Department Chair Research Accounts

The University has established a research account at the Research Foundation of CUNY for each Department Chair and Graduate Center Executive Officer represented by the PSC. The University has deposited an initial amount of $1,750 in the research account of each Department Chair or Graduate Center Executive Officer and $3,000 will be deposited on September 1, 2021. Thereafter $3,000 per academic year through the term of the Collective Bargaining Agreement will be set aside in a Research Foundation of CUNY (RF) Account for their use on expenses allowable under the guidelines. The Department Chair/Graduate Center Executive Officer will not be required to apply for or compete for the funds.

The account is to be used to further the scholarly and/or creative activities of the Department Chair/Executive officer. These accounts will be governed by the same guidelines that apply to the PSC-CUNY Research Awards Program. The Department Chair/Graduate Center Executive Officer will be required to submit receipts to be reimbursed for expenditures. The expenditures effective date will be as of February 1, 2021.

If the Department Chair/Graduate Center Executive Officers do not spend the entire $3,000 in a single academic year, the unused funds will be rolled over for their use in the following academic year but must be expended within that year. This includes the year after the Department Chair or Executive Officer leaves office but does not apply to those whose appointment terminates at CUNY. Funds not spent after the second year will be returned to the RF and dedicated to the PSC-CUNY Research Awards Account.

CUNY has agreed to the following parameters with the PSC:

• Acting chairs and Graduate Center acting Executive Officers (hereinafter, collectively “acting chairs”) (i.e., those serving as chair when there is no duly elected chair) will be entitled to the accounts in the year(s) in which they are acting. Unused funds may not be rolled over beyond the acting chair's last year of service as acting chair; unexpended funds will be returned by the RF to the PSC-CUNY Research Awards Account.
• Interim or substitute chairs (i.e., those filling in while an elected chair is on sabbatical or other leave) will be entitled to the accounts, rather than the chair who is on leave, if they are substituting for an entire academic year. If they are substituting for less than a full academic year, the elected chair will be entitled to the account for that academic year. Unused funds may not be rolled over beyond the substitute or interim chair's year of service in the position and unexpended funds will be returned by the RF to the PSC-CUNY Research Awards Account.
• Chief Librarians (i.e., chairs of the Library Departments) and chairs in other titles or functions excluded from representation by the PSC under the collective bargaining agreement are not eligible for the Research Accounts.

Please visit this site regularly for any updates regarding the PSC-CUNY Awards for the Department Chair/Graduate Center Executive Officer CUNY Research Foundation (RF) Account.