SUNY Oswego is implementing a new Faculty and Staff Incentive Plan for Sponsored Program Activity, designed to encourage and recognize engagement in externally funded research, scholarship and creative work.
The initiative represents a key step in strengthening the university’s research ecosystem and aligns with SUNY Oswego’s strategic priorities to Grow, Connect and Thrive. By reinvesting a portion of facilities and administrative (F&A) cost recovery from sponsored projects, the plan provides a structured and transparent approach to supporting faculty, departments and campus-wide research initiatives.
Under the model, F&A funds are first used to support essential institutional needs, including Research Foundation assessments, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) operations, compliance and contract costs and future research commitments. Once these obligations are met, a portion of the remaining realized F&A may be distributed to support research activity across campus.
The incentive plan directs reinvestment into three primary areas:
- Investigators (principal investgiators and co-principal investgiators), through research support funds tied to sponsored project activity
- Departments and schools/colleges, to strengthen research infrastructure, student engagemen, and seed funding opportunities
- Strategic research initiatives, administered by the Provost’s Office to support internal grants, bridge funding and long-term capacity building
The model also incorporates a tiered structure that reflects the level of F&A recovery associated with different types of awards, recognizing both federally funded projects and those with reduced or no indirect cost recovery.
Incentive distributions will occur annually following fiscal year reconciliation and will be dependent on available F&A after institutional obligations are met. ORSP will publish an annual summary of F&A collections and distributions to promote transparency and shared understanding across campus.
“This plan is about reinvesting in the people and programs that drive sponsored activity at SUNY Oswego,” said William Bowers, associate provost for research development and administration. “It provides a clear and sustainable framework to support faculty and staff success while continuing to build our research capacity as a primarily undergraduate institution.”
Faculty and staff interested in learning more about the incentive plan or exploring sponsored funding opportunities are encouraged to contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at orsp@oswego.edu.
-- Submitted by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs