1. A regular leave of absence, within policies established by the Board, may be granted by the President, provided, however that the requestor has approval, in advance, by the Principal Investigators academic institution and by the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) for the specific sabbatical/educational (S/E) leave of absence requested.

2. Copies of the approved request for S/E leave forms filed with the VASDHS and the academic institution must be provided to VMRF.

3. A S/E leave of absence may be taken at varying percentages of regular salary in accordance with regulations established by the President.

• The S/E leave salary of an eligible appointee working on an extramurally financed project during S/E leave shall be budgeted and charged to project funds according to the proportion of time and effort actually expended on the project during S/E leave, to the extent that the policy of the contracting or granting agency permits.
  
  
• Prior approval for S/E leave to conduct research off-site on federally funded grants requires agency approval if leave is greater than 90 days. S/E leave salary shall be based on the rate of the regular salary for the PI's appointment held during the period for which the leave is scheduled. The total S/E leave compensation from all sources may not exceed the PI's total regular compensation.
  
  
• S/E leave shall not be used as a means of augmenting personal income. A recipient shall not accept gainful employment during a S/E leave.
  
  
• Description of all the PI's financial support expected during the leave, including any grant, government-sponsored exchange lectureship, or payment for contract research, must be provided to VMRF.
  
  
• Unrestricted funds may be used to support S/E leave salary.
  
  

4. The PI requesting S/E leave must provide an explanation of how the individuals research responsibilities will be performed on his/her sponsored projects during the requested absence.