Faculty Startup Funds

Startup Funding Policy

The Provost can grant startup funds at the time a new tenure-track faculty member is hired. Startup funds are tailored to the particular needs of the new hire and will vary from person to person. These funds are intended to support the scholarly/creative and pedagogic development of the faculty member. See Faculty Handbook section 3.4.3.1. Below is the process by which startup funding needs are requested, reviewed, awarded, and communicated.

Eligibility

Startup funds are typically available for new full-time tenure-track or tenured faculty hires. 

Supported Expenses

Some examples of the kinds of research, creative, and pedagogic activities faculty startup funds may be used to support include the following. Startup funding is ultimately at the discretion of the University and is often tailored to eliminate redundancy and maximize collaboration. A listed example is not a promise of support in that particular area. 

Equipment and Technology

  • Scientific instruments, microscopes, and specialized research apparatus for natural science investigations
  • Computing equipment beyond standard university allocation, including high-performance computers
  • Technical accessories and peripherals necessary for research activities
  • Audio-visual equipment for creative works and multimedia scholarship
  • Professional-grade cameras, recording equipment, and editing software for documentary and creative projects
  • Equipment for interdisciplinary projects that span multiple academic divisions
  • Shared instruments that facilitate cross-departmental collaboration

Research Materials and Resources

  • Research-specific supplies and consumables for scientific investigations

  • Compensation for participation in experiential research

  • Artistic materials and supplies for creative scholarship and studio-based research

  • Field work materials and sampling equipment for environmental and social science research

  • Specialized books, journals, and electronic resources critical to research programs

  • Access to rare manuscripts, archival materials, and special collections

  • Subscriptions to databases and digital repositories essential for scholarly inquiry

Software and Digital Resources

  • Specialized software for research applications, including digital humanities projects

  • Cloud computing services and data storage solutions

  • Digital preservation and archival services for research data

  • Professional website development and maintenance for research dissemination

  • Digital humanities platform subscriptions and hosting services

Professional Development and Training

  • Workshop fees and training programs for new methodologies, technologies, and pedagogies

  • Professional membership dues for scholarly organizations

  • Certification programs relevant to research specializations

  • Professional development activities that support scholarly, creative, and pedagogic work

Travel and Field Research

  • Conference travel and registration fees for professional meetings

  • Travel expenses for presenting research findings and participating in academic discourse

  • Lodging and meal allowances for professional conferences and research collaborations

  • Travel expenses for accessing special collections, archives, and research sites

  • International travel for collaborative research projects and data gathering

  • Accommodation and subsistence during extended field work periods

  • Travel for establishing research partnerships with other institutions

Publication and Dissemination

  • Open-access publication fees and article processing charges

  • Costs associated with scholarly publishing, including page charges and reproduction fees

  • Documentation and archival costs for creative projects

Professional and Technical Services

  • Professional services for specialized research needs, including statistical consultation and technical writing support

  • Laboratory technician or student worker support for complex experimental procedures

  • Services purchased from research support facilities

Creative and Public Scholarship

  • Costs associated with mounting exhibitions, performances, and public presentations of creative work

  • Expenses related to community-based research and public humanities projects

  • Costs for organizing symposia, workshops, and public events

  • Expenses related to visiting scholar programs and sabbatical preparation

Space and Infrastructure

  • Laboratory setup and modification costs

  • Laboratory renovation and setup (subject to institutional guidelines)

  • Specialized research space modifications required for the faculty member's research program

Unsupported Expenses

The following expenses are typically not supported under faculty startup fund policies. Startup funding is ultimately at the discretion of the University and is often tailored to eliminate redundancy and maximize collaboration. While the list of unsupported expenses is typical of those expenses that will not be supported, other expenses may also be unsupported in particular situations.  

Personal Compensation

  • Faculty salary supplements, including summer salaries for nine-month contracts
  • Personal compensation or overbase payments to the faculty member
  • Benefits and incentive compensation for the faculty member

Funding Levels and Duration

Typical Funding Amounts

The intent of startup funding is to allow faculty to accomplish what is needed within their discipline. Because expenses for critical activities vary significantly by discipline, startup funding levels will also vary significantly by discipline, individual faculty needs, and institutional resources. The institution will work to provide appropriate levels of support for all new full-time tenure track hires within budget constraints. 

Duration and Timeline

  • Startup funds are typically provided over a period of 3 years
  • Faculty are asked to budget startup funds over a 3 year period as needed
  • Extensions may be requested under special circumstances but require administrative approval
  • Unspent balances generally remain with the institution upon faculty departure

Budget Flexibility and Approval Process

Rebudgeting Guidelines

Faculty members typically have discretion to make minor adjustments to approved startup budgets. However, significant changes (often defined as modifications exceeding 20% of total allocation or $2,500 in individual line items) require administrative approval.

Approval Requirements

  • All expenditures must comply with institutional financial policies and procedures
  • Capital equipment purchases (typically over $5,000) may require advance notice and additional processing time

Ownership and Property Rights

  • Equipment and assets purchased with startup funds remain the property of the institution
  • Faculty members wishing to acquire equipment upon departure must receive institutional approval and pay fair market value as determined by OWU. 

Reporting Requirements

  • Annual progress reports detailing research activities and fund expenditures are typically required, and faculty will be informed of how to complete this reporting as part of existing processes. 

Budget Responsibility

It is the responsibility of the faculty member awarded the startup funds to manage the fund balance to ensure there are no over spends. The faculty member is responsible for covering over spends. 

Process

  • All departments applying for a tenure-track position are asked to provide an estimate of the startup funding requirements for the proposed position. Departments are also asked to identify potential sources of funding, particularly restricted accounts, that may be used to provide the estimated startup funding for the new hire. This information is used during allocation discussions and as a guide in hiring negotiations.  
  • All finalists for tenure-track faculty positions are asked to indicate their need / desire for startup funding prior to an offer being made. Those indicating a need for startup funding are asked to submit a budget for their startup funding needs. 
  • The candidate's startup funding budget is provided to the hiring department and the Provost for review and commentary. The hiring department is asked to work with the candidate to revise the startup funding request in the context of available or existing resources.
  • The hiring department is asked to identify the portion of the startup request that can be covered by departmental or divisional restricted funds. 
  • Using input from the hiring department, the proposed startup budget from the candidate, and the estimated startup budget at the time the department applied for the position, the Provost makes a final decision about the level of startup funding that can be offered to the candidate at the time an offer is made. 
  • Startup funds will generally be provided over three fiscal years. Every attempt is made to distribute startup funding over those three years to adequately manage institutional budget and cash flow requirements. Meaning, startup funds may not be provided entirely in the first year. Exceptions can be made for extraordinary situations. Access to startup accounts beyond three fiscal years can be provided in extraordinary circumstances. 
  • Academic Affairs will communicate once per year with all faculty having active startup accounts about the funding provided in the current fiscal year, their accounts number, how to review startup fund balances, how to spend from the startup account, and the expiration date of their faculty startup account. Academic Affairs will also communicate with faculty at least 6 months in advance of their startup account expiration date. 

Annual Impact Reporting 

In accordance with Faculty Handbook section 3.4.3.1, Academic Affairs will annually make available the count of full-time tenure-track hires, the number of startup awards made, and the total startup funding provided for new tenure-track hires. Academic Affairs will additionally provide the total number of active startup accounts and the level of funding provided in the current fiscal year. 

Notifications from Academic Affairs

All faculty awarded startup funding will receive an email from Academic Affairs indicating when their startup account has been created and funded. This email will contain detailed information about how to access their account balance. In addition, Academic Affairs will communicate annually with all faculty having active startup accounts to remind them of the existence of the account, encourage them to check their balance, and to to spend the funds by the expiration of the account. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I manage my startup funds? 

You can access the balance of your startup account as well as expense transactions in Management Reporter (MR), our online budget reporting tool. Please follow the steps in our help document titled Managing Startup Funds in Management Reporter for assistance in gaining access. 

How do I spend my startup funds? 

OWU employees are encouraged to use BishopBuy, our online procurement system, to make purchases. When that is not an option, a procurement card (p-card) may be used. The Purchasing Department maintains this extensive help page about BishopBuy that you can review for assistance with using BishopBuy. This page contains a number of helpful howto videos. 

  • When purchasing in BishopBuy, you will provide your startup account number when submitting the purchase request. This help video from Purchasing provides guidance on selecting your account number. 

  • When purchasing with a p-card, you will use your startup account number to clear the expense at the end of each month by allocating the expense to your startup account. This help video from Purchasing shows how to do this.

How long do I have access to this startup account? 

Startup accounts are made available for a fixed period of time usually defined in a faculty member's appointment letter. If not defined, startup accounts are made available for three fiscal years. This means that startup funds not spent in any given year will roll forward through the expiration date of the startup account. 

Do I have to spend all my startup funds this year? 

Startup funds roll over from one fiscal year to the next until the account's expiration date. For example, if you were provided with $20,000 in a new startup account this year and spend $15,000 over the year, the remaining $5,000 (the ending balance) will be available next year along with any additional funds promised to you next year. All startup funds become unavailable after the expiration date for the startup account. Startup funds do not carry forward past the expiration date for the startup account listed above. 

Why does it look like my balance from last year was removed? 

All faculty startup funds roll forward from one year to the next through the expiration of the startup account. At the start of each fiscal year (July 1), however, there may be a delay in forwarding your prior year-end balance to the new fiscal year, which will temporarily make it appear as though any prior-year balance was erased. This is temporary as accounting closes the prior fiscal year. You should be able to view your prior-year balance in Management Reporter (MR) by changing the fiscal year to see what funds will be forwarded to the new year. See Managing Startup Funds in Management Reporter for assistance.

What can I purchase with startup funds?

Startup funds are intended to support your scholarly/creative and pedagogic development. At the time you were hired you submitted a proposed startup budget to the Provost. Generally, you should spend your startup funds on the items or services you proposed in your budget. Please contact the Associate Provost (djbrugh@owu.edu) if you need to make substantial changes to your plans for your startup funds. 

Who do I contact if I have questions? 

The use of startup funds touches on several offices. If you have any question at all, please start by contacting Kate Cole, Project Coordinator, in Academic Affairs at kkcole@owu.edu. She will assist in answering your question by involving the correct individuals.