Output from Model
The output from this financial model will make transparent the true cost of teaching a student and the full cost of research.

What is Full Economic Costing?
The full economic costs of Teaching, Research and Other activities include:
Direct costs (staff, equipment, travel, consumables etc.)
Indirect costs (space, energy, central services, depreciation, maintenance, etc.)

Benefits to the University
Full costs of various activities identified
Justify case for increased funding for Teaching and Research
 Realistic research overheads

Benefits to Academics
 Facilitate allocation of resources to Teaching and Research
Ensure research overheads are adequate to cover full costs of research
 Highlight the diversity of responsibilities of academic staff across:Teaching,Research and Other activities               

What is Involved?
Development of a comprehensive national costing system to include all elements of costs within the university sector: staff, space, equipment, maintenance, support, etc.

 Step 1: Identify and quantify central costs e.g. space, energy, administrative support, consumables, equipment etc.

Step 2: Identify academic staff costs for each of the activities Teaching, Research and Other Activities. These will be captured on an Academic Activity Profiling Form

Academic Activity Profile Form

This form will capture academic effort based on a percentage basis not on a time or hours basis. It will allow academics to state the percentage of their time spent on the following nine activities:

It is anticipated that this form will be completed three times a year for the preceding four months.

The form will be available on the web under the Account Office website at and it is expected that all academics will complete the form.

Assistance on completing the form will be provided by way of explanatory notes and further queries can be directed to Sean Ryan, Manager FEC project.

What happens to the Data?
As quality assurance is critical to justification for increased funding a reasonableness check on the results will be undertaken by Head of Department. The collated data will be anonymous above departmental level.

The data will aggregated at departmental level to provide a profile for the department costs directed to Teaching, Research and Other Activities. This profile will be used subsequently to drive other departmental costs to Teaching, Research and Other activities.  

Use of Data
The University will undertake that the FEC data as collected will be used for the specified purpose only of input into the FEC mode

Steering Committee

The project is being led at a local level by a steering committee comprising:
                        Professor Paul McCutcheon (Chair)
                        Dr Tim McGloughlin, Dept of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
                        Mr Raymond Friel, Law School
                        Dr Juliette McMahon, Dept of Personnel and Employment Relations
                        Dr Bernadette Walsh, Director Student Services
                        Mr Tommy Foy, Director Human Resources
                        Mr Robert Reidy, Director Estates and Buildings
            Mr John Fox, Financial Controller
            Mr George Hayes Head of Enterprise Solutions, ITD
            Ms Eileen O’Connor, Research Support Systems
            Full Economic Costing Manager: Sean Ryan

Practical Details

                        FEC manager : Sean Ryan                    

                        UL Website http://www.ul.ie/finance/FEC.php 
                        Email address: FECHelpdesk@ul.ie

                        Academic Activity Profile Form