PI & Student Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PI & STUDENT RECIPIENTS

Below are recommendations from the CoLA Research Support Office toward successful processing of Cash Advance Requests. Please contact us with any questions about these recommendations.

For Travel Cash Advances: Start with TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION Submit dept/unit travel authorization request - 1 authorization per person, if group travel. Check w/ dept or unit admin lead re internal request process   IMPORTANT: If your international destination is on the Restricted Regions list, this adds 5 WEEKS to your TRAVEL approval - International Oversight Committee review is required BEFORE travel is authorized and it DOES take some time to complete!   Step through the International Travel Process as soon as possible (opens in new tab)   For TRAVEL & STUDY PARTICIPANT Cash Advance Requests Submit a CoLA cash advance request to unit admin w/ all needed info*       3+ WEEKS IN ADVANCE of ISSUE DATE**   *Incomplete requests add more time to the process - to understand in advance what's needed, check out the university's cash advance travel and/or participant forms. Don't let this be the reason for a delay - if you do your part correctly and on time-- your admin will be obligated to do their part correctly and on time.   **See #4 Below for More Info on 3+ Week Leadtime Recommendation   ​​​To add a layer of oversight via the Research Office, add LA Research to initial request, or request Admin forward submitted CBS confirmation message to laresearch@austin.utexas.edu   IMPORTANT To Establish a Realistic Expectation for Processing Cash Advance Requests, please add the following statement to your initial request that you send to your dept or unit admin/processor:  'Dear Admin, Please submit this cash advance request via (power)form within 5 business days of receipt. Please reply-all to this msg to confirm submission, and let me know about anything that might impact the timing of this request.  CoLA central team signatures should be completed on the Cash Advance DocuSign form within 3 to 5 business days after you submit Cash Advance Request. On day 6 of this timeframe, please let me know which individuals have not yet reviewed/signed this request. You can accomplish this by checking the DocuSign form's history, then eply-all to this message (to CC LA Research) with updates. Thank you for helping to manage this process.' The 3+ WEEK APPROACH: A REALISTIC TIMELINE 1 week for unit Admin to process Just under 1 week for CoLA Finance or CBS to approve Just over 1 week for UT approval (7 business days) NOTE: The above differs slightly from what is currently published in the Liberal Arts Resource Center. The CoLA Cash Advance process outlines only the 7 day lead time required by the university's Cash Advance Desk. It does not take into account an established amount of time reasonable for CoLA Finance team to process the request. Nor does it address a reasonable amount of time for the unit admin to process initial request (though that is probably best determined at the unit level).   Because there are 3 distinctive and busy groups involved with cash advance requests, expecting any of those groups to immediately process cash advances is not a tenable position to take.   CoLA CBS Cash Advance Program requires a 10 day lead time, which incorporates a 3 day lead time specifically for the CBS team, on top of the 7 required business days by the Cash Advance Desk.   Aside from the differing leadtime recommendation, CoLA Finance's Cash Advance Process is incorporated into LA Research's approach to cash advances.  NOTE: If a cash advance request is initiated with less than 3 weeks advance notice of issue date, establishing appropriate processing time becomes problematic.   Processors, reviewers and approvers cannot be held accountable for someone else's failure to plan. Rush requests should be rare. Please allow enough time for us to improve this process.

 

NEED TO KNOW: Travel Cash Advance

1. Keep all receipts (itemized receipts, plus proof of payment)
2. It's strongly recommended that a plastic baggie system is used to split receipts into required categories (travel, program costs, entertainment, professional services) per destination, to ensure receipts stay dry and legibile throughout travel, especially in climates that are warmer, humid, etc., as receipts can quickly start to mold. If the receipt is not legible, the expense cannot be reimbursed.
3. Lodging receipts need proof of payment, itemized details (folio), and show zero balance due
4. Reconciliation and ALL RECEIPTS are due 2 WEEKS AFTER CONCLUSION OF TRIP to your dept/unit processor.
5. Your dept/unit contact then has 2 additional weeks to finalize, review and submit reconciliation.
6. If you will be paying local workers for providing assistance and/or professional services, be prepared to obtain signed, detailed receipts for payments made to each person. No receipt = No reimbursement! Take a receipt book or some type of receipt system with you to ensure compliance with this requirement.

NEED TO KNOW: Participant Study Cash Advance Need-To-Know:

1. Research subjects and study participants must be asked whether or not the non-employee compensation (not including paycheck) received for the current research project in combination with all other non-employee compensation (not including paycheck) received from the University will equal or exceed $600 in the current calendar year.
2. Research subjects and study participants receiving $600 or more in a calendar year from all University of Texas at Austin non-employee compensation (not including paycheck) must provide IRS 1099 related information.

 

If you won't have access to a printer in the field:
Print required forms before you go (and take them with you!)

Payments of $600 OR LESS During a Calendar Year

• Complete the Individual Receipt Form or the Multiple Participant Receipt Form, and the Summary Reconciliation Sheet for reconciliation totals.
  • Researcher-assigned identification number or printed name
  • Participant must sign or initial acknowledging receipt of funds
  • Date the funds were received by participant
  • Dollar amount of funds received by participant
  • Individual disbursing funds must print name and initial

 

Payments IN EXCESS of $600 During a Calendar Year

• Complete the Individual Receipt Form, and the Summary Reconciliation Sheet for reconciliation totals.
  • Printed name of participant
  • Participant must sign acknowledging receipt of funds
  • Date the funds were received by participant
  • Dollar amount of funds received by participant
  • Social Security Number of participant for IRS purposes
  • Mailing address of participant
  • Individual disbursing funds must print name and initial

 

Specific information must be provided by the researcher if any of the above cannot be ascertained from the individual. These exceptions must be approved by the CSU Business Officer prior to payment <-- in CoLA's case, that's the Assistant Dean of Finance, who can be reached via LA Finance.

Generally, plan as early as is reasonably possible

1. Doublecheck account is active (not in credit-status) & has sufficient funds (in the correct category)
    
2. Add more lead time for unusual circumstances that require additional approvals
    
3. For travel, request travel authorization(s) in advance of request for cash advance
    
4. If participant study, include IRB details and incentive costing basis in initial request
   • Use forms for travel or for participants - as a guide to ensure nothing is overlooked in the initial request
      
5. You don't have to wait until 30 days out to submit request -deadline impacts disbursment of funds
    
6. Don't rely solely on UT's 7 business-day deadline - give dept/unit/college time to process
    
7. Know what questions to ask your admin: Who has signed the form, who are we still waiting on?
    
8. Be responsive to receiving, signing, and returning of cash advance promissory note
   
   Know where to go for additional help:  Research Support Office Award Services (LA Research)

1. Doublecheck account is active, has sufficient funds (in appropriate subaccount), is not in credit-status
    
2. Follow up with recipient asap with requests for additional or missing information
    
3. Communicate clear timeframe, deadlines and expectations to the recipient 
    
4. Submit travel authorization as early as possible, so it doesn't hold up cash advance request
    
5. Process your own documents instead of relying on Central Business Service team
    
6. Don't wait until 30 days out to submit request -that deadline impacts disbursment, not submission
    
7. Don't rely solely on UT's 7 business-day deadline - give college time to review/approve
    
8. Upon routing (power)form forward for approvals, note expected turn-around deadlines
    
9. Use calendaring reminders to keep track of overall timeline and expected approvals
    
10. Log into DocuSign, proactively check routing history of form(s) to see who has and hasn't signed
     
11. Follow up proactively, directly with individuals who are overdue with signatures (CC LA Research)
     
12. Keep recipient (PI) of cash advance informed proactively on the progress of the request
     
13. Communicate any delays or issues to the recipient and also Research Support Office Award Services

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