VSPA Summer Research Internship Fee Reduction Program

Overview: University Services Fee (USF)

All visiting scholars and visiting student researchers must pay the University Services Fee (USF) in order to be in compliance with Visiting Scholar Postdoc Affairs (VSPA) affiliation requirements and to gain access to university services such as library access, ID card, and a Berkeley email account. The University Services Fee is posted on the VSPA website, and proposals to external sponsors that involve visiting scholars and student researchers should always budget for the appropriate USF unless other funding sources are available to pay this cost.

VCR Modification

To assist faculty that are proposing projects that involve high school student interns, undergraduate student interns and/or K-12 teacher interns in on campus activities that take place for three months or less during the summer, the VCR has issued a modification to the USF requirement:

• After June 1, 2021, the USF for qualifying interns will be reduced to $500 per intern if approval is obtained from the VSPA.

To qualify for the fee reduction, interns must meet all of the following criteria:

• Interns’ activities must be funded by a domestically-based, external sponsor.
• The proposed interns must be high school students, undergraduate students, or K-12 teachers.
• The internship period must be for three months or less, occur during the summer, and be non-renewable.

Examples not eligible for reduction:

• Chinese undergraduate students participating in a summer science exploration program at Berkeley funded by the Beijing Jingyu Education Development Promotion Association. (Not funded by a domestic sponsor.)
• K-12 teachers spending weekends throughout the academic year on campus to study and learn how to teach the works of Mark Twain. (Interns’ activities do not occur during the summer.)

Internal Proposal Guidelines

1. Proposals with activities for qualifying interns (see above):
   
   The Principal Investigator (PI) must submit a Pre-Award Summer Research Internship Fee Reduction Request Form to VSPA and provide a copy to SPO as a Phoebe proposal attachment.
   
   This form will be reviewed by VSPA, and the PI will receive notice via return email indicating whether the reduction has been granted or not, or if additional information is needed. SPO will check to make sure the form provided to VSPA also has been submitted as a proposal attachment in Phoebe before submitting the proposal to the sponsor.
   
   If the proposal is funded:
   • The PI should contact the VSPA Office (vspa@berkeley.edu) as soon as the PI is notified that the award has been received by SPO/IAO.
   • If the USF reduction is approved by VSPA, the USF will be reduced for qualifying interns. If the reduction request is not approved, the PI will be responsible for paying the current USF for each intern from other sources.
     
     
2. Proposals with activities involving qualifying interns:
   
   The proposal budget should include a reduced USF of $500 per qualifying intern under BFS account 56721 - "Non-Stdt/Vstng Schlr" Stipend or a similar budget line in their project budget for project periods.
   
   The reduced University Services Fee (USF) for qualifying summer interns is $500 per intern for domestically-based, externally-funded outreach and training programs.
   
   If the proposal is funded:
   • The PI should contact the VSPA Office (vspa@berkeley.edu) as soon as the PI is notified that the award has been received by SPO/IAO.
   • VSPA will determine if the reduced USF will apply based on the criteria listed above. If approved, the USF will be reduced to $500 per qualifying intern. If the reduction is not approved, the standard USF in place at that time will be charged for each intern.

Frequently Asked Questions