Research Foundation income fund reimbursable (IFR) appointments are a means by which departments and units charge grant awards for the salary and fringe benefits of University at Buffalo personnel who are: 1) devoting compensated effort to the grant; 2) and are paid from either the State appropriated operating budget (SAOB) or income fund reimbursable accounts (IFR).
There are two types of Research Foundation IFR (externally funded research/program) appointments: released time recovery and salary funding.
Released time recovery is the typical way in which SPHHP faculty generate IFR. It occurs when a portion of a state employee's/ faculty member's time is "released" for research-related purposes. In such instances, the employee remains on a state-funded line and his/her research-related effort is reimbursed from a research (RF) account to an IFR account for salary and fringe benefit expenses. Reimbursement is processed by direct payment on a monthly basis into a departmental (or other unit) IFR account. The IFR account then provides a resource to the department for such uses as personnel appointments, supplies, equipment, or miscellaneous other expenses.
Salary funding is in effect when the person devoting compensated effort to the grant has his or her salary supported directly by the IFR account. It provides a means for long-term support of University faculty or staff from a grant, while maintaining the status of this person as a "State employee." Such status can be important for maintaining continuity in certain fringe benefits: i.e., New York State Employee Retirement System or Teacher Retirement System membership, continuing or permanent appointment, or classified service qualifications.