Faculty Teaching and Research

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Appropriate Use of University Research Funds

Research funds are sometimes provided by the Provost to support a broad range of research activities by members of the Yale faculty. Such awards are not appropriate for personal or any other expenses that are not directly related to research. Some research funds are provided for specific research purposes. The list below provides examples of expenses that typically may and may not be charged to research accounts that are not designated for specific purposes. Obviously, all funds should be expended prudently, and the level of expenses should be governed by need and common sense. Grants provided by external sponsors (e.g., government agencies or private foundations) may include constraints that are more restrictive than these guidelines, and for information about particular grants, please consult the Office of Grants and Contracts Administration. Some kinds of expenditures, such as air travel, are also governed by specific University policies, including those that prohibit anything but coach travel except for reasons of health or especially long distances. It is also important to remember that equipment and furniture purchased with University funds are the property of the University.

It is not possible to list all of the items and expenses that qualify or do not qualify as research expenses. It is the purpose of the expenditure rather than the item or service that determines whether it is a legitimate research expense. Thus, items on the normally appropriate list can be included only if they are being used for research purposes. Conversely, some of the items on the normally inappropriate list could be included if it can be demonstrated that they are essential to a research project. The underlying test is whether the expense is directly relevant to the sponsored research. For all of these matters, consult the appropriate policies in the Faculty Handbook and at http://www.yale.edu/ppdev/.

Normally appropriate research expenses:

Books
Clerical and administrative help (not usually allowable on federal grants)
Computer hardware and software
Conference registration fees
Office file cabinets
Food while travelling
Hotel costs
Office movable bookcases
Long distance calls
Library fees
Page charges for articles in scholarly journals
Photocopy costs
Photographs
Professional journal subscriptions
Meals and other local expenses for research collaborators
Membership in professional organizations (not allowable on federal grants)
Research assistants
Research equipment
Student assistants
Transportation to conferences, libraries, or research sites

Examples of inappropriate research expenses:

Academic robes
Advertisement for books
Business or first-class travel (except as allowed by University policy)
Child care
Clothing
Club memberships
First-class airline travel
Framing of pictures, maps as office decor
Gifts
Home office furniture
Home office renovations
Luggage
Spousal, partner, or other family member travel costs
Network connectivity costs