Guidelines for using a research budget

PI	→	Worker	→	PI / Faculty Administration	→	Research Authority Operations Unit	→	Human Resources Control and Placement Section	→	PI
↓		↓		↓		↓		↓		↓
Negotiating with the worker		Filling in a personal questionnaire form & related documents		Completing and approving the personal questionnaire		Checking against contract period, budget & budget item approval		Issuing the appointment, attending to payroll, distributing copies of the letter of appointment		Informing the worker and start of employment

 

We recommend saving a copy of the appointment letter and forms for future inquiries.

 

It is also recommend to send a copy of the letter of appointment (or termination) to the department's administration.

 

A PI, who employs a worker at the expense of a research budget, is requested to submit to the Research Authority any request for a new appointment, appointment extension or termination, a month before the start or termination of employment.

 

Numerous appointments: worker could be employed simultaneously at the expense of up to four research budgets and at a job scope of no less than 10% of fulltime position in each.

 

Attendance reports:

• A worker will receive upon starting the work, an attendance card. Punching that card is a condition for paying the worker’s salary.
• The PI is required to monthly confirm the worker’s attendance computerized report on the attendance/salary Hila-net system.
• A PI who employs a worker, who most or all of his work is carried outside the campus, is required to obtain confirmation for manual attendance reports.
• Attendance reports must be made regularly and not retroactively.
• A worker on a monthly base, accumulates during his/her employment, leave days according to their job scope. The PI is required to coordinate with the worker and make sure all leave days have been used up during the appointment period. (According to regulation, unused leave days cannot be  redeemed at the end of the employment period).

 

Research worker employment process Extension of the appointment period

• Updating job scope
•  Compensation update
• Termination (hearing/end of appointment period/resignation/dismissal)

 

All of the above, as the letter of appointment, are subject to the Research Authority’s approval and a specific approval by the HR Division, and must be completed on an ongoing rather than retroactive basis so as not to delay compensation/severance payments. 

Note that the salary preparations ends usually by the middle of every month, so that a form that will arrive late to the Research Authority will probably be attended late too, and the worker will not receive his/her salary on time.

For further information: HR Division
Control and Placement secretariat - appointments, attendance reports, employee card, employment approval - 9741 

Payroll Unit Secretariat– payroll, compensation components: 6130, 8616

 

 

2. SCHOLARSHIPS FUNDED BY RESEARCH BUDGETS

There are several types of scholarships funded by research budgets:

• Subsistence scholarships for research students who devote most of their time to research.
• One-time scholarships for research students who devote part of their time to research.
• Various scholarships from external research funds and governmental ministries – for new immigrants, women, and outstanding students – Eshkol, Ramon, Teva and others.

A scholarship funded by research budgets will be granted to students who conduct independent research work and devote most of their time to research. Accordingly, scholarships will be granted to a research student where the PI of the research is the student's instructor. No scholarship will granted to students who are not research students (undergraduates) by the research authority.

The payment of a scholarship constitutes no employer-employee relationship. There are no employer costs or other social rights included.

The PI must make sure that the scholarship period conforms to the research period and that there is sufficient budget balance.

2.1 SUBSISTENCE SCHOLARSHIP

Duration:     Scholarships funded by research budgets will be granted for a minimum of one semester (half a year) and over a duration not exceeding the research period.

Scope:     Ordinary scholarships will be awarded to an extent of 50%, 75%, 100% or in increments of 25% up to 200% of a basic scholarship value, as determined from time to time.

Payment method:     Monthly bank transfer by the Research Students Section at the Academic Secretariat.

Tariffs:      There are 4 levels of subsistence scholarships: beginner graduate student, advanced graduate student, beginner doctoral student, and advanced doctoral student. The cost of the subsistence scholarship to the research budget includes payment for exemption of tuition to which the research student is entitled. For a student with a scholarship period of less than half a year, the exemption will cover half the tuition at the semester when s/he began receiving the scholarship. For a student with a scholarship period of over half a year, full exemption will be granted, according to the scope of studies during the scholarship period.

Additional rights of research students receiving subsistence scholarships are detailed in the scholarship recipients Assistance Rules document (Hebrew) at the Academic Secretariat website.

Scholarship applications will be submitted by the PI on a "Scholarship Grant Form" available at the various department secretariats. Recipients must fill in their personal details, including details of his/her university studies and sign the application. The PI will fill in the necessary details, including the scholarship level, scope or amount thereof – in accordance with the scholarship tariffs. The form will be examined by the scholarship secretary at the faculty, approved by the head of the department and the Faculty Dean, submitted to the Research Authority and then forwarded to the Students Section at the Academic Secretariat.

 

Subsistence scholarship granting process flowchart:

PI & Recipient	→	Department / Faculty Scholarship Secretariat	→	Research Authority Operations Unit	→	Academic Secretariat Scholarship Secretariat
↓		↓		↓		↓
Initiating the filling out of the grant award form		Examination and having the department head and faculty dean signing the form		Checking against contract, budget & period. Transfer of information to the Budgets Unit for budget transfer		Academic and budget examination, handling the payment to the recipient

 

For further details, please contact the Research Authority’s Operations Unit or Director of Research Students Section at the Academic Secretariat, Tel 8161.

1.  

2.2 One-Time Scholarship funded by a research budget

A one-time scholarship may be granted to a student who devotes only some of his/her time to research. Research students, who receive a subsistence scholarship, can receive also a one- time scholarship.

One-time scholarships may be granted up to twice within a single academic year.

 

Only research students (graduate and doctoral students) are eligible to this type of scholarship. In exceptional cases, subject to approval by the faculty dean, an undergraduate student in a research program or a student in a direct MA program may receive such a scholarship.

 

The PI will only grant a scholarship to the student under his/her supervision.

 

When the scholarship is funded by a university institute or center, it may also be granted to a student not supervised by the institute/center director.

 

Scope:     Up to 160% of tuition

Payment method:     Bank transfer to the recipient’s account through the Finance Division.

Procedure:     The PI completes a One-Time Research Budget Scholarship Form and submits it to further treatment by the faculty/department’s Students Secretariat.

 

PI	→	Department/faculty Students Secretariat	→	Research Authority	→	Finance Division
↓		↓		↓		↓
Completing one-time scholarship form		Uploading the form to the system. processing with the PI		Checking against contract, budget type, form and approval		Payment & notification of other authorities

 

Note: When the PI grants a scholarship to a research student who has another supervisor from a different faculty, the One-Time Scholarship Form will be submitted to the student’s faculty secretariat to be processed thereby.

 

2.3 OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS - Scholarships from external funds and government ministries such as: the Ministry of Science – Eshkol, Women, etc.; from the Ministry of Immigrant 

 

Absorption – Immigrants; scholarships from the Water Authority, etc.

 

In these types of scholarships, the payment to the recipient is handled by the Research Authority through the External Scholarships Section at the Academic Secretariat.

 

 

3. RESEARCH EFFORT REPORTING FORM

Filling up research effort sheets is an essential requirement for every research that is financed by the European Community or the American Government.

 

The manner of completing the effort sheet is described below. Updated effort sheets can be found on the website of the Research Authority (under "internal forms" section).

 

1. Who is obliged to complete the report?

a. Every researcher, including the principal investigator, a research worker, scholarship recipient who receives remuneration / a scholarship on account of the European/American research budget. The report should be filled every month on a regular monthly basis. 

b. A research worker who clocks in daily on an attendance clock, and works exclusively on one project, is not obliged to fill in effort sheets. Instead, such worker must provide the relevant attendance reports for the research period, and a signed declaration (see part of internal forms/effort sheets).

 

Structure of the sheet

 

An effort sheet is a monthly form comprised of 3 parts:

Headings: name of worker, faculty, degree

Effort time sheet is divided into lines (days of the months) and columns which specify the type of activities that are financed by the University:

a. Research activity on European/American projects

b. Research activity on other projects

c. Other activities at the University (teaching, instruction for students, committees)

d. Absences on full pay (Holidays leave, sick leave, reserve military duty, vacation leave).

The first 3 activities are considered as productive hours.

 

Bottom of the form: declaration, signatures, date (for completing the report). All sections of the form must be filled properly and fully.

 

All sections of the form must be filled properly and fully.

 

2. Date for completing the report – the report must be completed each month, starting at the beginning of the research. The last day of every month must be recorded as the date of which the report was completed.

 

3. Delivery of the report – All the effort sheets shall be delivered together, before the end of the financial reporting period, to the referent in the financial reporting department at the Research Authority.

 

4. Signatures: (Original handwritten signatures in hard copy, not digital)  Research employee / scholarship holder – The form shall be signed by the employee and approved by the Principal Investigator. During an extended period of the Principal Investigator’s stay outside Israel (for example, during a sabbatical), and in coordination with the Principal Investigator, the form shall be approved by the Head of the School or by the Research Authority. 

Principal Investigator – The form shall be signed by the Principal Investigator and approved by the Research Authority or by the Head of the School.

 

5. Number of hours recorded per day  Maximum number of productive hours recorded per day – according to actual hours. Number of hours recorded at time of absence on full pay (Holidays leave / sick leave / vacation leave / reserve military duty) – 8 hours per day. (An indication must be given in the remarks column of the reason for absence).

 

6. Number of hours recorded during days of trips abroad –  Trips abroad are not considered as vacation. If the trip abroad was fully financed by the European/American Research, all the working hours that were recorded during the days of the trip must be recorded under the European/American Research column – in other words 100% devotion of time to the specific research. In addition, the words “trip abroad” must be indicated under the remarks column. If the trip abroad was related to several projects, then there should be a fair apportionment of the working hours during the trip between the relevant projects.

 

7. Filling up automatically the same number of hours for each day or for each month –  It is not allowed to fill the same number of hours for each day (8) and for each month. The report must reflect the true actual working hours that were made.

 

8. Work which is not financed by the University (on a voluntary basis / at the expense of another institution) – no time should be recorded in this sheet.

 

4. PURCHASE OF CONSUMABELS, EQUIPMENTAND SERVICES FOR RESEARCH

 

4.1 GENERAL

 

Goods or services may be purchased for TAU by issuing a purchase order to a supplier through the computerized logistic ERP system.

 

It is forbidden to receive a product/service prior to the issue of an order with guaranteed funding approved by the authorized signatories.

 

This area is under the responsibility of the TAU Supply Unit, which provides the following services: domestic and abroad purchasing, issuing items from the TAU warehouse, managing the TAU inventory, selling of used items, graphic design and printing.

 

Mandatory Tenders Law

 

As of August 2010, TAU is subject to the regulations of the Mandatory Tenders Law for institutes of higher education. These regulations govern how TAU contracts with external suppliers. The regulations are implemented in TAU’s Contracting Procedure 01-005a.

 

In recognition of the particular needs of academic institutions, the Universities have been given an option to be exempted from tenders in case of higher education/research inputs. This exemption is unique and stated by the researcher in the purchasing process, without having to stand before a Tenders Committee.

 

Higher education/research inputs include equipment, scientific instruments, professional literature, consumables, and services, which are essential for research due to the relevant characteristics for research activity, as well as cases where it is essential for maintaining research reliability, uniformity or continuity.

 

Annual Research Input Purchasing declaration: Every Researcher needs to submit this form, allowing purchases of up to 60,000 NIS (including VAT) based on the aforementioned input exemption, without having to submit a specific explained declaration for each purchase. In any case, when submitting a purchase order in the ERP system, the Researcher must indicate that the purchase is tender-exempt on a research input basis.

 

Specific Research Input Purchasing declaration: obligatory when the cost of the purchase exceeds 60,000 NIS. When the cost exceeds 150,000 NIS, the academic supervisor’s approval is also required.

 

Research Authority Guidelines regarding purchases

 

1. Terms and restrictions of the funding agency: Purchases funded by research budgets

 

will be subject to the terms and restrictions of the funding agencies as detailed in the

 

research budget initiation form sent to the researcher, and from the budget item assigned

 

for the requested purchase/service.

 

2. Equipment list: Purchase of equipment must fully conform to the list of equipment

 

recorded in the agreement with the funding agency.

 

3. Time of purchase: Researcher, who received a grant for equipment or an approval from

 

the funding agency to buy equipment at a certain amount, must purchase it within 9

 

months from the date of commencement of the research. In grants funded by the Israel

 

Science Foundation (ISF), equipment may be purchased only during the first half of the

 

grant period. Funds may not pay for any equipment purchased towards the end of the

 

research.

 

4. Budgetary control: Budget control and reservation are done by the logistical system and automatically submit the request to the Research Authority’s approval. Apart for exceptional cases, there is no need to contact the Research Authority in advance.

 

5. Invoice copies should be saved by the PI (originals will be submitted to bookkeeping for payment to the supplier. This will make it easier to provide references when preparing the financial report to financing agency.

 

6. Revoking budget reservations. The logistical system creates a budget reservation when a purchasing order has been issued. Entering the supplier invoice into the logistical system should release the reservation and charge the budget with the cost of purchase. Whenever the order has not been supplied, partially or fully and no further supplies are expected, the PI needs to actively request the supply unit to close the order and to release the remaining budget reservation. Failing to do so could lead to a situation where the PI would not be able to use the planned research budget. For further guidelines and report of problems, please contact Yael Vochinsky at the Supply Unit by internal phone no. 8187.

 

7. Equipment purchase from EC funds

 

The cost of purchase of fixed assets is spread according to the depreciation ruled of TAU. Equipment cost above 50,000 NIS is considered a fix asset and is being depreciated along 3 years from its installation. For that reason purchasing fixed assets from EC budgets is conditioned by having at least a 3 years remaining for the project's life time. Fixed assets purchase must be coordinated with the Research Authority in advance.

 

8. Payment to research subjects

 

Payment can be made by gift cards purchased in the logistic system. Maximum payment for a research subject is 250 NIS. The Researcher needs to fill in a declaration form in regard of gift cards to research subjects which include an obligation to deliver to the Research Authority a list of the research subjects who received gift cards, amount of gift cards given and the research subject's signature, acknowledging receiving the gift cards.

 

4.2 CENTRAL WAREHOUSE

 

TAU’s central warehouse stores supplies and provides general equipment, chemicals, and gases (including liquid nitrogen) required for the university researchers. Purchases are made by issuing purchasing order for the warehouse. Supply frequencies are in accordance with the type of item purchased (liquid nitrogen, daily; other gases, weekly, etc.).

 

4.3 LOCAL PURCHASES

 

The Supply Unit website provides pricelists and guidelines as well as supplier lists in various purchasing areas.

 

Types of orders

 

Purchasing from Israeli suppliers requires issuing an order directly by the researcher or through the purchasers at the Supply Unit, according to the nature and amount of purchase.

 

Type of Order	Amount Limit in NIS (incl.VAT)	Research Authority’s Approval	Authorized Signatory	No. of Price quotes
Small order	3,500	Not required	PI	1
Direct order	3,501-15,000	Required	PI	2
Pricelist order	60,000	Not required	PI	None
Local purchase	Unlimited	Required	Supply Unit	Tender/3

4.3.1 Purchase up to 3,500 NIS - Small order

 

1. When a small order is issued in the logistical system, the following actions will be performed:

 

- Budgetary control for the value of order required

 

- Reserving the amount required in the appropriate budgetary item.

 

2. When the order is entered into system, the researcher has to attach at least one price quote. When the approval of a professional official is required (in case of dangerous substances, animals, etc.), the order will be automatically submitted to his/her approval prior to the order's final approval.

 

3. Upon the order's approval, a supplier order will be automatically issued by the system.

 

The PI needs to print the supplier order and sign it as the authorized signatory (the supplier order will be signed by the PI or by an authorized person on his behalf). The researcher must deliver the signed order to the supplier by fax or email scan.

 

4. The original supplier invoice, approved by the PI’s signature, together with a copy of the signed order, will be submitted to the Suppliers Section in the Finance Division in order to make the payment to the supplier.

 

5. Note the restrictions in the regulation:

 

a. High-value purchasing order may not be split into several small orders.

 

b. No inventory equipment (as defined in subsection 4.4 below) may be purchased with a small order.

 

c. Small-order purchases are subject to the regulations of both the fund and TAU

 

Small order flowchart:

 

PI	→	Supplier	→	PI	→	Supplier Section in the Financial Division
↓		↓		↓		↓
Price quote,approvals, issuing the order in the system and delivering it to the supplier		Direct supply of the goods or services, issuing an invoice.		Receiving the goods or services. Approval of the invoice.		Processing the payment.

 

4.3.2 Purchase between 3,501 NIS to 15,000 NUS - Direct order 

The purchasing process enables direct contracting with a supplier, similarly to a small order, with the following changes:

- Two price quotes must be received. If this proves impossible, provide a justification for contracting with only one supplier. The price quotes or justification must be included as attachments in the system when entering the order.

- The purchasing order is transferred by the system to the Research Authority for its approval, and is then returns to the PI in for the issue of the supplier order.

4.3.3 Local order (Purchase above 15,000 Nis or inventory items)

Purchase orders exceeding 15,000 NIS and/or the purchasing of inventory items are made through the purchases of the Supply Unit, and are based on a purchasing order entered by the PI. The supplier is selected according to the purchasing procedure required by TAU' contracting regulation and by law. (Collecting quotes, conducting a tender or obtaining an exemption from tender). The purchasing order will be submitted for signing by the authorized signatories according to the order amount. At the end of the signing round, the order will be sent by the purchaser to the supplier.

PI	→	Research Authority Operations Section	→	Supply Unit	→	PI	→	Supply unit
↓		↓		↓		↓		↓
nitiating &entering the order in the logistical system. Receiving approvals (animals,inventory,dangerous substances)		Checking against the research contract –period,budget.		Receiving and reviewing of the order, selecting the supplier (by tender if required), preparing a contract/ delivering the order to the supplier, budgetary reserve.		Receipt of goods/ service. Approval of the supplier invoice & its transfer it to the Supply Unit.		Receiving the approved invoice &paying.

 

4.4 PURCHASING GOODS AND SERVICES FROM OVERSEAS SUPPLIERS

 

TAU carries out purchases from various suppliers abroad, including through various websites. The main methods of payment are bank transfer, cheque or by TAU's credit card.

 

In order to improve the purchasing services from overseas suppliers, it has been decided to separate the purchase of goods from the purchase of services. Therefore, the responsible department will be according to the nature of the purchase:

 

The purchasing of goods – equipment, consumables, and software including CDs – will be handled by the Overseas Purchasing department. Issuing a purchasing order in the ERP system is required. The department will take care of the entire importing process, including delivery, licensing, approvals and custom release.

 

The purchasing of services – publications, translation and editing, and software without CDs – will be handled by the Supplier unit at the Finance Division. This requires completing the Overseas Services Payment Form. Issuing a purchasing order in the ERP system is not required.

 

Exceptions:

- A services which requires a contract or a formal purchasing order by TAU will be handled by the Overseas Purchasing department. For example: maintenance and repairs of equipment sent to the supplier, complex services requiring milestones, copyrights, etc.

- Purchase of flight tickets, as well as conference registration and association member fees will be handled by the Travel department.

- Expenditures refund will be handled by the Research Authority. See Section 5 below.

 

To contact persons for the above mentioned issues please click here

 

4.5 INVENTORY EQUIPMENT

 

Inventory equipment includes both mobile and immobile items those value at purchasing is 10,000 NIS or above. The following restrictions apply:

 

The following will be considered inventory property regardless of the amount:

 

a. Items purchased to be placed in the PI’s home (a declaration regarding taking out a computer outside TAU's premises must be submitted).

 

b. Cameras, TVs, and rented photocopiers.

 

c. Equipment items purchased from research budgets, where the research contract stipulates that they are the funding agency's property (such as Ministry of Science or Ministry of Defense). Inventory items will be purchased only through the Supply Unit (local/overseas purchasing) or by ordering pricelists.

 

- Unusable equipment must be returned to the warehouse and deducted from the inventory.

 

- If the PI takes inventory equipment abroad, this must be reported to the inventory and to the official in charge of insurance at the Finance Division.

 

4.6 UNIVERSITY PRINT SHOP AND GRAPHIC DESIGN OFFICE

The university print shop has photocopiers and printing machines and may be used to print books, booklets, calling cards and various forms.

The graphic design office provides graphic design and execution, editing and production services for a variety of products, including newsletters, posters and books etc.

 

Further details about purchasing in general you can fine in  Local Procurement Section and Graphic design office

 

 

5. REFUNDS OF RESEARCH EXPENSES

 

A PI who pays the research costs out of pocket (including special trips, phone use, hosting and catering, professional literature, etc.) is entitled to a refund, subject to TAU's and the funding agency's regulations. Hosting and catering are subjects to TAU's regulation 08-001 and CEO Circular which elaborates on the maximal cost of hosting guests from Israel and abroad. The refund request must be submitted together with the original invoices, receipts, and full details of the purchase (name of book, details of stationary, travel itinerary, etc.).

 

Note that no refund for expenses made over a year before the date of your refund request. Expenses related to salary payments will be refunded through the HR Division.
 

Refund flowchart:

PI	→	Research Authority	→	Finance Division/ Salary
↓		↓		↓
Refund request form + related documents		Checking against contract,period, budget,regulations.		Approval,registering and processing the payment to the PI.

 

 

6. TRAVEL, CONFERENCES AND FURTHER EDUCATION TAU GUIDELINES

 

A PI wishing to travel abroad where it has been approved for funding from a research budget is required to complete an overseas travel request for faculty members, including all the necessary details. The PI must also attach a detailed itinerary containing the destinations and precise dates of stay. The PI must indicate the purpose of each part of the travel – weather it's for the purpose of that specific research, for other research or for other activities. Additionally, the letter of invitation and/or confirmation of participation in a conference must be attached, depending on the purpose of the trip.

 

The travel dates, traveler’s name and the destinations must within the research period.

 

The PI is required to submit the request at least one month before the trip. The request must be signed by the payer and PI of the budget (if they are not the same individual), and also by the head of the department and the dean of the faculty. The form must then be sent to the Operations unit of the Research Authority. After the Research Authority's approval, it will be delivered by the Research Authority to the Academic Travel and Academic Rights unit at the HR Division for further processing.

 

Travel of an administrative/technical staff, will be submitted for the approval of the Director of the HR Division.

 

HERE ARE SOME GUIDELINES REGARDING FUNDING AGENCIES:

 

GIF/BSF/Ministry of Science/Ministry of Defense/US Federal Funds

 

1. These agencies approve trips abroad only for meeting with the PI’s partner.

 

2. At the end of the trip, account settling must be done at the Academic Travel and Rights unit. PIs traveling abroad at the expense of the Binational Science Foundation (BSF) or the Ministry of Science are required to complete a per diem report upon their return.

 

3. PIs traveling abroad at the expense of the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Science and GIF are required to make photocopies of their flight ticket and invoices/receipts of other travelrelated expenses and submit the copy to the Financial Reports unit at the Research Authority.

 

4. For travels funded by GIF and BSF, detailed guidelines must be received from the referents in the Research Authority, since these funds have special rules for calculating the refunds, derived from the relative duration of stay in Germany or the US.

 

5. Overseas travel paid for by the US government will only be made through US airlines.

 

EC

1. All trips – local and abroad, funded by the EC must be directly relevant to the research project. To each request mentioned above for travel at the research budget’s expense, the PI must attach a fully completed Travel Application Form-ERC in English to each trip.

 

2. Trips needs be made to destinations within the EC. If the destination is outside the EC, a special justification must be provided. In exceptional cases, the Research Authority will seek the research project’s financial officer’s approval or the project's coordinator.

 

3. The PI must verify in advance with the Research Authority, the EC's eligible costs.

 

4. VISITORS: Every request for funding the hosting of a visitor must include the reason for invitation and the visitor's direct contribution to the project. The visitor must provide original boarding passes in order to be refunded for a flight. The PI is required to prepper a table detailing the names of the visitors who are funded by the project’s expense, the duration of visit and its contribution to the project. It is recommend to also submit the list as part of the periodic reports.

 

If the visitor receives a per diem allocation, the budget must not be charged also for meals with the visitor during the working day.

 

For further details, Lea Kats, Academic Travel and Rights Unit manager - 9684, 6217

 

Travel Flowchart:

PI	→	Head of department + dean of faculty	→	Research Authority. Operations Unit	→	Academic Travel and Rights Section	→	PI
↓		↓		↓		↓		↓
Filling in request form for travel abroad		Approval of trip		Checking against contract, period,budget, TAU regulations		Processing payment for the trip and per diem		Settling the account with th Travel unit

 

 

7. REMUNERATION OF THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

 

7.1 PBC ON RESEARCH-RELATED SALARY INCREMENTS

 

A “research increment” is a salary increment given to the PI. There are two types of increments, A and B:

 

Increment A: Research work in grants which allows payment to the principal investigator out of the grant money.

 

Increment B: Research work in grants which do not allows payment to the principal investigator out of the grant money.

 

Main rules regarding research increments:

 

1. Research increments will only be granted to members of the academic staff with a rank of lecturer and upwards, in the regular or parallel course of researchers – who is employed fulltime by TAU.

 

2. Staff members on a sabbatical or leave are not entitled to research increments. If their sabbatical year is spent in Israel, they are entitled to type A increment, with the acknowledgment and approval of the funding agency.

 

3. The increment will only be granted to staff members who are the PIs.

 

4. The research increment will be included in the definition of the “relevant salary” for the purpose of paying the PI’s pension, but will not be taken into account when calculating severance pay.

 

5. 5.1 Grants funded by the "Friends of the TAU" society or TAU subsidiaries (such as Ramot) or any entity controlled by the university or any entity whose policy and grant allocation are determined by TAU (internal centers etc.) do not entitle the staff member to a research increment.

 

5.2 Active external grants in an extension period without additional funding, do not entitle the staff member to a research increment.

 

6. In order to determine the entitlement in a given month, the total amounts of all research budgets available to the PI at that given month will be taken into account.

The USD value of the research budgets denominated in ILS or other foreign currencies will be determined by the USD exchange rate at the beginning of the budget period.

 

7. The total budget as per the contract will be divided among the PIs involved in the research project, and the increment will be calculated separately for each with respect to the relative amount at his or her disposal.

 

8. PBC’S RESEARCH INCREMENT ENTITLEMENT CALCULATION

 

8.1 Research Increment A

a. If the total amount available to the PI at an annual calculation is lower than $10,038 – no increment will be granted.

 

b. If the amount is between $10,039 and $80,303 – an increment not exceeding 31% of the salary.

 

c. If the amount is between $80,304 and $125,475 – an increment not exceeding 41% of the salary.

 

d. If the amount exceeds $125,476 – an increment not exceeding 51% of the salary.

 

8.2 Research Increment B

a. If the total amount available to the PI at an annual calculation is lower than $10,038 – no increment will be given.

 

b. If the amount is between $10,039 and $20,076 – an increment not exceeding 6% of the salary.

 

c. If the amount is between $20,077 and $33,460 – an increment not exceeding 12% of the salary.

 

d. If the amount is between $33,461 and $75,285 – an increment not exceeding 20% of the salary.

 

e. If the amount exceeds $75,286 – an increment not exceeding 25% of the salary.

 

9.  A staff member who has at the same time two or more grants of type A and/or type B with each being in excess of $10,000 will be entitled to a type B increment of 5% in excess of the entitlement described in clause 8 above.

 

10.  A staff member who has at the same time two or more grants of type A and/or type B will be entitled to a research increment according to the following calculation:

a. First, only type A grants will be taken into account and the appropriate increment will be determined.

b. Next, the total of type A grants will be taken into account plus one-half of the amount of type B grants and the entitlement will be examined according to the rules of research increment A. If the PI is entitled to an increased increment, the PI will receive it where the difference will be through a type B increment (which will not exceed 25%). In any case, total increments will not exceed 56% of the salary.

11. Type A increment for members of the academic staff who have retired but continue in research activity, will be paid as a global salary increment according to the budgeted amount. Type B increment will be paid as percentages of the pension.

 

7.2 Function Remuneration FOR MANAGING A RESEARCH EXCELLENCE CENTER

 

1. Function Remuneration is a salary increment granted to an academic staff member for managing a research center, whose budget provides for that remuneration out of the grant funds.

 

2. Grants entitling for a Function Remuneration will be those received from competitive funds only (a competitive fund is defined as an external fund where research proposals are evaluated by external committees). Grants funded by donors or grants from funds that do not finance TAU overheads or grants designed exclusively for equipment purchases or funds that require parallel cash participation by the university do not entitle staff members to a Function Remuneration.

 

3. Grant amount that defines such excellence research center and the percentage of the Function Remuneration. A research center grant in excess of $200,000 entitles the PI to an allowance the said Function Remuneration. This remuneration will be 8% of the salary, and will be granted on top of the research increment and other role increments, as long as the total of research and role increments to which the PI is entitled does not exceed 90% of his/her salary.

This increment will be calculated for the purpose of determining the pension (since 1.10.2017) and severance pay and will not entitle the PI for redemption of unused sick leave.

 

4. The Vice President for Research and Development is TAU'S official who decide if the grant upholds the criteria entitles for a Function Remuneration and approve the payment of the said Function Remuneration to a PI who manages an excellence research center

 

8. GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH BUDGET MANAGEMENT

 

Operating research budgets is subject to the rules and restrictions of the funding agency and to the appropriate TAU procedures and regulations.

The rules and restrictions of the funds relates to the following issues:

The ability to change the budget and/or transfer allocations from item to item; transferring balance from year to year; instructions regarding specific expenditure items, such as the requirement to complete effort sheets in research projects funded by the EC or the American government; researcher salary caps (NIH); travels abroad of the PI and research students; date of purchasing equipment, etc.

The Research Authority continually updates the rules and restrictions of each fund. The notification for the researcher of a new research budget" includes the relevant rules and restrictions.

The researchers are requested to strictly manage the budget according to the rules and regulations of both the fund and TAU, and to make purchases through the designated budget items only.

 

Extra care must be given for the expenditures are truly required for the research's purposes and are allocated according to the relative use of the inputs in question in each research.

 

Expenditures cannot be transferred across budgets unless the following cases and conditions exist:

 

a. Error in recording of the expenditure – the correction will be made without delay and accompanied by supporting documents and a signed statement by the PI.

b. Allocation of inputs between research projects will be made according to the relevant use (employees, equipment, consumables). The reallocation of the expenditure will be current, under reasonable standards accompanied by a detailed explanation and supporting documents approved by the authorized entities and the PI.

c. Charging a research budget for inputs funded by the faculty/university (research repayments) will be made through a Research expenditures Repayment Form, which includes details of the research-related expenditures, detailed supporting documents and the approval of the faculty officials (the department head and the PI). The regulation details and form can be found in the Research Authority website. The repayments will be charged on a current basis and include expenditures made in the three months preceding the charge.

 

Strict compliance with the funds regulations and execution expenditures according to the approved items will allow TAU to obtain full and immediate repayment for these expenses from the funds and bring the research projects to their successful conclusion.