A&S Expenses Associated with Faculty Hires

New faculty hires necessarily involve expenses tied to relocation, office furnishings and computing equipment, and laboratory set-up or other costs associated with the initiation of a research program. The purpose of this document is to clarify college policy for these expenses. These expenses typically only apply to Tenure-Track and Instructional Faculty hires.

Relocation Expenses

Relocation expenses are negotiable for all Tenure-Track and Instructional Faculty hires. The college is willing to provide funds toward relocation. Departments may contribute additional funds for relocation expenses.

Office Allocation

All full-time Faculty hires will be provided with an office environment needed to facilitate their teaching. This may include, an office, a computer and office furniture. 

Start-up Funds

Start-up funds are intended to support the establishment of a program of research, scholarship or creative activity at Ohio University, and the faculty member typically exercises independent authority over the expenditures of these funds within university spending guidelines. The scope and scale of a start-up package will vary with the nature of the scholarly work a faculty member pursues. Start-up funding is intended to launch, but not sustain a faculty member's research. By its nature, start-up funding is only available to Tenure-Track faculty.

Department chairs typically request a proposed start-up package from a prospective faculty member when they are negotiating salary and other details of a job offer. The start-up package must include an itemized and justified list of expenses that will support the early-stage launch of a program of research, scholarship, or creative activities. The chair confers with the dean during the recruitment process as a college-approved start-up budget is negotiated with the prospective faculty member. Normally, departments are expected to contribute 25 percent of the start-up costs, with the college providing the remaining 75 percent.

Once a faculty member is recruited, chairs should establish clear expectations regarding expenditure of start-up funds. It is expected that these funds will be used within the first three years of employment as a faculty member's program of research is initiated. Extension of this deadline requires a clear justification and plan for use of remaining funds. An extension for expenditure of start-up funds may be requested from the college (consult with Senior Associate Dean), not to exceed one year.

Start-up funds CAN be used for the following:

• Research-related lab supplies and equipment
• Computers, software, and associated research technology
• Professional books and memberships
• Travel (for research, conferences, professional development)
• Undergraduate research assistant hourly labor
• Graduate RA stipends (CAS will provide tuition scholarship)
• Contract fees (e.g., gene sequencing)
• Limited lab remodeling
• Publication costs
• One month summer salary of first summer (must be approved in letter of hire)

Start-up funds may NOT be used for the following:

• Faculty salary (during academic year)
• Post-doctoral associates
• Salary for dedicated technicians or lab managers
• Instructional equipment
• Visa fees
• Expenses to develop a new academic program

*Note that when a department chooses to offer a reduced teaching load to a pre-tenure faculty member, it is the department's responsibility to cover departmental teaching needs, i.e., additional instructional support may not be requested from the college to meet curricular needs.

**Note that these are guidelines and considered to be best practices. Certain aspects may be negotiable under specific circumstances.