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How do people afford visiting fellowships during sabbaticals?

In our new “how can we help you?” thread, a reader asks:

How do people afford to take visiting fellowships during sabbaticals?

My understanding is that even if one’s home university pays 100% of their salary, and even if they’re offered a visiting fellowship that pays a stipend, one’s home university typically won’t allow them to pocket more than 100% of their income. (So, in this case, they’d have to forfeit their additional stipend.)

How, then, do people afford to relocate and live in the new area? Are visiting fellows expected to somehow continue paying their mortgage *and* rent at the visited university on their regular salary? How – unless they’re particularly wealthy – is this supposed to be viable?

Good questions! Do any readers have any helpful insights to share?

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7 responses to “How do people afford visiting fellowships during sabbaticals?”

  1. Anonymous

    Some countries in Europe have mobility giants, which would cover accommodation and the flights for visiting fellows. Obviously, you would need to know someone in the host department who knows about the timeline and procedures and plan in advance. Another option is to be part of a bigger, multiuniversity grant and budget for your research stay.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    This is a complicated questions, with many answers. It took me 5 years to get a TT job, and then another 7 before I could get a sabbatical. When I finally got one, I thought it might be the only one in my entire career. Where I worked then, when on a full year sabbatical one got half a year’s pay. I decided to invest in my career and go away for one semester, but take a whole year sabbatical. (yes I have family) I arranged for shared housing (with a former staff member of the department I was visiting – it cost about $ 550 in today’s dollars). This was a great investment. The sabbatical was career changing and I finished the first draft of a book that was ultimately published with one of the big University Presses.
    When I got a second sabbatical 7 years later, I did the same thing. This time I paid for better housing, but I was in a very expensive city. But the result was another book manuscript, published with the same Press. After a year back, I changed jobs, and moved to a research university.
    To my complete surprise I was told to go on sabbatical for a half year, on full salary, and with a housing supplement after 3 years at the new job. I had to pinch myself – I could not believe it. I went away and wrote another book. More recently, I was awarded a competitive grant that covered my salary and I wrote another book. For complicated reasons (including serious health concerns involving surgery) I worked at my home insitution this last sabbatical.
    I am not “particularly wealthy”. Rather, I am very good at managing money (probably a function of growing up with and around poor people). I also know that in one’s career and in life, sometimes you have to take a few steps backward to get ahead.
    One of the most important results of taking a real sabbatical and going somewhere is that you get recharged. You come back fresh with many new ideas … and professional contacts and friends.

    Reply
    1. Anonymous

      I am curious but please feel free not to share. I understand that it could be personal. You said you have family. How did you arrange that part of the sabbatical life? (e.g. Did your family go with you for sabbatical? If you have kid(s), did they stay with your partner, or did you have additional support? Was that some additional financial pressure? How often did you visit family?)

      Reply
  3. Anon

    On my recent sabbatical (lasting one semester), my fellowship at another university paid for my flights and my local accommodations, but no salary. My home institution paid my normal salary. I kept paying my mortgage at home. It was no real difference to me financially.

    But fellowships operate in a lot of different ways, so getting things to work depends a lot on the details of the fellowship.

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  4. Anonymous

    I guess it depends on where you live. Are you familiar with sabbatical homes website?

    Otherwise, what my colleagues do is rent out their own place to cover their mortgage. That way you’re not paying double during the sabbatical

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    At my university (large regional R2 state university in California), we have the option of a full year sabbatical at half salary, or a one-semester sabbatical at full salary. I just stayed home for mine, but if I had traveled, I don’t think the university would have “clawed back” any stipend I managed to get. (Partly because they would have had no official knowledge of it. And if they did, there is a case to be made that such a stipend is an award rather than work for pay.)

    As is often the case on Cocoon, this question is one you need to ask of your own institution, because details vary greatly and there is no universal answer.

    Reply
  6. Anonymous

    I had a two-semester visiting fellowship while working at a university that would not allow us to keep more than the annual salary.

    At the time, my partner and I had a (mortgaged) house with a detached garage. So we moved most of our crap into the garage and rented out the house without the garage. That allowed us to rent a similarly priced place while I was on fellowship.

    We did not own a car at the time, so I bought an old cargo van and used it to move myself, my partner, our animals, and some essential stuff (clothing, books, commuter bike). Using the van, we picked up a few cheap furniture items, threw a mattress on the floor, and called it good. Old cargo vans hold their value well, so other than gas and insurance, it was no huge financial setback.

    So fellowship time was not a posh experience (other than my working environment at the fellowship, which was amazing!) But it was doable without being wealthy or really losing any money in the deal.

    Reply

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