The Start-Up Fund is an allocation awarded to a new member of the faculty to provide the resources needed to develop a scholarly research program which will assist with their generation of external research funding.
The financial resources from the Start-Up Fund are made available to the faculty member as agreed upon in the individual's letter of appointment.
Guidelines
The allocation of support from the Start-Up Fund for each new faculty position is determined by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs in consultation with college deans. Additional contributions to start-up support for new faculty come from various sources, including the academic departments, colleges, and research centers.
Shared Facilities
Start-up funds for Shared Facility Use Fees provide support for new faculty usage of our seven Shared Facilities including the Animal Care Facility. These start-up funds are administered through the Office of the Vice President for Research and may be used to pay for time on instruments, shared facility staff time, and processing of samples. These funds may not be used to purchase equipment.
Process
- Department chairs request start-up funds from their dean.
- The Request for Start-up Support Form is completed and a start-up funds plan is approved.
- Clearly state the end date of start-up fund availability in the offer letter to the faculty member; this should be no more than two years after the start date.
- If start-up is provided, the Request for Start-up Support Form, along with the faculty hiring packet is to the the Office of Academic Employment.
- Following HR's review of the hiring packet, the packet will be forwarded to the provost's office.
- Following acceptance of the formal offer, department coordinators should request establishment of an accounting index via an email message to Tracey Wood in Financial Services.
Financial Management
- A start-up index resides within the faculty member's home unit.
- The new faculty member is the financial manager.
- Duration of the index is typically 1-2 years and should not exceed more than 2 years after the faculty start date. This should also be specified in the start-up letter.
- Deans/Departments transfer the agreed commitments into the start-up index via a Request for Budget Transfer Form.
- Once matching funds from all other sources are verified, the provost's office will transfer their commitment into the index.
- Start-up funds must be spent within the time period indicated on the Request for Faculty Start-up Support form.
Expenditures
- All expenditures charged to start-up indexes are reported as research expenditures.
- All purchases are subject to standard university policies.
- Moving expenses are not allowed on Start Up indexes.
Fiscal Responsibilities
- Faculty members are responsible for ensuring all expenditures are appropriate and reasonable. Funds are to be spent as outlined in the final signed start-up offer documents.
- Department Chairs and deans (colleges without departments) are responsible for monitoring the fiscal activity of the indexes and for all costs incurred in excess of the support provided.
Extensions & Modifications
- If additional time is needed a Request for Modification Form is processed by the faculty member.
- All time extensions will need a budget plan submitted with the modification form. The plan should provide a brief outline of how the remaining funds will be spent during the new time frame.
- Completed forms should be submitted to the provost's office by email (provost@mtu.edu) for review and approval.
- Time extensions are not to exceed one year.
- Second requests for a time extension will only be granted under very special circumstances.
- To modify a budget category by more than 25% a Request for Modification Form is processed by the faculty member.
- All budget modifications will need an updated budget plan submitted with the modification form. The budget plan should provide a brief outline of how the funds will be spent during the remaining time frame.
- Completed forms should be submitted to the provost's office by email (provost@mtu.edu) for review and approval.
Questions? Contact the Provost's Office