotiating with one's Chair. Sounds like a set up for inequity and favoritism...

Many individual benefits in academe are quietly negotiated behind the scenes, even at places where things are spelled out in a "handbook," including unionized campuses.  Lots of people get special deals.  Network and stay on good terms with your chair and dean.

[dinomom]

My university will top off a fellowship. but only if it coincides with your scheduled sabbatical.

[mleok]

I see. Is this rule written in a handbook and the same for all faculty? I just discovered from HR that buying out of teaching to take up a fellowship is possible at my University but they have no standard, not even within departments, so it basically comes down to negotiating with one's Chair. Sounds like a set up for inequity and favoritism...

This course buy-out policy is a division-wide policy, but it does not relieve you of the responsibility for service, or the need to be in residence. It is not the appropriate mechanism for addressing the situation you mentioned, and a partial sabbatical or leave of absence seems more appropriate.