Summer Salary

During the summer service period, faculty members may receive compensation in excess of their academic-year salary. Summer salary calculations for faculty whose summer salary is paid from a sponsored project (grant/contract) AND other non‐sponsored activity such as teaching, university service, or public service, should use a percentage of effort to determine the amount of summer compensation earned from each source.

Additional points to keep in mind as you process summer salary payments:

• Summer salary charged to a sponsored project must be for activities related to the award.
  Non-related activities include:
  • Preparing/submitting competitive proposals
  • Non-sponsor related research
  • Vacation
  • Attending department/faculty meetings
  • Teaching and teaching preparation
  • Administrative work

The Summer Salary Worksheet is used to calculate summer salary payments for faculty members who are receiving summer salary charged to grants/contracts during the summer session. The worksheet will automatically calculate the payment amount based on the faculty member’s AY contract for the current academic year, the percentage of effort, and the period of time the work will be performed.

1. Download the Summer Salary worksheet found at the bottom of the page or under SPA Forms
2. Complete all fields shaded in orange that pertain to the faculty member receiving summer salary.
   • AY Contract choose the appropriate faculty appointment.
   • AY Salary input the faculty member's AY salary.
     • The calculation for the summer salary cap for all faculty including administrative faculty uses the faculty base salary and the months per year of the appointment period.  The base salary for administrative faculty including associate deans, chairs and center/school directors is comprised of their 9 month salary plus an administrative stipend which includes both a summer component amount and an administrative amount. Each college is responsible for the calculation of the two components.  Please contact HR with specific concerns regarding base salary.
   • Max Summer Salary calculates the maximum amount the faculty member may receive during the summer.

   • Max Summer Salary (Sponsored Projects) calculates the maximum amount the faculty member may receive if receiving summer salary from sponsored project sources (90% of max summer salary).

   • Has this faculty member submitted additional summer salary payments for Summer? If yes, please include the amount previously submitted.
3. Grant Number – This is a driver worktag - so once you add it in the Workday payment system the rest of the information will populate for the costs tied to that grant.
4. Start/End Dates – Select the appropriate start/end dates that the time of work to be performed falls between.
   • Start/End Date corresponds to the semi-monthly pay period start/end dates during the summer session.
   • If the dates in which the work is to be performed do not match the given start/end date choices, select the start/end dates the work will fall within.
5. Percent (%) Effort – Complete the percentage of effort to be allocated to each sponsored project and/or departmental account within the start/end dates you selected in the step above.
   • The actual amount paid is based on the percentage of effort expended by the faculty member during the summer session.
   • A faculty member working on sponsored projects may receive a maximum of 90% of their maximum summer salary.
     • RIT faculty charging more than 90% effort to sponsored projects must complete the Plan of Work form. The form must be approved by the faculty member's department head, dean, the VP of Research, and the Sponsored Programs Accounting Executive Director.
       • This is required as a result of the federal government becoming increasingly more stringent enforcing requirements regarding summer salary for faculty working on federally sponsored projects. Federal audit activity at other research institutions has prompted us to evaluate the current practice of allowing faculty to charge 100% summer salary to sponsored projects. RIT’s policies and procedures are designed to ensure the university and faculty members are safeguarded from potential non-compliance and reputational risks. Note: this is not typical as most individuals would have responsibilities other than research during the summer session.
     • NSF Awards Only – NSF limits salary compensation for senior project personnel to no more than two months of regular salary in one year, including salary compensation received from all NSF-funded grants. Please see below for additional information.
6. Contract Amount – This represents the payment amount to be allocated to the specific sponsored project or departmental account. This will be the amount you will enter in Workday payment system. Note: This is an automatically calculated field on the Worksheet.
7. ​​The form will automatically calculate the maximum allowable amounts per summer month (May 16.67%, June 33.33%, July 33.33%, August 16.67%% of max Summer Salary). An error will be generated if this amount is exceeded.
8. The faculty member's home department should prepare all summer salary payments, regardless of the source of funding.
9. Send completed form to SPA Rep for approval.

Faculty members who work on sponsored projects commit to a range of effort over the summer session. These examples are to assist in calculating summer salary amounts, effort, and payment period. An image of the SPA Worksheet is included below. Numbers 1-4 in each example can be entered in the corresponding fields (1-4) on the form.

Scenario 1

9-month faculty member charging an award and discretionary account for 2 weeks' work during the summer.

1. Base academic year contract: $50,000
2. Maximum summer salary allowed: $50,000 x 33.33% = $16,666.67
   1. Maximum summer salary on sponsored projects: $50,000 x 30% = $15,000*
      *only applies when taking full summer
3. Time of work to be performed: June 1^st through June 15^th
4. Effort:
   1. Grant #1: 80% ($16,666.67/6 payments = 2,777.78 * 80% = 2,222.22)
   2. Discretionary Account: 20% ($16,666.67/6 payments = 2,777.78 * 20% = $555.56 )

Scenario 2

9-month faculty member working on one project for the entire summer.

1. Base academic year contract: $50,000
2. Maximum summer salary allowed: $50,000 x 33.33% = $16,666.67
   1. Maximum summer salary on sponsored projects: $50,000 x 30% = $15,000*
      *only applies when taking full summer
3. Time of work to be performed: May 16^th – August 15^th
4. Effort:
   1. Grant #1: 90% ($16,666.67 * 90% = $15,000)

Scenario 3

9-month faculty member working on multiple projects for the entire summer.

1. Base academic year contract: $50,000
2. Maximum summer salary allowed: $50,000 x 33.33% = $16,666.67
   1. Maximum summer salary on sponsored projects: $50,000 x 30% = $15,000*
      *only applies when taking full summer
3. Time of work to be performed: May 16^th - August 15^th
4. Effort:
   1. Grant #1: 50% (16,666.67 * 50% = $8,333.33)
   2. Grant #2: 20% (16,666.67 * 20% = $3,333.33)
   3. Grant #3: 20% (16,666.67 * 20% = $3,333.33)

Scenario 4

10-month faculty member charging one award and discretionary account for work during  the entire summer.

1. Base academic year contract: $50,000
2. Maximum summer salary allowed: $50,000 x 20% = $10,000
   1. Maximum summer salary on sponsored projects: $50,000 x 18% = $9,000*
      *only applies when taking full summer
3. Time of work to be performed: June 1st - July 31st 
4. Effort:
   1. Grant #1: 90% (10,000 * 90% = 9,000)
   2. Discretionary: 10% (10,000 * 10% = 1,000)

Below are several Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding Summer Salary Payments. For other questions, please contact your SPA Representative.