Skip to main content
AAFA BUDGET AND FINANCE ADMINISTRATION AAFA FINANCE
  1. AAFA-Budget and Finance Administration
  2. Academic Affairs Local Guidance
  3. Academic Affairs Endowed Funds

Academic Affairs Endowed Funds

Last Updated: 09/22/2026

Endowed Chairs Policy

The governing policy for all endowed chairs and professorships is PPM 230-191: Endowed Chairs and Professorships. 

Please find below the most frequently asked questions & answers (FAQ's):

When will the endowed funds post?

  • Foundation expendable gift and endowment payout (funds start with K, F, B, C, D, G, H) balances are transferred to the campus ledger monthly, one month in arrears.
  • Regent's expendable gifts (funds start with W, T, N, P, U) will be recorded on the campus ledger each fall. 
Source

How much carryforward balances are we allowed?

Ideally, payout balances are to be expended annually. Per PPM 230-191.D Section 5, "As a guide, an accumulated chair payout should not exceed two (2) years of the endowed chair's current annual payout."

How can I request access to carryforward resources?

When we have endowed funds carryforwards, the first step is usually to determine whether the balance represents a current chair/fellow payout or an accumulated carryforward balance from previous chairs/fellows balances, vacancies, or during revenue-recognition transitions.

  • Current chair/fellow endowed payouts generally flow through the established allocation process and do not require a special approval.
  • Accumulated Carryforward balances from previous chairs or vacancies require a one-time exception request to the Executive Vice Chancellor (EVC).
    • The memo request is typically submitted through the EVC Academic Affairs finance office and must identify the endowed name, endowed fund number, the amount being requested, and a clear expenditure plan and timeline explaining how the resources will be used. 
    • Please send your one-time exception request to Nirvana Navarro (n2navarro@ucsd.edu) for the initial review. 

As a friendly reminder, the proposed expenditure plan MUST align with the donor intent and mission of the endowed fund along UC San Diego fiscal and applicable policies. 

How are endowed funds carryforward resources usually deployed?

Common allowable uses are graduate student support, postdoctoral or research personnel support, bridge funding, research infrastructure, seminars and workshops, student travel, and other activities aligned with the donor intent and mission of the endowed fund along UC San Diego fiscal and applicable policies.

When does an endowed chair appointment end?

Endowed Chairs appointments ends according to one of the following and whichever comes first: 
  1. The end date according to the appointment letter
  2. The chair separates or retires from the University

Any resource and expense activity should be stopped immediately. Any resource balances should be returned to either the School level or the EVC level depending on who manages the chairship. If there is the desire to spend the resources of a previous chair or vacant chair, please refer to the "How can I request access to carryforward resources? FAQ".

When will we receive the Special Endowed Chair Academic Year Salary recommendations?

For FY27, the special endowed chairs (Administrative N-$25k and Chancellor's Challenge matching fund) faculty academic year salary calculations will be released in October 2026 with an effective date from November 2026-June 2027.

The recommendations will be based on carryforward balances plus current year projected payout amounts. 

UC San Diego Foundation Info Resources

Questions? 

Please reach out to Nirvana Navarro (n2navarro@ucsd.edu).