July 23, 2024
These guidelines will apply to offers made starting August 1, 2024 and will not be retroactive.
Unless otherwise requested and approved at the time of hire, all faculty startup packages should be spent in the first six years of the new faculty member’s appointment. Funds will be automatically rolled over until the third-year review, at which point continued use is dependent on a successful review of performance (i.e., the third-year review) and approval of a spending plan documenting how funds will be spent by the end of the sixth year. Confirmation of continued use after the third-year review and the spending plan must be approved by the faculty member’s department chair and dean. Any unspent funds at the end of the six-year period will be returned to the unit(s) that provided the startup funding.
Term extensions after six years may be requested and are subject to approval by the provost or their designees after approval by the dean. Requests for extensions should be accompanied by a written justification and spending plan. Extensions will typically be granted for faculty taking leaves of absence for health or family matters. Extension decisions should factor in, at a minimum, the faculty member’s research progress, performance contributions, record of external funding, and successful promotion and tenure case.
Spending of startup funds is not permitted before the appointment date without express approval. In the event of a separation from IU, faculty will immediately lose access to startup funds.