Sabbatical and Leave of Absence

Guidance for Sabbatical and Leave of Absence for Research

Responsible Offices: Sponsored Projects Accounting & Office of Research Integrity and Ethics
Effective Date: October 2016; revised 2/10/2025

An academic sabbatical or leave of absence, paid or unpaid, may be granted to qualifying faculty on a periodic basis for purposes of pursuing academic scholarship and/or research interests. While the University does not maintain a single standard sabbatical/leave program, general guidelines can be found in the Faculty Information Handbook (under Family and Work/Life Balance). Each school is responsible for establishing and maintaining its own sabbatical and leave of absence policies.

This Guidance document provides primary considerations for faculty engaged in research who are planning sabbaticals or leaves of absence.

Key Considerations:

Each application for a leave is considered on its own merits. Factors include length of service, scholarly promise, planned scholarly or research activity, nearness to completion of a major book, delays in production caused by heavy teaching, administrative or committee loads, etc.

Leave is granted only on an annual basis and may be for all or a portion of the academic/fiscal year. In unusual cases, consideration will be given to extending the leave for a second year or a portion of the year.
Refer to Sections II.A, IV.B.2 and VI.B.2.a of the Tenure Policy
Any sabbatical or leave should comply with all applicable University, School, and Department policies and will require Chair and/or Dean approval.
- Refer to Appendix A for links to the applicable University and School policies for faculty and employees.

Requirements for Research Related Sabbaticals and Leaves:

Faculty involved in research must address and coordinate their plans with the Office for the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR). Prior written approval is required before the sabbatical or leave takes place. Email approval is acceptable.
Research includes any grants, contracts, or any other research including any activities covered by a protocol, such as research involving humans, animals, or certain biologics or chemicals (e.g. IRB, IACUC, IBC).
Faculty must obtain prior approval and address all WashU and funding agency requirements with the appropriate research offices prior to the start of the leave.
Specific requirements include:
- Develop a clear plan for maintaining engagement with the research, especially if serving as principal investigator/program director.
- Obtain prior approval from funding agencies for effort adjustments or to conduct research offsite, if applicable.
- Research compliance offices (e.g. IRB, IACUC, IBC) may require an adjustment to the individual’s role on the protocol to ensure proper oversight and engagement
- Faculty salary charged to sponsored funds during a sabbatical/leave should be adjusted to reflect the actual work performed on the project. Questions concerning the appropriateness of allocating leave costs to sponsored projects should be addressed by Sponsored Projects Accounting.
- Required Information for OVCR:
  - Sabbatical period: _______
  - Full-time or Part-time (percentage of effort for the leave):_______
  - Describe the activities that you will be involved in during the sabbatical and how they will be funded.
  - List your current research projects, regardless of funding. Including:
    - effort commitment for each project (one academic month, etc.),
    - identify any proposed changes in effort and whether the commitment will be reduced by 25% while on leave,
    - include the Workday Award number (AW########) and funding agency, and what portion of your salary from each funded project will be used during the sabbatical period?
  - Does your research involve humans or animals? If yes, please list the protocol numbers and whether you are the PI. You may include in the list above.
  - Please clarify the periods of time you will be on-campus and off-campus. What period(s) will be spent off-campus and where (e.g., September in London).
  - Provide a clear plan illustrating how you intend to maintain engagement with the research and how that fulfills your obligations; and specifically address your planned oversight if you are serving as principal investigator/program director.
  - Email requested information to ORIE@wustl.edu

Recording Sabbatical Leave: faculty Sabbatical leave should be recorded in Workday as Sabbatical on the leave calendar, see Time Off & Leave Calendar. Use the relevant option:

Faculty > Sabbatical 100%
Faculty > Sabbatical 50%
Faculty > Sabbatical Variable (pay is turned off and department must contact central payroll to pay the amount)

If Questions Contact HR at 314.935.2332 or email HROpsServices@email.wustl.edu.

Responsible Office Contact

Krystina Gross
Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance & Sponsored Projects Accounting
(314) 935-5793
kgross@wustl.edu

Jeneane K. Braden
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Ethics and Integrity
(314) 747-4152
bradenj@wustl.edu