You heard it right – money over the summer! For most members of the Blue Cluster faculty,1 your appointment at UC Davis is formally a "9/12". This means that you are paid over 12 months for 9 months of work.2 Consequently, you are not working for three months of the year, during which time you can take on additional responsibilities during your "off-duty" period. There are two common types: teaching during summer session, and what's colloquially referred to as summer research compensation, or "summer comp". 

In this guide, we'll give you a brief overview of summer research compensation, and information on who to speak with for further guidance. For specific advice, please speak with the experts listed at the bottom of this guide; as with so many things on campus, the devil so often lies in the details. 

What's Summer Comp? 

It's not uncommon to have a source of funds besides your UC Davis salary. It may be "local" money, e.g. summer research funding from service as a Chair or relating to your hire or a retention offer. Alternatively, it may be external money committed by an outside agency. In either case, it is generally acceptable3 for you to use those funds to support your research. 

What's the Limit?

The limit, per policy, is 3/9ths of your annual salary. This salary limit includes all the money you get from summer research compensation, and Summer Sessions teaching and Summer Abroad, however – e.g., if you receive $10,400 for teaching during Summer Session 1, your maximum allowable summer research compensation would be 3/9ths of your salary minus $10,400.

Due to the way Spring Quarter intrudes into June, and Fall Quarter intrudes into summer, this is broken up into four chunks of compensation, two of them being half-months, to equal 3/9ths total:

For example, if you have an Associate Dean appointment which comes with "two months of summer compensation", you could say "well, I'd like a full 50% in June, a full 100% in July, and a full 50% in September – 200% total. It's dependent on your fund type (sometimes external grants come with a "spend all this by June 30th", for example), but it's often your choice on how to break it up. 

June and September often confuse folks; in our lovely payroll system, entering "50%" for summer comp during those months would mean you get 50% of 50%. As a result, your staff contact may add odd specificity in their communication with you, like "100% of your 50% for June" rather than "your June 50%". Please bear with us; better to be very clear about such things now rather than have miscommunication lead to you getting underpaid. 

Does This Affect My Outside Activities?

Yes. If you are not receiving summer funding there are no restrictions on the number of days of Category I and II activity during the summer months. If, however, you are receiving University summer funding and appointed at or above 50%, you are limited to one day per week of outside professional activities during the period in which University summer comp is received. 

Now, that is another area where you have agency. As the table above might suggest, if a hypothetical faculty member takes 100% of their 50% June summer comp for UC duties, and does not teach in either Summer Session, they can do whatever they'd like in August – they're receiving summer money only during the June period. 

Where Can I Read More?

• APM 600 governs salary administration for members of the faculty in broad strokes.
• APM 661 discusses Summer Session teaching, and touches upon the 3/9ths rule.
• APM 662 addresses additional teaching, and has some more information on outside activities (some of which may fund your summer comp)
• APM 025 is the main resource on outside activities and their impact on summer months.
• It's a bit "administrative" in tone, but Academic Affairs has a guide on paying summer compensation which practicalizes the APM information. 

Who Can Help Me?

In either case, Noelle or the L&S Research Admin folks can help get your summer compensation request on the books. 

• 1

  This guide is intended primarily for Professors and Professors of Teaching, of any rank, on a 9/12 appointment.

• 2

  An "11/12" appointment is also quite standard, although far more common in the biological sciences and School of Medicine.

• 3

  In all cases, it's worth confirming the acceptability with your UC Davis or funding agency contact.