tips for using university research grant funds - College of Fine Arts

TIPS FOR USING UNIVERSITY RESEARCH GRANT FUNDSBelow is a list of tips we’ve provided to help you get the most from your URG funds with theleast amount of paperwork and frustration. There are rules for how things can be spent and howthey are to be reimbursed or paid for. We’ve attempted to simplify them as much as possible. Ifyou have further questions please drop by the CFA Dean’s Office and visit with KathrynAnderson or John Walker, call us, or send us an email.What types of funds do you have to spend?When you wrote your URG proposal you created a budget and requested funding for varioustypes of expenses. The CFA office used this budget to allocate your funds to the variouscategories which the University uses for accounting and budgeting. You will receive a memoindicating the amounts funded in the various categories indicated below:Contractual: Repair and maintenance of property and equipment (excluding automotiveequipment); repair parts; rental of property and equipment; professional, artistic, and technicalservices; recording studio fees and accompanists; advertising; subscriptions; registration fees;association dues; copying services; all software and software updates; film processing; postage;and prepared (catered ) food.Commodities: Articles of a consumable nature and equipment valued at not more than $100. Thisincludes small tools; mechanical supplies; educational and instructional materials; industrial andshop materials; electrical supplies (such as extension cords); office supplies including toner;books (when the individual cost is less than $100), film, paint, and glue; computer supplies likeink cartridges and paper; non-catered food; shipping costs; and gasoline for off road equipment.Equipment: Tangible personal property of a non-consumable nature exceeding $100 in cost. Thisincludes office furniture, motor vehicles, instruments, books (when the individual cost is morethan $100), computers and computer peripherals, and related items. FAX machines are notincluded.Telecommunications: All communication devices including modems, FAX machines, fax repairsand fax paper.Automotive: Repairs, repair parts and gasoline for all on road vehicles; charges for use of carsfrom the University motor pool.Travel: Plane fare; lodging and food expenses; taxi, train, or bus transportation; parking fees.Food is only reimbursed up to a daily per-diem allowance.Personnel: Funds provided for research time are paid through your regular monthly paycheck andwill be automatically arranged by the CFA office; funds for student workers must be arranged inadvanced with the CFA office in order to set up the proper paperwork for student employmentand bi-weekly time cards will need to be submitted in order to get the student paid.Printing is always commodities whether done by ISU or an outside vendor. Duplicating done atISU is commodities. Duplicating done by an outside vendor is contractual.

What are some of the rules and guidelines to consider BEFORE spending your money?1. The fiscal year of your grant starts with July 1of the next academic year from when yourproposal is approved, and ends with June 30th of that academic year. In order to process thepaperwork, we ask that all funds be spent by the first week in June of the funding period.2. An original receipt or vendor invoice (with an invoice number) is necessary to processpayment. Especially on large charges, be sure to get an official, numbered invoice from thevendor or contractor. You will not be reimbursed without an original. If an original invoice isnot available or is lost, an affidavit is necessary to process payment. This can be done with anotary available on campus.3. You can purchase items less than $500 yourself and then request reimbursement from IllinoisState. When you do this, be sure to use the tax exempt number to avoid paying sales tax. Thelead secretary in each of the Schools can provide the tax exempt number to you. Also, avoidsubmitting a number of small reimbursements. Better to group several receipts and invoicestogether for one reimbursement.4. You can only be reimbursed for receipts and invoices that are dated during the fiscal year ofyour grant. You cannot be paid for expenses incurred prior to the July 1 starting date, or afterJune 30, of the ending date.5. Do not charge purchases to CFA or to Illinois State University. Either pay for the itemyourself and submit a receipt for reimbursement, or bring the purchase information into theCOFA office and we will process the purchase for you. Be sure to bring all the details:description of the item, stock number, cost, number of items, name of the vendor of choice,etc. Many times we may know of a place where you can get a better price for an item orservice.6. All equipment purchased is the property of the University. You will have sole use of theequipment while you are employed by the University, but it will return to the general use ofthe University should you leave. If you need to use your equipment off campus, you must fillout a form giving you permission to use the equipment off campus. You can obtain the formfrom the CFA office.7. When arranging travel, especially airfares, the University prefers you use either Susie DavisTravel at 662-0455. However, if you can obtain a better fare elsewhere, supply a brief memowith the airfare receipts justifying the use of a different travel service.8. If you need to provide honoraria, pay consulting fees, hire musicians, etc., you may need tohave a two-party agreement filled out and signed. Consult the CFA office for assistance.9. If you want to purchase used equipment from an Illinois State faculty or staff member (e.g., aused camera, computer, or musical instrument), you need an official appraised value, or anotarized affidavit.Here are things that you cannot use University money for?1. The purchase of personal items or services, or items or services that do not relate to thespecific requests and objectives as detailed in your research grant. In the event that you need

to make a change in your original request for use of the grant funds, prepare a brief memo tothe CFA office describing the variance; the request will then be consider for approval. Mostrequests of this nature that are reasonable are approved.2. Taxes cannot be paid or reimbursed. The exception is for payments for hotels, restaurants,airfare, and car rentals. You can stop by the CFA office or your School office and get theState tax exempt number and present this number to the vendor to avoid paying state salestax.3. University funds may not be used for the purchase of any alcoholic beverage except asprovided by operating procedures for sale of alcoholic beverages.4. New or used University property may not be used as gifts, with the exception of approvedUniversity-wide award programs.5. No University contract may be awarded to a member of the immediate family or employee ofthe University or to a firm, partnership, association or corporation whose owner or primaryemployees are members of the immediate family of employees of the University, unless suchpurchase or contract is deemed beneficial to University operations and is approved by thePresident. Approval must obtained before any contract is processed.