Guidelines on Support for Externally Funded Research Leaves

Effective date: applies to all applications with due dates on or after April 15, 2021.
For an at-a-glance summary, see the Appendix.

  1. Introduction
    External research fellowships from entities such as the Guggenheim Foundation, Woodrow Wilson Center, National Endowment for the Humanities, Ford Foundation, and Fulbright Commission are valuable opportunities for faculty to advance their research agendas. These fellowships bring renown to the university and increase available research support for faculty. The CAS strongly encourages faculty with research expectations to apply for such grants and partners with them as described below. These guidelines have been designed, in consultation with department chairs, to support researchers equitably, transparently and sustainably. Faculty are asked to remember that the university is a contributing partner in this enterprise and needs to be involved in the planning early.

    Note that these guidelines are not binding commitments and may have to be changed or suspended in the event of serious financial constraints on the College.

    Faculty wishing to accept any fellowship, grant or similar opportunity that is excluded from internal support by these rules, may request to take a personal leave without pay. Benefits coverage during an unpaid personal leave will be negotiated and may be limited to one year in any four.

  2. Qualifying Fellowships
    To qualify for salary support under these guidelines, fellowships must meet all of the following criteria:
    • Grant does not cover any overhead expense for the university (indirect cost recovery) – grants generating IDC recovery will be treated differently.
    • Grant requires absence from classroom teaching for fall and/or spring semester.
    • Grant must be paid directly to Miami. (Exceptions possible when the granting agency prohibits this.)
    • Grant provides at least 30% of the faculty member’s base salary, or $25,000 per year toward salary, whichever is higher.
    • Grant allows the faculty member to devote full time to research, with no more than a nominal amount of teaching required at the host institution. No support is provided for arrangements that require substantial teaching at another institution, including teaching Fulbrights. The purpose of the College’s support of external fellowships is to support faculty research.

  3. Amount and Frequency of Support
    CAS will ordinarily top-up the fellowship award to reach up to 100% of their base salary for the period of the fellowship, with the following limitations.
    • The maximum top-up amount available to an individual will be $50,000 per year (or $25,000 per semester) or 50% of base salary for the fellowship period, whichever is less.
    • Benefits will ordinarily be continued at university expense for up to one year of the fellowship period.
    • Ordinarily, no more than one year (two semesters) of any type of Miami-supported research leave may be taken within any consecutive 4 years. This includes ARA, FIL, and top-up of external fellowships.
    • Priority may be given to those who have been waiting longer for such support.

  4. Replacement for Faculty on Leave
    Just as with an ARA or FIL, provision of replacement visiting faculty will be negotiated among the Department Chair, the Dean, and the Provost, and will depend on the overall need for courses in the department based on student demand, in the context of available resources.

  5. Application Process
    Requests for CAS support for an externally supported leave are due to CAS by about November 1 of the academic year prior to the year in which the fellowship will be held, so that CAS can plan how much support to set aside. The precise date will be set and announced each year. Departments may have earlier deadlines. Additionally, for fellowships with deadlines prior to that date, applicants must get approval prior to the application being submitted.

    Here are the steps to follow.
    1. Discuss with your chair and confirm appropriateness of grant and timing. (by early October)
    2. By November 1, contact the dean's office to confirm available support for cost-sharing. Be prepared to indicate project title, sponsor(s), project dates, and amount of funding sought from sponsor and from CAS. You do not need a full application ready or a Cayuse number at this point.
    3. Apply for an ARA or FIL via your department, at the usual deadline in the fall. Indicate if the ARA or FIL is to be taken only in case of winning the fellowship.
      1. Departments need not rank such leave applications if the person should not be considered for a standalone ARA or FIL. Instead the ARA/FIL application should be forwarded with an indication of chair's support or not.
    4. Before the fellowship sponsor's application deadline, input the application information in the Cayuse (eSPA) system, indicating the divisional support promised. Cayuse is available via the website of the Office for Research and Innovation (ORI). Staff there can assist.
    5. Apply to the sponsor, through ORI if the sponsor allows.
    6. Inform your chair and the dean's office as soon as you have news of the outcome, whether funded or rejected.
    7. If funded, work with chair, dean, and ORI to route funds through Miami or provide documentation of payment.

Appendix: CAS Fellowship Support - At-A-Glance

Summary – does not replace full guidelines

Fellowships Covered:

  1. Do not generate any overhead expense for the University
  2. Require absence from Miami classroom teaching for fall and/or spring
  3. Must be competitive and cover at least 30% of the faculty member's base salary
  4. Must include at least $25,000 in salary support
  5. Supports faculty research and does not require teaching at another institution

Miami Notification:

Before November 1 of the year prior to the academic year of the fellowship:

  1. Discuss with your chair and confirm appropriateness of grant and timing
  2. Contact Dean's Office to confirm available support for cost-sharing
  3. Apply for an ARA/FIL from the CAS, indicating dependence on Fellowship

    Prior to the fellowship sponsor's application deadline:
  4. Enter application in Cayuse (eSPA) system, indicating divisional support

How CAS will Top-Up the Salary when you receive the fellowship:

  1. CAS will top-up salary to reach up to 100%. Maximum Amount of CAS Contribution: $50,000 per year ($25,000 per semester) or 50% of base salary, whichever is less.
  2. Benefits will ordinarily be continued at CAS expense.

Limits on Frequency of Leaves:

  1. No more than one year (or two semesters) of any type of Miami-supported research leave (ARA, FIL, fellowship) may be taken within any consecutive four (4) years.
  2. If funds are short, preference will be given to those who have been waiting longer.

Faculty wishing to accept any fellowship, grant or similar opportunity that is excluded from internal support by these rules, may request to take a personal leave without pay. Benefits during an unpaid personal leave will be negotiated and may be limited to one year in any four.