Summer Research Guidelines

Summer Research compensation is for faculty who have contract or grant awards with summer salary itemized in the budget. Compensation is only for actual time worked and effort spent during the summer research period, and can only be paid for periods the faculty member is actively working on the project. It cannot be paid to faculty on vacation, committed to other projects, or for time worked outside of the summer research period.

If a Summer Teaching Agreement is also in effect, usually days identified for teaching cannot also be identified as summer research. Normally, the two cannot overlap if together they exceed 100% FTE. If teaching full time during the summer, extra compensation of up to one day per week (125% FTE) is allowable if approved in advance by the department chairperson, dean, and by the agency funding the summer research. Exceptions to this policy must be approved in advance by the Provost's Office via the Senior Vice Provost.

Please follow the guidelines below when preparing summer research forms: 

1. The award budget must have adequate funds to cover the summer salary including fringe benefits.
2. Federal grant rules do not allow 9-month Faculty to pay themselves more than 1/9^th of their salary in any one summer month. Faculty on 9-month appointments may pay themselves a maximum of 3/9^ths of their academic year salary during the summer. Academic year salary is defined as the 9-month base salary plus any special administrative component (SAC) that was in effect at the time the summer research payment was approved. Specifically, the pay rate (Rate 1) for May and June is determined by the 2019/2020 academic year salary and the pay rate (Rate 2) for July and August is determined by the 2020/2021 academic year salary. Revisions to an academic year contract will not result in revisions to summer research payments. The calculations for the maximum allowable payments must include any approved SACs, though a faculty member can choose to take less than the maximum allowable payment. The academic year salary does not include:
   
   • Monetary Awards
   • Please note: Specific funding agencies may have distinct policies. For example, the National Science Foundation (NSF) guidelines stipulate "under normal re-budgeting authority, a grantee can internally approve an increase or decrease in person-months devoted to the project after an award is made, even if doing so results in salary support for senior personnel exceeding the two-month salary policy. No prior approval from NSF is necessary unless the re-budgeting would cause the objectives or scope of the project to change. NSF prior approval is necessary if the objectives or scope of the project change." For additional NSF information: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappg20_1/nsf20_1.pdf
3. You may submit one form for the entire summer period pay. Use Rate 1 for summer research that occurs before July 1 and Rate 2 for summer research that occurs after July 1.
4. The 3/9^ths limit is calculated using the base salary as follows. Example: Professor X's academic year salary for FY19/20 is $90,000. Rate 1 for May and June will be $10,000 ($90,000/9). For FY20/21, Professors X's academic year salary is $95,000. Rate 2 for July and August will be $10,555.55 ($95,000/9).

The amount payable in May and August is pro-rated by the number of work days for summer research in each month and the total should equal 1/9^th. Use .667 as the multiplier for calculating the May payroll, and .333 for the August payroll. For information on how the multipliers were determined, please see the explanation at the end of the guidelines.

The maximum allowable payments for the summer research period of May 17 through August 8 are given the table below: 

For additional sample calculations, see the examples given at the end of the guidelines.

All Summer Research forms must be processed no later than the deadline for the last 'pick up' payroll during the first week in September each year. Any exceptions will need to be accompanied by a justification signed by the chair and dean. 

Should you have any questions about the form, please call the Office of Faculty Affairs and Services at 277-4528 or by email at faculty@unm.edu or if you have questions about your index/grant, call the Contract and Grant Accounting. 


Basis for Determining May and August Percentages

The basis for determining the percentage of 1/9th of the faculty member's salary that can be paid during the partial months of May and August was the percentage of work days that fall in either month. Specifically: 

Example Scenarios for Summer Research Payment Calculations

Example A: Faculty A will receive maximum payment for May, June, July, August. Faculty A has a SAC for both AY 19/20 and AY 20/21 

Example B: Faculty B will receive maximum payment for May, June, July, August. Faculty B has a SAC for AY 19/20 and no SAC in AY 20/21. 

Example C: Faculty C will receive maximum payment for May, June, July, August. Faculty C does not have a SAC in AY 18/19 and will have a SAC in AY 19/20

Example D: Faculty A (see payment schedule from Example A) will only be conducting summer research for several weeks during the summer research period. Payment can be pro-rated by the number of days worked in the month. The maximum number for work days per month for the 2020 summer research period is given below.

Example D.1: Faculty A working 5 days (1 week) in May

Calculation: 5 days/15 total work days*Maximum May Payment

5/15*$6,111.11*.667 = $1,358.70

Example D.2 Faculty A working 10 days (2 weeks) in June

Calculation: 10 days/22 total work days*Maximum June Payment

10 days/22 total work days*$6,111.11 = $2,777.77

Example D.3: Faculty A working 15 days (3 weeks) in July

Calculation: 15 days/23 total work days*$6,850.00 = $4,467.39

Example D.4: Faculty A working 2 days in August

Calculation: 2 days/5 total work days*$6,850.00*.333 = $912.42

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