Summary
- Purpose: Start-up funds support the research and scholarly activities of full-time, research-active faculty. They may be provided with a new hire package, mid-career refresh, or retention initiative and are intended to help establish or accelerate a research program rather than provide ongoing funding.
- Spending Period: Funds generally must be spent within three years of the faculty member’s start date. Expenditures must follow an approved spending plan and comply with university, state, and funding-source requirements.
- Pre-Approval: A detailed expenditure plan and budget justification must be developed and approved before being incorporated into the faculty member’s offer letter. The plan is intended to ensure start-up commitments align with research needs and institutional resources.
- Typical allowable expenses include:
- Major research equipment, materials, and supplies
- Summer salary, limited to four months over three years
- Postdoctoral scholars
- Graduate and undergraduate student support
- Other expenses may be permitted with appropriate justification, including research staff, research-related travel, specialized hardware/software, participant costs, animal research costs, publications, books, journals, and specialized research supplies. Some expenditures require additional approvals, such as IT, IRB, or IACUC approval.
- Prohibited expenses include: personal items, salary supplements, office/lab furniture, home-office costs, non-research travel, food or alcohol except when required for research purposes, and other costs not directly connected to research or scholarly activity.
- Budget Changes: Faculty may request changes through their college’s Finance Business Center. Reallocations between personnel and non-personnel categories exceeding 10% of the remaining budget require approval from the department chair or school director.
- Faculty Departure: Once a faculty member announces their departure from UCF, additional start-up expenditures require approval from the chair/director and dean. Remaining funds and assets stay with the university, and unused funds are returned proportionately to the original funding sources.
- Extensions: Extensions may be requested for extenuating circumstances, such as delays in lab setup, equipment delivery, or approved medical/parental leave. Requests must be submitted to the dean at least 60 days before expiration and require final approval from the Office of the Provost. Extensions are not guaranteed.
Bottom line
The guidelines establish start-up funding as a time-limited research investment with an approved spending plan, defined allowable expenses, controls over significant budget changes, and a formal process for extensions. They also place responsibility on the faculty member, department/college, and central administration to ensure that expenditures directly support the faculty member’s research objectives and comply with applicable UCF requirements.
University Guidelines and Forms
Here is a link the UCF Faculty Start-up Funds Guidelines and Procedures.
If you need request an extension, please work with the Budget Analyst assigned to your unit and complete the “Faculty Startup Extension Request.“