Faculty who have resigned from IUB often have questions about the uses of funds that remain in their research accounts, and about whether research materials and equipment purchased with IU funds may be transferred to their new institutions.
The purpose of a research account is to support the research/creative activity and professional development of faculty members while they are employed by an academic unit at Indiana University. When faculty members resign, research funds revert to the College at the end of the current contract. Faculty may request use of research funds to maintain their commitments to Indiana University graduate students for a limited time (typically one year) following the end of their contract (e.g., for graduate student support, for travel to and from Indiana University for meetings with students). Any such use of research funds must be approved prior to the faculty member’s departure. Requests should be directed to the Executive Associate Dean, and include details of how the funds will be used, dates, and estimated expenses.
Indiana University policy establishes that any items purchased with research funds are and remain the property of Indiana University and, by definition, the state. (See https://policies.iu.edu/policies/fin-purch-11-disposal-and-redistribution-university-property/index.html for details.) Faculty accepting a position at another institution may not take with them office equipment, computers, printers, and the like that were purchased with Indiana University funds. Books or other similar scholarly materials purchased within one year of departure also are considered the property of Indiana University.
Faculty may request that equipment purchased through contracts, external grants, or research accounts be transferred to another institution. Such requests should be directed to the Associate Dean for Research and the Executive Associate Dean who, in consultation with the department chair, will review the request. If they approve, they will forward the request to the appropriate campus offices for higher-level review. Transfers of equipment purchased with Indiana University funds can only be accomplished through payment by the receiving institution of a negotiated transfer price, which is based on current market value as well as accounting depreciation. See IU Policy FIN-GCA-70 for details: https://policies.iu.edu/policies/fin-gca-70-equipment-transfers/index.html.
College of Arts and Sciences
December, 2020
