Flex Pay Program for Non-Organized Professional & Scientific Employees - Guidelines for Charging to Externally Sponsored Projects

The University has established a Flexible Pay Program for Non-Organized Professional & Scientific Employees to provide a mechanism to reward exceptional performance.  Any charges to externally sponsored projects (Funds 500 or 510) must adhere to the University Flex Pay Policy.

Additionally, in order for the Flexible Pay to be allowed as a direct charge to externally sponsored projects, the following also applies:

  • The criteria used to evaluate an individual should not consider funding source.  Additional consideration should not be given just because an individual is paid with externally sponsored project funds.
  • The funding for Flexible Pay should not be disproportionately charged to externally sponsored projects.  For example, if an individual is paid equally on two different funding sources and one of them is an externally sponsored project, no more than half of the Flexible Pay should be charged to that project.  In no situations should an externally sponsored project be charged Flexible Pay if that individual is not appointed to that project. 
  • The terms and conditions of a specific sponsored award may establish limitations or exclusions that disallow Flexible Pay.  In these situations, the Flexible Pay must be charged to another unrestricted funding source.

All Special Compensation Payment workflow transactions for Flexible Pay are routed through the Grant Accounting Office for review and approval.  In order to approve, GAO will review for the following:

  • Any applicable external sponsors or sponsor agreements that do not specifically disallow/restrict Flexible Pay.
  • The MFKs identified on the form match the employee HR appointment at the time of payment.  If the MFKs do not match the distribution, then verification will take place to ensure that no externally sponsored projects are charged more than their share based on the HR appointment.