IAB Procurement

When a contractual service of any kind is needed, UA regulations state that this activity must be processed as a Purchase Order (PO) and may not be charged to a ProCard. Complete the IAB Purchase Request Form  by selecting the Contracts Setup along with:

• Scope of work clearly outlining the work to be done
• Period of performance
• W-9, if a new vendor (the Procurement Officer can determine this)
• Independent Contractor Status Determination Form - this form must be completed for individuals that are to be treated as independent contractors (ie. they do not have an employer identification number).

This process may take some time so please submit your request as soon as possible. Do not personally enter into any contract with a vendor that commits university funds as payment. Bypassing this process will result in an unauthorized purchase and requires IAB Director and UAF Procurement Director approval in order to make payment against these services.

Cash Reimbursements

Less than $100

For purchases made with personal funds for university purposes that total less than $100, complete the Petty Cash Voucher and submit with itemized receipts to the IAB Fiscal Officer located at 310A Irving I for approval. Once approved, the form and receipts must be taken to the Bursar's Office on the 1st floor of Signers' Hall for cash reimbursement.

More than $100

Cash Advances

When traveling to a remote location, cash may be the only possible form of payment for items such as research subject payments, boat fuel, boat services, etc. When planning for a trip that includes this type of activity, please contact your IAB Grant Coordinator immediately. High-dollar requests take additional time to process. The full procedure is as follows:

• Submit a memo to your IAB Grant Coordinator, signed by the PI of the funding source, requesting the funds with a detailed explanation of the purpose and the name and UA ID of the person receiving the funds
• Note the cash advance as a non-reimbursable item on the Trip Request Form with the Shared Travel Services Office
• Upon disbursement while in the field, have the individual receiving the payment sign a receipt and provide a W-9
• Submit all receipts, W-9's, and remaining cash-on-hand to your IAB Grant Coordinator when you return from travel status for reconciliation

Travel Advances

Travel advances are provided to those who are unable to cover incidental costs while on travel status. This can include meals, taxi, etc. The Shared Travel Services Office handles these requests through the Trip Request Form. 

Honorariums

An honorarium is a gift for services for which no fee has been set or agreed upon in advance. An honorarium could be used as a “thank you” gift to a guest speaker or performer who, at no charge to the University, makes a presentation. The University responds with a token payment, gift or other tangible gesture of appreciation. Protocol and custom suggest that the honorarium should be processed in advance, if possible or close to the event taking place, so that the gift may be presented timely.

An Honorarium, per IRS regulations, is reportable as income by the University. As a result, the intended beneficiary’s social security number is required.

Any compensation, monetary or non-monetary, negotiated, committed to, or otherwise forming an obligation to pay, made in advance is, by definition, not an honorarium. It is a fee, and is subject to the applicable regulations of the University, IRS and other relevant agencies. Any verbal or written agreement in which the University will be obligated to pay for services or expenses or accommodations is a contractual arrangement and must be made in accordance with procurement regulations. 

A fee cannot be paid to any current employee, permanent, part-time, full-time or temporary. Payroll and other taxes must be withheld from any payments made to an employee. A bonus or monetary award to an employee must be approved by the campus Human Resources Office.

To expedite payment, if possible, have the recipient complete the W-9 form needed to certify their tax identification information and submit it with the honorarium form and thank you memo to the IAB Procurement Office for processing.

Equipment purchases valued at $5,000 or more must follow a different process and cannot be completed using a ProCard. These purchases are handled similarly to service contracts and require additional review.

To get started, please complete the IAB Purchase Request Form  along with a detailed quote from your preferred vendor.

For purchases at this level, the UAF Purchasing Office is required to issue a Request for Quotation (RFQ). This process involves reaching out to multiple vendors to obtain written quotes in accordance with established purchasing guidelines and terms.

If you would like the Purchasing Office to contact specific vendors, please be sure to include that information on your request form. While you may gather quotes on your own, submitting them does not replace or bypass the formal RFQ process.

If you are considering obtaining quotes independently, we recommend connecting with the IAB Procurement Officer first to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible.

Sole Source

Whenever a faculty member, a principal investigator or project director has determined that only a particular item or service is suitable for use in the classroom or for a research project, brand name or sole source procurement is both appropriate and justified. Purchase requisitions for such items or services must specify that no substitute is acceptable and must be accompanied by a Certification of Need for Restrictive Specification form, completed and signed by the faculty member, principal investigator or project director.

This process may take some time so please submit your request as soon as possible. Do not personally enter in to any agreement with a vendor that commits university funds as payment for equipment. Bypassing this process will result in an unauthorized purchase and requires IAB Director and UAF Procurement Director approval in order to make payment against these services.