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Equipment Bought on Fellowships:

Departments may, at times, purchase capital equipment on sponsored accounts that are fellowship accounts with sponsor agency approvals. Some fellowship awards (like NIH) provide what they call an institutional allowance, which is to be used to benefit and/or support the fellows/trainees. These funds are generally not restrictive and can be used as the Principal Investigator sees fit, as long as it will benefit the fellows/trainees on the grant. In these cases, if justified, equipment could be purchased on the fellowship accounts.

Using the same logic, non-sponsored fellowship accounts may also purchase equipment as long as they do so with approval of the fellowship granting agency and the purchase is an appropriate use of funds per the fellowship.

However, in all cases where capital equipment is purchased using fellowship accounts in the University general ledger system, the equipment is the property of the University and is subject to all related oversight and procedures. If a capital equipment asset is purchased with fellowship funds, and the fellowship recipient decides to leave the University and wishes to take the item (usually a computer) with them, they must purchase it from the department in adherence with the University policy on "Selling Capital Equipment Outside the University or to Employees."