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Research Cost Recovery Policy

Dean's Office contact: Vicky Palm

Research Cost Recovery (RCR) is the allocation of funds back to academic units that generate indirect costs from grants and contracts. Funds are distributed to the College, which then redistributes them to the unit level. The current unit distribution is based on annual indirect cost expenditures. The formula return is set at 12.5 percent on the first $100,000 of IDC expenditures and increases linearly to 25 percent at $500,000 and above.

Under this policy, 80 percent of the College's allocable RCR funds are distributed directly to departments. The remaining balance is reserved by the College, about half for research infrastructure and half to support a range of research needs, commitments, and investments.

RCR funds are put into a unit's 75-04xx budget and may be used for research needs at the discretion of the department chair.