Accounting and Grants Policies & Procedures

Accounting/Grants News and Updates

As you may know, our accounting area is going through transition. Many of you have received emails from Eman Ausman (ausm0007@umn.edu) regarding summer appointments. Eman is the Senior Accountant on the Financial Service Team and is responsible for Psychology. She will be in the dept several hours a week, esp. during this transition, working with Kamran and Barbara. Through the month of May her hours will vary. For the months of June and July she will be in Elliott S250 every day from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., so please stop by and introduce yourself if you're available.

The Service Team lead is Cathy (de Ranitz) Burke (burke020@umn.edu). The team is housed in 215 Shevlin.

Kamran and Barbara are working on processing accounting documents (subject payments, reimbursements, purchasing cards, etc). A lot of this work was formerly done by Stephanie Huber, so please be patient during this transition as Barbara and Kamran try to keep up. We're working with the Team to transfer more tasks as they get trained and get access.

Eman is the primary contact for the Service Team, so please direct your questions to her (ausm0007@umn.edu). Eman will work with Kamran and Barbara, so please cc them on your messages to Eman.

Contracts for Professional Service

Forms

Grant Proposals

Payroll

Purchasing

Research Links and Tools

Studies Involving Human Subjects

Travel

Contracts for Professional Services

A contract for service is used when hiring a company or individual (not a University employee) to provide some for of service, such as consulting or computer services. There is a specific contract document that must be fully signed by all parties involved BEFORE any work begins.

Questions regarding contract for services can be directed to Guillermo DePaz, 625-7852, N210 Elliott Hall.

Accounting Forms

  • Check Request Form and Instructions (for paying Human Subjects)

    1. Fill Check Request Form (UM 1659) at U-Wide Forms Library. (MUST BE FILLED OUT IN EXCEL. (It can't be hand written)) (sample).
    2. MUST have justiflication as follows: DETAILS ON FILE IN DEPARTMENT AND AVAILABLE FOR AUDIT.
    3. Always use in Section 3: Deptld = 10986 and Account = 810101.
    4. If paying on a sponsored project: PCBU = UMSPR, ATY = 1, Fund and Project = are specific to the grant.
    5. If paying on non-sponsored funds: DON'T need PCBU, ATY and Project. Do need Fund and Program.
    6. Complete Research Subject Payment form (doc) (pdf)
    7. Add Document Number from Check Request Form (Section 2) and enter on Research Subject Payment form.
    8. Return both completed forms to the Document Drop Box outside S252 Elliott Hall.

  • In Lieu of Receipt

    1. UWide Forms (UM 1566)
    2. If you were given a receipt or lost a receipt, fill out this form and sign it and it will be the documentation for money spent

  • Payroll Time Sheets

    1. UWide Forms (UM 680)
    2. Pay Periods (pdf)
    3. When filling out your time sheets please don't forget to include the followings:
      1. Complete name
      2. Signature
      3. Your student id#
      4. Current pay period
      5. Dates and hours worked according to days of the week
      6. Total hours for each week
      7. Totaling your hours for the two weeks
      8. Your supervisor's signature
      9. Your supervisor repeating your total hours
      10. Your EFS chart string
    4. Due by noon Monday of the week we don't get paid.
    5. Return completed time sheet to the Document Drop Box outside S252 Elliott Hall.

  • Employee Expense Worksheets (Includes Travel) and Instructions:

    1. UWide Forms (UM 1612)
    2. Complete for reimbursement of UMN allowable expenses. (Submit within 10 days from date of receipt or completion of travel.
    3. Tape all receipts to on a 8.5X11 sheet of paper
    4. Return signed form and receipts to the Document Drop Box outside S252 Elliott Hall.

  • Pre-approval for Travel Form

    1. Form (doc) (pdf)
    2. Submit 10 days PRIOR to travel
    3. Return signed form to the Document Drop Box outside S252 Elliott Hall.

Grant Proposals

When planning for proposal submission to external sponsors, contact our Grants Coordinator, Barbara Becker Wesley, early in the process. Barbara is in S256 Elliott, and can be reached at becke001@umn.edu or 626-7975. The University of Minnesota uses the Electronic Grants Management System (EGMS) for proposal preparation (http://egms.umn.edu/). In addition to the proposal, a Proposal Routing Form (PRF) must be completed and submitted for each proposal. The PRF requires signatures of tje Principal Investigator(s), and the respective Department Head and Deans Offices of all departments involved (whether staff or use of resources) within CLA and outside of CLA.

Please note that the CLA Deans Office requires two days for proposal review. Once this process is complete, the proposal and PRF will be submitted to the Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) office for institutional review and signature. The SPA deadline for receipt of all required materials depends on the type of submission. For details, see http://www.ospa.umn.edu/policiesandprocedures/deadlines/deadlineFAQs.html

In general, external funding received will be considered a sponsored project if there are deliverables required by the funding source, such as technical or financial reports.

Payroll

Questions relating to payroll should be directed to Kamran Motevaze at 626-8146, S250 Elliott Hall. Please contact Kamran BEFORE an individual begins his/her appointment.

For individuals on sponsored accounts, it is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to approve appointments.

Employees who submit timecards must have the timecard signed by their supervisor.

Timecards must be submitted to Kamran Motevaze in S252 Elliott Hall no later than Monday after the end of the pay period in order to be paid on time.

Purchasing

The University has two preferred methods of purchasing. The University of Minnesota Purchasing card is similar to a personal credit card, and is linked to a specific budget number. This purchasing card can also be used to pay for airfare. By using the purchasing card, vendors are aware that the University is a tax-exempt entity, and will not charge sales tax on purchases made with the card. For information or an application, please see Kamran Motevaze, 626-8146, 252 Elliott Hall.

Another method of purchasing is obtaining a University of Minnesota purchase order. Most vendors accept purchase orders, and requesting a purchase order takes very little time. Requests for purchase orders can be done electronically. Please contact Kamran Motevaze at 626-8146, 252 Elliott Hall or Melissa Kerber, 624-4325, S250 Elliott Hall.

In RARE circumstances, we will reimburse for out of pocket expenses. This method of purchasing and reimbursement should only be used in emergency situation used, sales tax will be charged, but NOT reimbursed to the individual. Original receipts are required.

Research Links and Tools

Studies Involving Human Subjects

Any activity that involves human subjects (detailed below) is subject to IRB review and approval before any contact with the subject(s) takes place. Generally, any University research that uses humans, human tissue, surveys of human subjects, or human subjects' records requires IRB review, irrespective of its funding source. Approval is required for any research involving human subjects that:

  • is conducted by University faculty, staff, or students;
  • is performed on the premises of the University;
  • is performed with or involves the use of facilities or equipment belonging to the University;
  • involves University patients, students, staff, or faculty;
  • satisfies a requirement imposed by the University for a degree program or for completion of a course of sAugust 13, 2007ment head to satisfy an obligation of a faculty appointment at the University, including clinical or adjunct appointments.

More information regarding human subject activity can be found at the IRB website: http://www.research.umn.edu/subjects/humans/guide/ or by calling the IRB office at 626-5654.

Travel Policy

University Travel Services

Individuals who plan to travel must complete the Department of Psychology's Pre-Travel eForm prior to the trip.

For sponsored accounts, the e-form must be forwarded to the Principal Investigator, who, upon approval, will forward to the Chair's office. The form must include adequate justification for the trip. (See Justification/Documentation Standards)

Employee reimbursements must be University business-related and clearly indicate prudent use of public funds. Non-business expenses cannot be reimbursed.

Documentation for reimbursement must be submitted within 15 days of completion of travel.

This documentation must include:
1. completed Employee Expense Worksheet (instructions)

2. Original receipts for all expenses of $25 or more, except for meals. Receipts should be detailed vendor receipts rather than general charge card transaction slips.
Employees in travel status (travel requiring an overnight stay), on University business will be reimbursed a flat per diem rate for travel related meal expenses. Receipts are not required (under any circumstances), to be reimbursed for travel meals when using the appropriate per diem amount. This information is found at Traveling on University Business Rates

The University does not reimburse purchases of alcoholic beverages, personal travel expenses, or for first class airfare. If a meal is prepaid as part of the cost of lodging or conference registrations, and the employee chooses to dine elsewhere, the cost is not reimbursable. See list of Reimburseable/Non-reimbursable Travel Expenses

IRS Increases Mileage Rates through December 31, 2008
The IRS has increased the standard mileage reimbursement rates effective July 1, 2008. The new standard mileage rates are:  Business will be 58.5 cents per mile and Moving will be 27 cents per mile.

All those traveling on University business are expected to be familiar with the travel policies and procedures on the UWIDE POLICY LIBRARY at: Traveling on University Business

Other useful travel-related links:

Domestic Per Diem Rates

Meals and Incidental Expenses, including partial days

Foreign Per Diem Rates by Location

If you have any questions see Kamran Motevaze, 626-8146, S252 Elliott Hall.