Research and Professional Development Allowances in KLS
Overview
KLS operates two allowances for individual academic colleagues:
- A £2.5k Research Allowance to support the research focused activities of colleagues.
- A £1k Professional Development Allowance to support teaching and/or leadership role activities of colleagues.
Each of these allowances are annual, will run from 1 August to 31 July each year and will apply pro-rata for part time colleagues and those joining or leaving KLS part year. Use of these funds will be as directed by individual colleagues and will be considered “pre-approved” expenditure, limited only by the University’s Finance Regulations and policies (as summarised in Appendix 1).
Although usage of the funds will be individually monitored for budget management for each colleague, it will be possible for individual colleagues eligible for both allowances to transfer up to £500 between each in any given year but due to the way the KLS budget is managed within the University it will not be possible for colleagues to transfer any unused allowance between years.
Research Allowance
All research active colleagues (including Research Assistants and those confirmed by the relevant KLS Director of Research as working with them to become so) will be eligible for this allowance.
Examples of activities that the allowance might be used for include, but are not limited to:
-travel, accommodation and registration for conference attendance
-travel, accommodation and fees for training aimed at building/ enhancing skills and techniques that will be used in research activities
-specialist equipment, software, other resources or services to be used to facilitate research activities (noting that core provision set out in Appendix 2 will be made by KLS to all colleagues and will not need to be funded from this allowance)
The availability of this allowance will compliment other sources of funding support (such as external grants, faculty grants, KLS Research Support Fund (RSF)) and the KLS Directors of Research and the KLS Research Support team can provided guidance on the most appropriate source of funding for your proposed activities. Normally an individual’s Research Allowance would need to used (or planned for use) in full before RSF will be applied to expenditure and this will be the standard assumption unless otherwise specifically agreed.
Professional Development Allowance
All academic colleagues (including Associate Lecturers, pro-rata as set out in Appendix 3) will be eligible for this allowance in support of their learning and teaching activities and key leadership roles.
Examples of activities that the allowance might be used for include, but are not limited to:
-travel, accommodation and registration for conference attendance
-travel, accommodation and fees for training aimed at building/ enhancing skills and techniques that will be used in research activities
-specialist equipment, software, other resources or services to be used to facilitate learning & teaching and role related activities (noting that core provision set out in Appendix 2 will be made by KLS to all colleagues and will not need to be funded from this allowance)
Accessing the Allowances
As with all expenditure to be incurred by KLS this must be booked and paid for directly by KLS if at all possible and you can do so via the KLS Finance and Travel Team using one of the following email addresses as appropriate (or by contacting a member of the team in person in room L18 of the Eliot Extension):
With the introduction of two allowances please do not be offended if we need to clarify with you which/how expenditure is appropriate for either of the two allowances and from which allowance you wish any given item to be funded (this will be necessary in order for us to charge your allowances correctly and to retain the necessary audit trail). Indeed if we could specify in your initial request which allowance you are seeking to spend from this would be much appreciated.
Appendix 1
Summary of University Finance Regulations – as might be relevant to allowances
As a large, publicly funded, organisation the University has established regulations and procedures which we are all required to adhere to.
In some respects the regulations may be seen as stringent and restrictive. This summary has been compiled in order to help the Finance and Travel Team help you to comply with the regulations and not be hindered by them.
This summary is not comprehensive but focuses on the areas of most relevance and does not prevent you from seeking advice on specific issues. In fact, please feel free to contact the Finance Team on or call in and see us if you have anything you wish to discuss or ask.
It is also important to remember that any and all expenditure to be incurred on the part of KLS (whether from allowances or any other activities) must be approved in advance of being incurred.
References below are to the Employee Expenses and Benefits Policy, available in full at:
Travel – in the UK
University policy:
These extracts from the Employee Expenses and Benefits Policy will need to be considered when planning journeys. For example if a taxi is to be used then when claiming reimbursement of expenses or requesting a booking you will need to provide an appropriate explanation as to why public transport is not practicable, for example:
-I need to arrive at XXX by 9am and would need to leave home before public transport is running/ sensible.
-There is no bus route from where I live.
-I will needing to carry heavy display equipment/ large bundles of exam scripts unsuited to public transport.
-I need to teach/ attend a meeting/ meet a commitment to XX at XX and would not have time to make the necessary journey by public transport (this may particularly apply to one-off/ infrequent visitors to campus).
-There are XX members of staff sharing private transport thus reducing the overall cost below that of public transport.
-I have XXX personal/ medical reason and am not able to travel on public transport.
This is not an exhaustive list of possible explanations, but represents the most common reasons. If the explanation is deemed reasonable by Payments then the fact of it having been provided will be sufficient.
Subsistence
University policy:
This means that subsistence cannot be claimed if you are essentially “at work” in the normal course of things. Reimbursement is also subject to the approved limits which can be found at:
Refreshments and Working Lunches
University policy:
Here two questions are important:
-Could I schedule to avoid the lunch hour?
-What is my reason for the meeting requiring this refreshment?
If you are booking catering via the KLS Office and have already contacted then you will be assisted to remember to address these questions. If you are claiming reimbursement you will need to remember to include this on the form (along with the attendees names), but again if you omit to do so we will prompt you. This is because failure to comply with these requirements is highly likely to result in the claim being returned unpaid by the Payments Office.
Hotel Accommodation – in the UK
University policy:
6.4 The maximum rates for the cost of UK hotel accommodation, as approved by the Finance &
Resources Committee, are set out on
If exceptionally, there are sound business reasons why the above limits must be exceeded, written approval issued by the Cost Centre Controller prior to the expenditure being incurred, must be attached to the invoice or payment requisition (Form F2) before presentation to the Finance Division for payment.”
The current nightly limit for bed and breakfast accommodation within the UK is £115, but this should not be considered a target, but as a maximum. Generally within the UK the limit does not present a problem and particularly in relation to spend from allowances those requesting bookings are usually keen to obtain best value.
Overseas Travel and Hotel accommodation
The university’s policies in relation to overseas travel are very much as for those within the UK but it is also useful to note that the nightly accommodation rates for overseas are compiled in the ‘Worldwide Subsistence Rates’
If exceptionally, there are sound business reasons why the maximum rates must be exceeded, written approval issued by the Head of Department or Cost Centre Controller prior to the incurrence of the expenditure must be attached to the invoice or payment requisition (Form F2) before presentation to the Finance Division for payment.”
In relation to overseas travel the policy reiterates that:
“5.2 Bookings should only be placed with other travel agents if an overall better deal, using like for like comparisons made at the same time, can be obtained; quotations or notes of telephone quotations should be retained, and the alternative supplier should always be tested against the University’s contracted business travel agents. The booking should be placed using an official University purchase order. The cost should then be paid directly by the University, either on production of an invoice or by University purchasing card or University credit card i.e. the cost should not normally be reimbursed to individuals through an expense claim.”
This can be achieved by contacting with your request and working with us to secure best value.
The policy also notes that:
“5.4 Deans, Heads of Department and all employees on Professorial or equivalent grades as well as those whose job requires frequent long haul flights as defined by their Head of Department may travel business class. However, the financial restraints of the University Cost Centre bearing the cost should be taken into consideration. All other employees should travel at tourist or economy class, taking advantage of restricted ticketing and using the contracted suppliers low cost carrier and national carrier flight search engines.”
As part of the University’s policy this is something that KLS will of course comply with, but we note with thanks that the use of business class is very rarely requested.
Memberships and Subscriptions
The university’s policies do not allow any payments to be made for membership or subscription for individual colleagues. There are a small number of collective/ corporate memberships that KLS pays for (most notably the SLSA membership for any members of permanent staff wishing to be members, if you would like to be added to this list please contact or respond to the next annual call for interest in this).
Appendix 2
Core Provision (that will not need to be funded from individual allowances)
The following will be provided by KLS as standard:
-office space (either individual or shared as appropriate and within the constraints of resources available) with staff desk & chair and a visitor chair
-Access to a desktop computer and printing facilities in the office space for light use and in the KLS post room for more complex/ bulk requirements
-The following software as part of the standard University package:
- The MS Office suite of packages
- Details of other standard build software to follow
-Access to a lockable filing cabinet.
-Access to a telephone.
Academic staff will be allocated their own office wherever possible, however the following exceptions currently apply due to resource constraints:
-associate Lecturers will often share access to facilities broadly in proportion to the volume of their part-time teaching commitments
-suitable space in the Law Clinic may need to be shared by academic colleagues based there until the new building is in use.
Please note: any equipment purchased for the use of an individual from either of their allowances (or core provision) will be the property of KLS/ the University and will remain so should the individual colleague leave.
Appendix 3
Professional Development Allowance and Associate Lecturer Colleagues
Access to this Allowance will be on a pro-rata basis as set out in the table below:
Min seminar groups / Max seminar groups / Allowance, £1 / 2 / 150
3 / 4 / 250
5 / 8 / 500
8 / 12 / 750
12 / - / 1,000
15 credit and 30 credit module seminars will count equally and regardless of exact pattern of teaching.
Please note: this allowance in part replaces the book allowance that existed until the end of 2013/14 but is wider in remint for which the funds can be applied in support of learning and teaching activities within a research led teaching environment.
This allowance can be claimed by colleagues once confirmation of teaching for the coming year has been received from the HoS and no earlier than 1 August before the relevant academic year.
The last date that expenditure can be drawn from this allowance each year will normally be the end of reading week in the Spring term (as with the previous book allowance).