Research and Scholarship FAQs

Preparing Your Budget: Summer Salaries

Summer Salaries (Direct Costs) 

Summer salary is compensation paid to academic appointed 9-month faculty who perform research on a grant or contract during the summer months. 

Summer salaries (and wages) should accurately reflect the current compensation level of employees (Institutional Base Salary) and not exceed the NIH salary cap, including salaries for future years. Realistic salary increased (projected over the project duration) should be built into the budget accordingly.

Note: Research effort translates into summer effort and cannot exceel 100% effort. Summer Salaries for faculty appointed on a 9-month academic year should be projected at the per-month rate of 1/9th of the academic year base salary. The National Science Foundation (NSF) typically approves only two summer months per year.

Your assigned URA will review the proposal’s submitted salary and wages to ensure they align with the University’s policies and procedures as well as the sponsor’s guidelines.

Other Resources

Budget Categories (pdf)

Budget Development Tools