Funding

Purchasing Equipment, Supplies, Etc.  

The process of purchasing is dependent on how much you are anticipating to spend. A review of all SIUE purchasing requirements can be found here. 

Three Simple Thresholds for Purchasing on Grants [pdf]

• Purchases less than or equal to $5,000.00 can be paid by submitting an APID (Accounts Payable Invoice Distribution). 
• Micro Purchase: Purchases between $5,000.00 and $9,999.99 must be paid by submitting a Purchase Requisition. 
  • Provide a brief explanation to your Grant Accountant prior to initiating the purchase and why you’re selecting that vendor.
• Small Purchase: Purchases between $10,000.00 and $99,999 (on a federal grant account) require a Purchase Requisition and 3 quotes with at least one quote from a firm that is owned by a minority, email, or person with disability. 
• Large Purchase: $100,000.00 and Up requires a standard competitive bid process. Once completed, you’ll also need to submit the Purchase Requisition, letter of justification, and completion of any sole source or emergency purchase justifications. You’ll also need additional approvals for Large Purchases: 
  • $100,000.00 - $499,999.99 : Approval from your Vice Chancellor
  • $500,000.00 - $999,999.99: Approval from the President’s Office
  • Greater than $1,000,000: Approval from the Board of Trustees

More information concerning Purchasing requirements can be found here. 

Please note that purchases need to be approved by your Grant Accountant for malleability. 

Things to note: 

• All purchases must be delivered to the University at an individual office location. Do not request that items be delivered to a home address. 
• Computer equipment purchases must be approved by Information Technology Services (ITS) before being purchased. 
• For any purchases that deal with remodeling, renovation or alteration of University space and/or an architect, engineer, or land surveyor, the requesting department must consult with Facilities Management. 
• Office Depot is our current preferred vendor for office supplies. 
• The University has a contract with Pepsi Beverages Company. This means that most beverages sold, dispensed, or otherwise provided to SIUE and the public on campus are to be Pepsi products. 
• If you are in need of furniture for your space, check with Surplus Property before purchasing. 

For more information on the purchasing process, contact Purchasing. 

Ensure that any required financial conflict of interest disclosure and training is complete. 

Ensure all students paid on a research project complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training, and if your funding is from NIH, you need to complete an RCR plan. 

• Current Employees
  • Complete a job change request at HR employment forms for one-time payments, on-going payments, and tracking salary cost share.
  • Note that you cannot be on overload on federal funds, so you may have to split your state salary into two lines, one being overload.
  • Work with your Grant Accountant with any questions
• New Full or Part Time Employees
  • For new positions, review what information must be compiled to submit for posting to Human Resources. 
  • For more information on this process, contact Human Resources. 
• Graduate Assistants
  • Review the eligibility section of the GA Handbook. 
  • If desired, post your position to the GA Job Posting Page.
  • Once you have identified a student you would like to hire, you must then complete a Graduate Assistant Contract. 
  • Please note there are many documents that you must obtain from the student to complete the hiring process (I-9, Federal and State W-4 forms, etc.)
  • For more information on this process, contact the Office Administrator in Graduate Studies. 
• Student Employees
  • First you must post your job to the Student Job Finder. 
  • Once you have identified the student you would like to hire, you must then complete the Payroll Authorization Form (in the Student Job Finder). This will begin the hiring process. 
  • Please note there are many documents that you must obtain from the student (i.e., I-9 form, Federal and State W-4 forms), Student Employee Compliance Agreement, Ethics Compliance Form, Acknowledgement of Mandated Reporter, etc.)
  • Be aware of all applicable Policies & Guidelines for student employees. 
  • For more information on this process, contact Student Employment. 
• Fringe Benefits
  • Per Illinois law, SIUE is required to charge fringe benefits to all sponsored project salaries regularly subject to fringe benefits.  That includes all full- and part-time employees.  Student workers and graduate assistants are exempt as SIUE does not provide them with fringe benefits.
  • ORP has a federally negotiated Fringe Benefit Rate per employee status. These rates are charged to sponsored projects from which SIUE personnel are paid and are subject to change each year. Check with your Grant Accountant or Research Administrator if you have questions. 
  • Fringe benefits included in the rates are listed below:
    • employer group insurance
    • FICA/OASDI/Medicare
    • tuition waivers for employees (dependent tuition waivers are unallowable)
    • health, life, and dental insurance
    • retirement benefits.
• If any key personnel (PI, co-PI, etc.) takes a leave of absence for over three consecutive months, the PI must notify the grant accountant to ensure contractual obligations are met. 

(University Policy 1MB)

• If you are cost sharing salary, see the salary section.
• Your grant accountant will track:
  • GA tuition waivers
  • unrecovered ICR
  • unrecovered fringe benefits.
• For all other cost sharing, contact your grant accountant for the proper process to follow.

Be sure your proposed travel meets agency guidelines and what was submitted in your approved proposal (including budget).  

Check University Travel Guidelines to follow University policy. 

Once you have confirmed the above, you can begin booking your travel for your sponsored project. 

Booking Your Trip

• If booking airfare on a federally-sponsored project, only the lowest economy class tickets are     allowable. View the travel voucher guidelines for specific information. Also, you must follow the Fly America Act, which requires you to fly a “U.S. flag” air carrier service. If these requirements are not met, your flight is not reimbursable.
• Review the Travel Voucher Guidelines for specific University rules to booking travel. 
  • Take special note of Airline Ticket, lodging rates, and parking. 
• Use a p-card to book any travel accommodations (lodging, transportation, registration, etc.) within your approved budget. 
  • Notes for when booking with your pcard:
    • When booking flights, the person you are booking must be the person going on the trip. If the booked person cannot make the trip, there is no flexibility for refunds (rather credits given to the initial traveler.) This is not reimbursable. Therefore, the department is responsible for the credited travel expense. 
    • Keep all documentation (receipts, bills, invoices) for required back up. Attach this documentation in PaymentNet. 

    During Your Trip

• Keep documentation of expenses for your travel voucher. (Note Travel Voucher Guidelines as to what is allowable.)

    After Your Trip

• Compile your documentation and submit your Travel Voucher to Administrative Accounting. Instructions on how to complete your travel voucher can be found here.  Don't forget to send your travel voucher to your Grant Accountant for approval, too.
• Keep all documentation (receipts, bills, invoices) for required back up. Attach this documentation in PaymentNet. 
• Your Grant Accountant will review and approve/deny expenses according to your award. 

• Your Grant Accountant is responsible for all invoicing on the project. The Grant Accountant notes when to invoice according to the NOA. 
• Be on the lookout for questions from your grant accountant and respond in a timely manner so they can invoice in a timely manner.  

• There may be several types of reports required for your project, such as:
  • administrative
  • progress
  • financial 
  • final (see Closeout - Final Report)
• Sponsor’s will identify reporting requirements in the Notice of Award. Be sure to note when your reports are due; this is vital for your continuation of your project and funding. 
• The sponsor will identify how they want you to submit the reports. Some have online portals that you must access and some require simple email communication. 
• Post Award will submit all financial reports. 
• PIs are responsible for all programmatic reports. Post Award will complete any financial requirements on any of those reports. Be sure to communicate with your Grant Accountant if you need any financial information for your report. 
  • When you submit your reports, be sure to inform your Grant Accountant (CC them on the email).
• Auditors may ask for reported information at a later date, so be prepared to provide it promptly when requested. 

• Ensure the project stays within budget.
• Ensure purchases meet the requirements for your project.
• Review monthly AIS Statements to ensure your expenses and only your expenses are being charged to the appropriate Budget Purpose (BP) number. 
• Review pcard transactions and maintain supporting documentation for transactions.
• FCC Compliance
  • Each year, certain PIs must review the salary/wages paid to everyone on a project to determine if it reasonably reflects the work expended on the project. 
  • The PI will be notified when this electronic requirement is required and provided instructions on how to certify the salary/wages. 
• Program Income
  • Program income is gross revenue generated from activities associated with sponsored projects on a federal award. 
  • Follow the requirements in your NOA if your project has program income.
  • Contact your grant accountant with questions. 

You may want to request additional time to complete your project with no additional funding (i.e., using your current unspent funds). Keep in mind that NCEs will not be approved for the sole purpose of using remaining balances. Each sponsor has different guidelines and procedures for requesting an NCE. Notify your grant accountant of your plans, any updates, and the sponsor’s decision. 

• Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS): eRA Commons NCE Instructions
• National Science Foundation (NSF): No cost extension process
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): No cost extension process
• National Institute of Health (NIH): eRA Commons Prior Approval instructions

• Request to Adjust 6 Account Expenditure
  • Use this form to request that an expense be transferred to or from an externally-sponsored award (i.e., a 6 account). 
  • For example:
    • An expenditure directly benefiting the sponsored award is erroneously charged to the wrong account. 
    • The expense benefits multiple sponsored awards and an appropriate amount can be reasonably allocated to each of the applicable awards. 
  • This form is not allowable if:
    • the expense falls outside the approved period of performance of the sponsored award 
    • expenses are being transferred to eliminate a deficit in an account. 

• Request for Additional Information
  • This form may be requested by your grant accountant to determine the applicability of an expense to the grant and its use. Supporting documentation may be required. 

• Request for Participant Incentives
  • Use this form to request the use of 6-account funds for the purchase of participant incentives. Once the incentives have been distributed and all appropriate documentation is received and reviewed, your Grant Accountant will review to determine reimbursement on the 6-account. All relevant university procedures must be followed to return unused incentives. 

• PI Checklist 
• Allowable Cost Worksheet (TBA)