25.1 The parties agree that the University shall provide funds for research and fellowship awards. The following sums shall be provided for PSC/CUNY Research Awards:
Effective July 1, 2014 – $3,884,218
25.2 PSC-CUNY Research Awards
(a) Eligibility: It is the intention of the parties that the funds for research shall be available without restriction to all full time members of the instructional staff, and the junior members of the faculty in particular, who are on the regular University payroll processed through the Office of the Comptroller of the City or State of New York. The parties further intend that research funding shall be used to support activities in the creative arts and all academically relevant research in the areas of natural science, social science and humanities, including but not limited to research related to curriculum development, improvement in teaching, adaptation of standard educational techniques to special clientele and the relationship between technical or occupational training and the liberal arts curriculum.
(b) For the terms of the PSC-CUNY Research Awards, see the February 27, 2014 Letter Agreement.
25.3 Fellowship Awards
(a) Eligibility: It is the intention of the parties that the funds for fellowship awards be limited to instructional staff members of the permanent instructional staff. Tenured members of the permanent instructional staff, (including, for these purposes, instructional staff who have been approved for tenure effective the following September 1), and those holding the title Lecturer with certificates of continuous employment, who have completed six years of continuous paid fulltime service with the University exclusive of nonsabbatical or fellowship leave, shall be eligible for a fellowship award. Individuals in professorial titles who are on leave from the title Lecturer with a certificate of continuous employment shall be eligible for a fellowship award. Service shall include service in a school or college maintained in whole or part with City funds immediately preceding service in a college or institution under the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees, provided that credit for such prior service shall not exceed three (3) years. Fellowship leaves awarded for the Fall semester or for the full academic year shall begin on the day full-time teaching faculty are scheduled to return from annual leave under Section 14.1.
(b) Applications:
1. Applications for a fellowship award may be made for the following purposes:
(i) Research (including study and related travel)
(ii) Improvement of teaching
(iii) Creative work in literature or the arts
2. Such application shall also state that the applicant will continue to serve for at least one year after expiration of the term of his or her leave unless this provision is expressly waived by the Board of Trustees.
3. The application in the form of a plan shall be submitted to the appropriate departmental committee and, if approved, to the college committee on faculty personnel and budget. If the latter committee approves, it shall forward the application to the President with its endorsement. Such endorsement must state that the work of the department in which the applicant serves can be so arranged as to be carried forward effectively during the period of the leave, and that the work the applicant intends to do is consonant with the principles of the fellowship leave. The President shall transmit such application to the Board of Trustees, with his or her own recommendation.
4. The Board of Trustees will consider the advantage of the applicant as a scholar and teacher to be expected from such a fellowship award, and the consequent advantage through his or her service to the college. Special consideration shall be given to those applicants who have not had a sabbatical leave or fellowship in fourteen (14) or more years.
5. Application may be for one of three types of fellowship leaves:
- a full year leave at 80% of the bi-weekly salary rate
- a one-half year leave at 80% of the bi-weekly salary rate
- a one-half year leave at full pay
There is an expectation that there will be a minimum of one half-year leave at full-pay every other year at each college.
Fellowship leaves received by members of the instructional staff who serve in the libraries will be of the same duration as those of other instructional staff. Members of the instructional staff who serve in libraries will not accrue annual leave during the period of the fellowship leave.
Members of the unit who receive a full year fellowship leave at 80% of the bi-weekly salary rate may, at their option, upon written notice to the President no later than October 30 or March 30, whichever is applicable, terminate the fellowship leave after one half year.
Where fellowships are terminated upon request under Section 25.3 (b) 5, such termination relieves the University of any obligation to further claims for the second half of the leave, but does not reduce the time period or other qualifications required for consideration for a subsequent fellowship leave.
(c) The University agrees to request the appropriate retirement system to credit the period of the fellowship as service for retirement purposes. The period of the fellowship leave shall be credited for increment purposes.
(d) Nothing contained in this Article shall be construed to diminish or impair the rights of an employee appointed prior to July 1, 1965, of the benefits of the Bylaws of the Board as they existed on July 1, 1965 with respect to sabbatical leaves of absence.
25.4 Professional Reassignments
The parties agree to establish a paid leave not to exceed five weeks during any year commencing September 1 and ending August 31 for the purpose of permitting members of the instructional staff who serve in the libraries to be reassigned for research, scholarly writing, and other recognized professional activities that enhance their contribution to City University. The reassignments shall be subject to approval by the personnel and budget committees of the respective library departments and appropriate college wide committees. The parties accept as a goal the reassignment of 50 members of the instructional staff in the University libraries during a one year period.
25.5 Scholar Incentive Awards
Scholar Incentive Awards of not less than one semester nor more than one year shall be established for full time personnel in the following titles: Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Instructor, Lecturer, University Professor, Distinguished Professor and Medical Series. The only purpose of these Awards shall be to facilitate bona fide and documented scholarly research. Other projects or proposals (e.g. meeting of degree requirements, study, service outside the University) or reasons (e.g. professional, career, personal) shall not be considered for these Awards.
The application in the form of a plan shall be submitted to the appropriate departmental committee and, if approved, to the college committee on faculty personnel and budget. If the latter committee approves, it shall forward the application to the President with its endorsement. Such endorsement must state that the work of the department in which the applicant serves can be so arranged as to be carried forward effectively during the period of the leave, and that the work the applicant intends to do is consonant with the principles of the Scholar Incentive Award. Upon positive recommendation of the President, the application shall be forwarded to the Chancellor for review and recommendation.
The following principles for such Scholar Incentive Awards shall apply:
1. A candidate shall be a full time member of the instructional staff in one of the above titles.
2. A candidate shall have completed not less than one full year of continuous paid full time service with the University before becoming eligible for a Scholar Incentive Award. A candidate shall be eligible for a subsequent Scholar Incentive Award after six years of creditable service with the University since the completion of the last Scholar Incentive Award. A Scholar Incentive Award may not be held concurrently with a Fellowship Leave.
3. If a Scholar Incentive Award is immediately preceded by full time continuous service creditable for tenure or a Certificate of Continuous Employment or Fellowship Award and immediately followed by such full time continuous service, the period of creditable service immediately preceding the Scholar Incentive Award shall be counted in computing the years of service required for the granting of tenure, Certificate of Continuous Employment or Fellowship Award.
4. A candidate may be compensated by the University for up to 25% of annual salary rate. The total amount of money earnable with outside support and the University salary may not exceed 100% of the annual salary rate that the person would have received without the leave. The amount may be less than 25% if the amount of any outside fellowship and grant support received would result in earnings above 100% of salary.
5. The University shall develop guidelines to be utilized in approving applications for Scholar Incentive Awards.
25.6 Effective February 1, 2021, the University will establish a research account at the CUNY Research Foundation for each department chair and Graduate Center executive officer represented by the PSC. The University will deposit $1,750 in the research account of each department chair and Graduate Center executive officer on February 1, 2021, and $3,000 on September 1, 2021, and on or before September 1 every year thereafter. The account is to be used to further the scholarly and/or creative activities of the department chair or executive officer and will be governed by the same guidelines that apply to the PSC-CUNY Research Awards Program. Unused funds may be rolled over to the subsequent year (including the year after the department chair or executive officer leaves office), but must be expended within that year. Any funds not expended within the subsequent year shall be returned by the CUNY Research Foundation to the PSC-CUNY Research Awards account. Funds in the amount of 10 percent of the total deposited in all department chair research accounts annually will be provided to the CUNY Research Foundation on February 1, 2021, September 1, 2021, and every September 1 thereafter to support administrative costs.
25.7 Complaint Procedure
Award decisions made under this Article shall be subject only to the informal complaint procedure specified in Article 20 hereof.
