Carroll v. Commissioner

60 T.C. No. 12, 60 T.C. 96, 1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 144
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedApril 23, 1973
DocketDocket Nos. 3127-71, 336-72
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 60 T.C. No. 12 (Carroll v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carroll v. Commissioner, 60 T.C. No. 12, 60 T.C. 96, 1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 144 (tax 1973).

Opinion

Simpson, Judge:

The respondent determined deficiencies in the petitioners’ Federal income taxes of $230.67 for 1965 and $265.85 for 1967. The issue for decision is whether payments received by a principal investigator in connection with research performed by him under a basic research grant by the National Science Foundation are excludable fellowship grants within the meaning of section 117 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.1

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated, and those facts are so found.

The petitioners, Robert W. Carroll and Berenice A. Carroll, are husband and wife, who maintained their legal residence in Urbana, Ill., at the time their petitions were filed in this case. They filed their joint Federal income tax returns for the years 1965 and 1967 with the district director of internal revenue, Springfield, Ill. Mr. Carroll will be referred to as the petitioner.

In 1959, the petitioner received his Ph. D. degree, and in 1959 and 1960, he received a postdoctoral grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study further. In September 1960, he was appointed assistant professor at Eutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., and in 1963, he was promoted to associate professor at Eutgers. While at Eutgers, he was the principal investigator on a research project entitled “Differential Equations,” which was supported by a basic research grant of NSF designated GP-1448. He is the author or coauthor of 42 articles upon abstract mathematical theories and problems which have been published in various mathematical journals in the United States and foreign countries. He is also the author of a book entitled “Abstract Methods in Partial Differential Equations.” During the years 1965, 1966, and 1967, he was not a candidate for any degree.

Effective September 1, 1964, the petitioner was appointed to the faculty of the Department of Mathematics of the University of Illinois (university) at Urbana, Ill., as an associate professor of mathematics. From September 1964 through August 1968, he was employed by the university under yearly contracts which provided for full-time services during the academic year from mid-September to mid-June. His salary under these contracts was paid in 12 equal monthly amounts over the period September through August of each year.

During the academic year, the petitioner’s services included teaching one course for undergraduates and one for graduate students during each semester. He also advised students in the graduate program, served on departmental committees, and engaged in independent research. During the academic year, such research was performed either in the course of the schoolday or in the evenings.

The petitioner’s appointment to the faculty of the university was subject to the statutes and rules of the university, some of which related to the performance of research. Section 39(a) of the university statutes provides in part:

(a) It is the policy of tlie University to maintain and encourage full freedom, within the law, of inquiry, discourse, teaching, research, and publication and ■to protect any member of the academic staff against influences, from within or without the University, which would restrict him in the exercise of these freedoms in his area of scholarly interest. * * *

Section 37(d) of such statutes sets forth as one of the responsibilities of a full-time member of the faculty of the university the performance of “an appropriate amount of productive scholarly research.” Section 35(e) of such statutes provides that “research ability and achievement” are to be considered in appointing, promoting, and determining the salary of the academic staff. Section 54 of such statutes reiterates that it is the university’s policy to encourage research by members of its faculty and that to further such policy, the university will endorse and support research projects supported by outside grants, but because the performance of research may involve indirect costs to the university, all such research must be integrated with the university’s program. Under the university rules, members of the faculty are authorized to make preliminary arrangements for the conduct of research projects, but the acceptance of such a research project on behalf of the university can only be performed by a duly authorized official of the university. Members of the faculty of the mathematics department of the university were expected to perform research or to make a similar public contribution.

Section 26 of the university’s rules provides that teachers are generally free during the summer months and between academic years to accept other employment in the university or elsewhere, except that they may be called upon to perform administrative responsibilities in connection with registration or other activities. A member of the academic staff who accepts employment with the university during the summer session or performs research receives for each month of such service additional compensation equal to one-ninth of his compensation for the preceding academic year.

The National Science Foundation is an agency of the United States authorized and directed to initiate and support basic scientific research programs and programs to strengthen scientific research potential in the mathematical and other sciences. Pursuant to such authorization, NSF established a program of making grants to support basic scientific research. NSF is also authorized to award scholarships and fellowships within the limit of funds made available for such purpose. Pursuant to such authorization and to promote science, NSF maintained a program of making fellowship grants to postdoctoral applicants who have demonstrated ability and special aptitude for advanced training in the sciences.

A proposal requesting a grant in support of basic research is usually prepared by the scientist who wishes to perform such research. Ordinarily, it is submitted on his behalf by an educational institution or other nonprofit organization, although there are occasional special circumstances in which the proposal is submitted by an individual. After receipt of the proposal, NSF submits it for review by specialists in the field of research, who are asked to appraise the proposal as to the merits of the proposed research and the qualification of the proposed principal investigator. The qualification of the investigator is critical to the acceptance of the proposal. If NSF decides to support the proposed research, the grant is ordinarily made to the educational institution or nonprofit organization. A grant in support of basic research is made because NSF decides that the results of the research are desired and in tlie public interest. A grant lor basic research sets forth the budget to be followed, including the allocation of the amounts to be paid as salary to the principal investigator and others working on the project. On the other hand, a fellowship grant is always made to an individual and is awarded to enhance the applicant’s competence. Although a recipient of a fellowship grant may engage in research as an incident of his study and development, the objective of the grant is to further his study and not to achieve the research.

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Carroll v. Commissioner
60 T.C. No. 12 (U.S. Tax Court, 1973)

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Bluebook (online)
60 T.C. No. 12, 60 T.C. 96, 1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 144, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carroll-v-commissioner-tax-1973.