Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC)
Information for staff completing the Time Allocation Survey
These pages are intended to provide you with information on TRAC, the Time Allocation Survey, web diaries and guidance on how to complete them.
The Time Allocation Survey is an online form which will be available from Sunday 1 February 2026. When entering the Time Allocation Survey you will be logged straight in with your University username. Please refer to the instructions for the Time Allocation Survey before starting the diary.
TAS guidance notes 2025-2026 (Word, 36 KB) and Time Allocation Survey FAQs are provided to clarify the definitions of various activities; please use them as a reminder when completing your form. A list of active research grants within your School is provided in the diary system to enable you to allocate time spent on research to a source of funding where applicable.
Diary completion periods
The TAS periods for 2025-2026 are as follows:
- Survey 1 covers October 2025 to January 2026 and should be completed in February 2026
- Survey 2 covers February 2026 to May 2026 and should be completed in June 2026
- Survey 3 covers June 2026 to September 2026 and should be completed in October 2026
Further information
- TAS guidance notes 2025-2026 (Word, 36 KB)
- Instructions for the Time Allocation Survey (TAS)
- Frequently asked questions
- TRAC explainer 2025-2026 (Word, 36 KB)
- Why we use the Time Allocation Survey and TRAC
Reporting problems
- TRAC definitions
Contact Eloise Campbell in Finance at trac@st-andrews.ac.uk - Systems issues and access to online diary
Contact Hamish Lawson in IT Services hbl@st-andrews.ac.uk
