Sponsor

Costs & Reporting

Each new scientist or student hire under CRESST II will be assigned to one of the partner institutions at the outset of the recruitment and hiring process. This assignment will be based in part on the preferences expressed by the sponsor, as well as the new hire.
CRESST will take into consideration any previous connections to, or likely collaborations with, individuals or groups at any of the partners. Assignments to individual partners can be influenced by current and projected staffing levels for apportionment allocations defined within the underlying CRESST II partnership teaming agreement.

Scientist employees and long-term students will be assigned to one of the four university partners. Special Programs activities, including short-term visitors, consultants, sabbatical visitors, scientific meetings, and colloquia support, along with interns and students not enrolled at one of the partner universities are generally handled by SURA.

We strive to create equal opportunities for all CRESST II employees, including similar salaries for similar work and levels of experience. Salaries are competitive, commensurate with experience and productivity. The cost for scientists working under CRESST II depends on a number of factors. In addition to salary level, relocation, and travel requirements, each of the institutions has different ways of calculating benefits and overhead. It is not possible to provide exact cost guarantees.. Individual employee salaries interact with their choice and eligibility for fringe benefits. However, we can and do provide a fully-loaded cost estimate based on the initial salary offer and a standard loading factor prior to any offer being made.

The program year runs from April to March of the following year. CRESST II sponsors are only charged for the expenses associated with CRESST scientists and students assigned to dedicated tasks established with the sponsor.. Once a task has been established, the sponsor and the GSFC resource analyst supporting CRESST II will be supplied a projected annual budget. Sponsors will be billed approximately once a month to cover anticipated costs for the upcoming period -- approximately 3-6 months in advance of cost incursion. Adjustments to these monthly invoices will be made based on actual expenses incurred as the year progresses. Actual costs are consolidated and reported to NASA on a quarterly basis.

The CRESST II management team understands the need to be cost effective and will work with sponsors to control expenses. Sponsors may request a break out of expenditures within their tasks at any time. Our goal is to provide these cost breakdowns within an average of three business days.

In order to attract and retain highly qualified scientists, the CRESST II institutions require a 90 day notice period before we are able to terminate employees due to a lack of funding.

For more information on CRESST II costs and financial reporting, please contact the Program Manager.