Sabbatical Leave

At the University of Washington, sabbatical is formally called Paid Professional Leave, though it is more commonly referred to as Sabbatical Leave.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 cycle, all sabbatical leave applications will be managed through Interfolio’s Review, Promotion and Tenure (RPT) module. The process will closely mirror that of promotion and tenure. School, college, and campus administrators will first duplicate the appropriate foundational template for their unit type (DEP, UNDEP, Librarian). Then, departmentalized units will duplicate the template created by their respective school, college, or campus. Note: at each level, committees must be replaced with the correct unit-level committees, and requirements can be added- but not removed. Once the templates are finalized, cases can be initiated.

Additional RPT resources are available.

The sabbatical guidelines are outlined below. Additional information for applicants, unit leaders, and administrators—including details on what needs to be submitted in RPT—can be accessed by clicking the buttons below.

Guidance for Applicants

Guidance for Academic Leaders

Guidance for Academic Administrators

General Sabbatical Information for Faculty and Librarians

This section contains policies that apply to all University of Washington faculty and librarians.

Purpose

Sabbatical leave—officially referred to as paid professional leave or professional leave with pay—is a privilege granted to increase your scholarship, enhance your professional development, and ultimately improve your service to the University. This is an opportunity for study, investigation, and research.

Statutory Limits

State law limits the amount of general state and local funds the UW can pay to those on sabbatical. For the 2026-27 academic year, the maximum monthly salary limit is $19,869.

This limitation applies only to state and local funds. You can use external sources of support (e.g., grants) to fund the portion of your salary that exceeds this limit, provided it’s consistent with the sponsor’s requirements.

Outside Work

If you plan to engage in any outside work for compensation during your sabbatical, you must first get approval through the Outside Professional Work for Compensation form (Form 1460). This must be done before submitting your sabbatical application.

In your sabbatical plan, be sure to clearly explain the difference between your proposed sabbatical activities and any outside work.
Attach a copy of your approved Form 1460 to your sabbatical application.

A note about fellowships: Many faculty and librarians receive fellowships during their sabbaticals. The UW requires pre-approval for certain outside activities, including teaching at other institutions or receiving outside compensation (including in-kind support). The Office of Research recommends following the Outside Professional Work for Compensation process to ensure compliance with institutional policy and the Washington State Public Ethics Law.

Additional Considerations

Changes to an Approved Sabbatical: You must notify Academic Personnel and Faculty Operations of any proposed changes to the timing or duration of an approved sabbatical. This may require additional approval from your department leadership and the provost.
Final Report: Upon completing your sabbatical, you must submit a brief report to the provost via acadpers@uw.edu. The report should summarize your accomplishments and explain how they apply to your teaching, research, or library services.
Travel: For information about travel reimbursement, visit the UW Travel Services page.

Faculty Sabbatical Information

The information below is specific to faculty, governed primarily by Executive Order 33 (EO 33).

Eligibility

A faculty member becomes eligible for sabbatical no earlier than their seventh academic year of service to the UW or their seventh academic year of service after returning from a previous sabbatical leave. Eligibility is calculated in academic years, not quarters. The year in which a sabbatical takes place is considered the ‘sabbatical year’, even if the sabbatical was only one or two quarters in duration. After returning from a sabbatical, a faculty member begins accruing time toward their next sabbatical in the academic year immediately following the ‘sabbatical year.’ Assistant professors in clock-managed ranks are not eligible for sabbatical until after they have been reviewed and approved for tenure and/or promotion.

Sabbatical eligibility may be delayed if the faculty member took other types of leave during the service accrual period. The Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty (APF) will review the leave history, taking into consideration the nature, duration, and percentage of leave, and will make a determination of its impact on sabbatical eligibility on a case-by-case basis.

Salary Support during Sabbatical

Per Executive Order 33, standard levels of sabbatical salary support are as follows:

100% salary for a leave of 1 quarter
75% salary for a leave of 2 quarters
67% salary for a leave of a full academic year (i.e., 3 quarters for a 9-month service period, 4 quarters for a 12-month service period)

Sabbatical approval is contingent upon sufficient resources to fund the sabbatical at one of the above standard levels.

Tenured faculty can expect their appointing unit to provide salary support for the tenured portion of their appointment commensurate with their approved sabbatical percent. The minimum level of salary support provided by the unit is determined by multiplying the faculty member’s tenure value by the respective standard sabbatical salary level indicated above (i.e., 100%, 75%, or 67%).
(Tenure value) x (% standard sabbatical salary level) = % salary support expected from the unit

For example, if a faculty member with 50% tenure is approved to take a 2-quarter sabbatical, the amount of salary support provided by the unit would be calculated as follows:
50% tenure value x 75% sabbatical salary level = 37.5% salary support expected from the unit

Faculty with partial tenure are expected to provide the balance of salary support necessary to maintain a standard sabbatical leave percentage of 100%, 75%, or 67%.
Non-tenure eligible faculty (i.e., WOT, research, and teaching track) must demonstrate sufficient funding to fully support their requested sabbatical at one of the standard leave percentages listed above. While funding could come from a variety of sources, units are not obligated to provide salary support for non-tenure eligible faculty unless otherwise explicitly committed.

If a faculty member secures outside grant support that is budgeted for salary, such funds may be applied to increase the faculty member’s pay during sabbatical up to their full salary, and used thereafter to reduce the UW’s contribution. A faculty member’s salary while on sabbatical may not exceed the regularly established full salary, except as provided by Executive Order 33 Section E.

Timing

It is expected that requested sabbatical quarter(s) will fall within a single academic year and align with UW’s established quarter start/end dates (autumn 9/16-12/15, winter 12/16-3/15, spring 3/16-6/15, summer 6/16-9/15). Summer quarter sabbaticals are only available to those with 12-month service periods.

Faculty members requesting a sabbatical distributed over multiple years must discuss their plans with their unit administrator before submitting an application. Approval of sabbatical quarter(s) within a given academic year does not extend to nor guarantee approval of quarters occurring in subsequent years. If sabbatical quarters are requested across multiple academic years, a separate application is required for each year in which the sabbatical occurs. Each application must be submitted during the appropriate annual application period in accord with unit timelines and the submission deadline established by the Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty.

Application Process

Faculty members planning to take professional leave (sabbatical) during academic year 2026–27 should notify their unit administrator in Autumn 2025, following the unit’s internal deadlines.
After confirming the faculty member’s eligibility, the unit administrator will initiate a sabbatical case in Interfolio Review, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT). The faculty member will receive an email from their administrator with a link to their case and then the faculty member may submit their application and all required materials through this Interfolio RPT sabbatical case, according to unit deadlines and during the academic year prior to their eligibility year.

Unit administrators may begin initiating sabbatical cases on the APF website once their unit’s sabbatical template for the year has been finalized. For guidance, refer to the Guide to Managing Interfolio RPT Templates.

Required materials

Application for Sabbatical Leave form
Sabbatical Plan detailing the following:
- How the sabbatical time will be utilized
- The timeline for completion of their sabbatical project/plan
- The names of any foundations or institutions with which the applicant expects to be affiliated during sabbatical
- Special resources available for the proposed project/plan
- Anticipated source of supplementary grants or salary
A current Curriculum Vitae
Additional materials
- These may be requested by the unit or materials that the applicant believes will provide useful context for their case

Case Review Steps

Unit admin reviews the case materials and completes a checklist form
Appointing Unit Leader (Chair/Campus Dean) in departmentalized (DEP) units reviews the case materials and completes their recommendation form
SCC Leader (Dean/Chancellor) reviews the case materials and completes their decision form by the deadline established annually by Academic Personnel and Faculty (APF)
APF reviews the case, consults with the Provost, and completes their decision form
Upon notification of Provost approval, the unit notifies the applicant and processes the leave through Workday as appropriate.

Return to Service and Payback Obligations

Following the sabbatical leave, the faculty member must return and work for the University for the period of one academic year at the appointment percent they held prior to going on sabbatical. Failure to return for the required period shall constitute an obligation on the faculty member’s part to repay any state and locally funded remuneration received from the University during the sabbatical leave.

The duration of the return-to-service obligation depends on whether the faculty member took a full or partial sabbatical. Faculty who take a full sabbatical are required to return for a full academic year.

A full sabbatical is any of the following:

1 quarter sabbatical at 100% salary support
2 quarter sabbatical at 75% salary support
3 or 4 quarter sabbatical at 67% salary support

Faculty who take less than a full sabbatical have a prorated return obligation. Faculty who distribute their sabbatical over multiple years will have their return obligation distributed over multiple years.

Special Considerations

The unit must notify AHR of proposed changes to the timing or duration of an approved sabbatical; additional approval of the chair/director/campus dean, dean/chancellor, and provost may be required.
Upon completion of a sabbatical, a brief report should be emailed to the provost throughacadpers@uw.edu. The report should state where the leave was spent and the principal accomplishments, including how those accomplishments apply to teaching or research effectiveness.
Faculty who were converted to the professorial teaching track in September 2020 should review these additional sabbatical eligibility details
In general, the UW will only grant H-1B employees unpaid leave for situations required by law or contract, such Family Medical Leave Act and state Family Care Act (“covered leaves” as noted on APF’S Reporting Requirements for H-1B Temporary Workers). Therefore, eligible faculty on UW-sponsored H-1B visas, who would like to be considered for a sabbatical, should request a one-quarter sabbatical with 100% salary support. Such faculty should also consult a private immigration attorney if they anticipate travel/housing/cost-of-living stipends associated with an approved sabbatical.
For information about travel reimbursement, visit the UW Travel Services page.

Librarian Sabbatical Information

This information is specific to librarians with permanent or continuing status.

Eligibility

A librarian with permanent or continuing status becomes eligible for sabbatical no earlier than their seventh academic year of University service or their seventh academic year of service after their return from a previous sabbatical leave. Eligibility is calculated in academic years commensurate with the unit’s standard service period. The year in which a sabbatical takes place is considered the ‘sabbatical year’, even if the sabbatical was only one or two quarters in duration

After returning from a sabbatical, a librarian begins accruing time toward their next sabbatical in the academic year immediately following the ‘sabbatical year.’ It is expected that the unit will verify eligibility before considering the sabbatical request and will not consider requests from ineligible librarians. The process for submission of sabbatical applications is prescribed in the Librarian Personnel Code Chapter IV Section F and UW SEIU 925 Libraries Collective Bargaining Agreement Article 42.

Sabbatical eligibility may be delayed if the librarian took other types of leave during the service accrual period. The Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty will review the leave history, taking into consideration the nature, duration, and percentage of leave, and will make a determination of its impact on sabbatical eligibility on a case-by-case basis.

Salary Support during Sabbatical

Per Executive Order 33 and consistent with the Librarian Personnel Code and UW SEIU 925 Libraries Collective Bargaining Agreement, UW Libraries will provide salary support during sabbatical as noted below. Note: The percentage of salary support will be commensurate with the number of quarters impacted by the leave:

100% for a leave of up to 3 months (occurring within 1 quarter)
75% for a leave greater than 3 months, but no more than 6 months (occurring within 2 quarters)
67% for a leave greater than 6 months (occurring within 3 or 4 quarters)

If a librarian secures outside grant support that is budgeted for salary, such funds may be applied to increase the librarian’s pay during sabbatical up to their regularly established full salary, and thereafter to reduce the UW’s contribution. A librarian’s pay while on sabbatical may not exceed the regularly established full salary, except as provided by Executive Order 33 and, as applicable, the Librarian Personnel Code and UW SEIU 925 Libraries Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Timing

Requested sabbatical leave should fall within a single academic year (7/1 – 6/30, annually) and start dates should align with UW’s payroll quarter start dates (autumn 9/16, winter 12/16, spring 3/16, summer 6/16). Ideally, librarians will apply for sabbatical in the academic year preceding the academic year in which the leave occurs. Librarians should submit their applications by the submission date established annually by the Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty and no later than 6 months in advance of the proposed start date of leave.

Librarians requesting a sabbatical distributed over multiple years must discuss their plans with their unit administrator before submitting an application. Approval of sabbatical leave in one academic year does not extend to nor guarantee approval of sabbatical leave in a subsequent academic year. If sabbatical quarters are requested across multiple academic years, a separate application is required for each year in which the sabbatical occurs. Each application must be submitted during the appropriate annual application period in accord with the timelines outlined above.

Application Process

Librarians planning to take professional leave (sabbatical) during academic year 2026–27 should notify their unit administrator in Autumn 2025, following the unit’s internal deadlines.

After confirming the librarian’s eligibility, the unit administrator will initiate a sabbatical case in Interfolio Review, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT). The librarian will receive an email from their administrator with a link to their case and then the librarian may submit their application and all required materials through this Interfolio RPT sabbatical case, according to unit deadlines and during the academic year prior to their eligibility year.

Required materials

Application for Sabbatical Leave form
Sabbatical Plan detailing the following:
- How the sabbatical time will be utilized
- The timeline for completion of their sabbatical project/plan
- The names of any foundations or institutions with which the applicant expects to be affiliated during sabbatical
- Special resources available for the proposed project/plan
- Anticipated source of supplementary grants or salary
A current Curriculum Vitae
Additional materials
- These may be requested by the unit or materials that the applicant believes will provide useful context for their case

Case Review Steps

Administrator reviews the case materials and completes a checklist form
Dean reviews the case materials and completes their decision form by the deadline established annually by Academic Personnel and Faculty (APF)
APF reviews the case, consults with the Provost, and completes their decision form
Upon notification of Provost approval, the unit notifies the applicant and processes the leave through Workday as appropriate.

Return to Service Obligation

Per the Librarian Personnel Code and UW SEIU 925 Libraries Collective Bargaining Agreement, a librarian granted a sabbatical leave agrees to return to the University of Washington Libraries for a period of one year after the leave.

Librarian-Specific Considerations

The unit must notify AHR of proposed changes to the timing or duration of an approved sabbatical; additional approval of the dean and provost may be required.
Per the Librarian Personnel Code and UW SEIU 925 Libraries Collective Bargaining Agreement, within one month after the conclusion of the leave, a written report of the activity during the leave will be submitted to the dean of University Libraries and to the provost. The provost’s copy should be submitted via acadpers@uw.edu. The report must state where the leave was spent and the principal accomplishments, including their application to the improvement of library services at the University of Washington Libraries.
For information about travel reimbursement, visit the UW Travel Services page.