Start-Up Support for New Faculty Guidelines

In recognition of the fact that MTU must be competitive to attract new and outstanding faculty, funds are allocated to provide start-up funding for new tenure-track or tenured researchers. These funds provide the resources needed to establish a scholarly research program that will lead to the generation of external research funding. Faculty start-up funds are an important tool for attracting top faculty while at the same time delivering the message that research is an important component of one’s responsibility at Michigan Technological University.

Start-up funding may be used for summer salary, computer purchases, lab equipment procurement/set-up, and/or graduate student support, or other miscellaneous needs as determined with the department chair/school dean prior to hire.

Process:

The Vice President for Research (VPR) will work with College/School deans each year to determine the allocation of start-up funds for each College or School. Any department needing start-up funds for new faculty should work directly through their dean.

The start-up offer or appointment letter along with the completed Request for Start-Up Support form (with required signatures) must be sent to 317A Administration Building.

The VPR office will request a new start up index. All requests for a start up index need to be sent to jpolzien@mtu.edu. A request for a start-up index received in Accounting from departments will be forwarded to the VPR office for approval.

Departments & Deans must transfer their start-up commitments into a start-up index (as described above) if they are to be coded as research expenditures.

A start-up index will be:

• Set up under the department with a research code
• The new faculty member will be the sole financial manager

VPR start-up funds will not be transferred until matching funds from other sources are verified for availability. Under certain circumstances matching funds may not be immediately available so a plan needs to be filed with the VPR office to schedule when the funds will be transferred to the start-up index.

Items such as travel and purchase requisitions over $5,000 need to follow the standard University policy for approvals for purchases (approved by director/department chair or higher). A copy of the purchase requisition must be sent to 317A Administration Building.

Start-up funds must be spent within the time indicated on the Start-up Package for New Hires Form (generally 1-2 years). A time extension may be granted only under exceptional circumstances (use the Request for Modification -Internal Support Only form).

If all funds are not spent, the remaining funds will be returned proportionately to the original sources.

If there is a multiple year commitment, then funds will be transfered accordingly.

Financial Manager or Department Coordinator: The index number will be provided to you so that you may run the monthly financial reports.