Admin Asking us to "Make Up" Grant Funded Protected Time

[CingulateGyro]

Hi all,

Junior faculty on a K - this is not directly impacting me at the moment, but who knows...

We have several health services studies that buy out/protect clinician time for non-reimbursable activities that are essential to the intervention. Not PCORI.

We have hospital admin who is saying physicians and other clinicians on these grants need to "make up" these hours with clinical service "elsewhere." Elsewhere would be... other grant protected time. All are salaried - not RVU. Salaries at the NIH cap.

Wouldn't this be fraud?

For context - this is admin pushing to make up 1-2 hours a week. Were really penny pushing here.

All involved think this is outrageous and this will be handled by higher ups in research admin.... but I want to educate myself.

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[SurfingDoctor]

The NIH considers a work week 40 hours (ie a federal employee work hours). So base your protected time on that, meaning for a K, you need to have 30 hours a week doing “protected” research. Mind you, there is no stipulation those hours aren’t at 3am nor on weekends.

Is that fair? No. Does that matter? Also no. Simone’s Maxim #1.

When I was on a K, I worked double my clinical wRVU and FTE (also salaried). But I did at least 30 hours/week of research… so I did the required time and all was right with the world. No one considered it fraud in any sense.

You are welcome to complain to the admin. If you have a really understanding admin/boss, maybe they’ll cut you slack. Otherwise, Simone’s Maxim #1. As I was told over and over again by my admin, Ks are institutional money losers so you’d better make it worth their investment.

 

[Neuronix]

I'm sorry, I don't understand this post. If the grant buys your time or the grant mandates a certain amount of protected time that the institution has agreed to, how can that time be made up? There are only so many hours in the week.

Hospital admin sometimes have to be re-educated by the appropriate faculty such as department chair or cancer center leadership.