The commitment of effort made in proposals is the starting point for a significant amount of project cost. It also has significant implications for cost sharing. The following fundamentals apply:

• Stanford salary is allocated on the basis of a distribution of TOTAL effort (FTE), including teaching, research activities, University citizenship, etc.

• No one has more than 100% FTE, and most Schools require that a specified % be reserved for non-sponsored activity.

• Effort committed in a proposal, awarded by the sponsor, and expended on the project must be matched with an equivalent salary charge either directly to the sponsor, or to a cost-sharing account, or to some combination of these. 

• Stanford University requires a commitment of effort on the part of the Principal Investigator during the period in which the work is being performed. This effort may be expended during the academic year, summer quarter only, or both.

Note: In the School of Medicine, such commitments require a corresponding direct charge to the project. The School prohibits the cost sharing of faculty salaries (see School policy).

If a % of effort is committed, that % of salary must be accounted for either as a direct charge to the project or as cost sharing (or a combination of both).