[Academic] Fw: Science Budget 2020-21 - Cost Control

[Gabrielle Weir]

To academic staff/PIs,

You'll have seen from the Dean's email that we need to be very prudent with our spending next year, and this includes highlighting significant spends from Department research subprojects.

If you have not done so already, please would you let Kirsten and me know THIS WEEK of your intended spend from your research subprojects so that the budget forecast can be prepared.

Many thanks,

Gabrielle

________________________________
From: Science Meetings <science-meetings at strath.ac.uk>
Sent: 27 July 2020 13:03
To: allsciencefaculty at dlists.strath.ac.uk <allsciencefaculty at dlists.strath.ac.uk>
Cc: Iain Stewart <i.w.stewart at strath.ac.uk>; Beth Lockhart <beth.lockhart at strath.ac.uk>
Subject: FW: Science Budget 2020-21 - Cost Control


Dear Colleagues,



The Faculty of Science continues to contribute well to the University’s overall performance and financial health.  Income has increased year-on-year, with notable successes in the current year:  research awards (£35M) and international fee income (£10M) reached their highest levels to date.



However, as costs rise annually and COVID-19 looks likely to impact negatively on our income, the Faculty of Science’s share of the University savings target in 2020-21 is £1.1M.  Therefore, I am seeking your support in implementing a number of measures to give us the best chance of success of achieving our 2020-21 Budget in terms of both income and expenditure.



1.              You are asked to prioritise spend through externally-funded Research and KE projects (i.e. subprojects with codes R and K) where appropriate to do so, with a view to reducing spend through departmental subprojects.  (Please note that spend from all departmental subprojects contributes towards a department’s overall spend in the year the expenditure takes place, regardless of when the income to fund this was earned.)  Spend through departmental subprojects for which you are the manager is not frozen; rather, spend remains at your discretion under the supervision of your Head of Department.



2.              Please identify any spend through departmental subprojects which can legitimately be transferred to external funds.  In particular, if you have Research or KE projects with underutilised salary budgets please identify eligible retrospective costs and work with the Science Faculty Finance Business Partner, Mrs Beth Lockhart (beth.lockhart at strath.ac.uk<mailto:beth.lockhart at strath.ac.ukl>), to transfer relevant costs.



3.              You may have unspent travel budgets in Research and KE projects which can be re-purposed according to the funder’s terms and conditions.  Please explore that option where possible.



4.              Please share any plans to spend any significant sum from departmental subprojects you manage with your Head of Department, so that they can be reviewed in the context of your department’s overall budgeted spend.



5.              Please notify Beth of any significant (>£10K) anticipated income receivable next financial year from sources other than Research and KE which may not have been factored into the budget.



6.              There may also be opportunities to generate additional income through KE activities not currently in place and I would ask you all to pursue these opportunities wherever possible.



7.              Please ensure that any outstanding invoices in relation to consultancy and other services are raised and relevant costs attributed in a timely manner.



8.              The Faculty has been allocated a non-research/KE travel savings target of £229k in the next financial year which assumes that



(i)                       current restrictions will reduce travel significantly until the end of 2020 and to a lesser extent in 2021;

(ii)                     travel will be reduced in future as we continue to use more sustainable working practices.



In order to achieve this element of the overall savings target it is imperative that any savings in travel costs from departmental subprojects are not spent on other activities.  (Please note that spend on travel from externally-funded Research and KE subprojects can continue, but you are urged to consider whether an alternative is possible, in line with the University’s sustainability goals.)



Thank you in anticipation of your positive engagement with and support for this important exercise.  I will keep you updated at the end of each quarter on our progress towards meeting our Budget in 2020-21.



Kind regards,



Iain Stewart

Executive Dean, Faculty of Science


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