Topics Map > Programs & Policies
Salary Offset Program
Salary offset is generated when a Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI commits a specific portion of their effort to an extramurally funded project. When an investigator pays themself on an extramurally funded grant, they free up salary obligations on a unit’s operating budget. These savings are used to offset the effort that the investigator does not devote to other university business such as instruction, administration, service or clinical activities. These savings are realized over the entire fiscal year for 12-month faculty and over the academic year for 9-month faculty.
This program applies to all PIs and Co-PIs applying salary to extramurally sponsored programs regardless of project start date or role on the project. Intramural grants are excluded from this program.
Program Details
- Salary offset eligibility and schedule is dependent on investigator rank and pay basis.
- Those on an academic year pay basis (9-month or C-basis) must cover their summer salary (OHR policy UW-5032) before any salary offset dollars can be returned to the investigator as described below. Half of the salary offset dollars generated beyond their summer salary are eligible for return to the investigator as discretionary 101 funds.
- Faculty on a calendar year (12-month or A-basis) contracts receive 50% of all salary offset during the fiscal year.
- Probationary faculty are an exception to this program. Probationary faculty awarded an extramural grant with a requirement of more than 25% effort will receive full salary offset beyond 25% effort for that grant.
- Faculty who receive a Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA; R35) are eligible to receive a 100% return of all salary offset during the academic year. Faculty on academic year contracts (9-month or C-basis) must cover their summer salary to be eligible for the 100% return.
- If salary is charged to faculty salary offset projects, fringe adjustments are made on a quarterly basis.
- Salary offset dollars must be spent within the fiscal year they are generated. Exceptions to carry over funds for one quarter may be made by sending a request with a justification to the associate dean for administration and staff. These requests will be reviewed with the Dean.
- This program is reviewed and may be revised on an annual basis by the Dean of the School of Pharmacy.