Disbursement requests for IRB Approved Research Payments are managed by Student Finance Solutions (SFS) and the Office of the Human Research Protection Program (OHRPP) for Institutional Review Board (IRB) review. Research payments can be made in the form of gift cards/e-codes, BruinCard deposits, or cash. Please see our disbursement FAQ to review instructions for other request types.
Please review the University and IRS regulations below, then expand the sections for instructions based on payment type.
| -IRB approval must be obtained with OHRPP before submitting an IRB Approved Research Payment request to SFS. The department will be required to provide the current IRB approval number. The approved IRB information must coincide with the the selected payment type or the request will be rejected. If it does not match, please consult with OHRPP to consider an exception for the approval of your form. |
| -The maximum disbursement at one time is $5,000. Requests for more than $5,000 at one time require additional time for review and approval. |
| -Each department must be in compliance with BUS-49 (Policy for Cash and Cash Equivalent Received), UCLA Policy 361 (Cash Handling and Security), and UCLA Safe Requirements (if storing cash/gift cards). |
|
-To comply with IRS regulations, UCLA Accounts Payable must file a 1099 MISC form for research participants who receive $600.00 or more in research payments for the calendar year. Your department is responsible for providing a list of participants who meet this threshold, as well as collecting their W-9 form. You must hand deliver the list of payees (which should only contain the participant(s)' names, addresses, and amounts received) to Accounts Payable (Attn: AP Tax) or contact aptax@finance.ucla.edu for any inquiries in regard to 1099 MISC. |
| -Departments are responsible for Mitigating Risk of Fraud for cash and cash equivalents (gift cards and e-codes). SFS cannot assume any liability for reimbursing compromised cash, physical cards, or e-Codes, which should be immediately reported to UCPD. |
| Resource | Function |
|---|---|
| Gift Card Catalog |
Review prior to initiating your request in order to determine the gift card denominations, amounts, and associated fees. |
| Cashiering Services and Supplies Guide | Review prior to initiating your request to determine armored courier (Brink's) fees for gift card delivery, if applicable. |
| Navigating the Research Payment Portal | A step-by-step guide to navigating the Research Payment Portal on MyUCLA |
| Research Payment Portal Status Map | A high-level, end-to-end visual guide for the Research Payment Portal, based on request status |
| Research Payment Portal on MyUCLA |
Log into MyUCLA with a UCLA Logon ID and Password. Click on the Staff tab. Select Business and Finance Manager. Select Research Payment from the Disbursement Request menu. Note: User must be logged into UCLA Network/VPN to access portal. Internet Explorer is NOT a supported browser for MyUCLA. |
| MyUCLA Message Center | Alert PSC of an Approved portal request on the MyUCLA Message Center |
| BruinCard ROR Information | Instructions for submitting a BruinCard Recharge Order Request (ROR) prior to using the Research Payment Portal, if your disbursement will be made via BruinCard payment. |
IRB Approved Research Payment Requests are completed through a combination of the Research Payment Portal on MyUCLA and the MyUCLA Message Center. You can track the status of your request on the Research Payment Portal.
Instructions
If you'll be requesting a BruinCard payment for your Research Payment Request, you must initiate a Recharge Order Request (ROR) with BruinCard prior to using the Research Payment Portal. The BruinCard ROR E-Doc number will be required in the Research Payment portal. Once the BruinCard ROR portal is in Awaiting Pricing status, please follow the instructions below.
For all other payment types, please begin with the instructions below.
1. Requestor must initiate the request using the Research Payment Portal on MyUCLA.
- Log into MyUCLA with a UCLA Logon ID and Password. Click on the Staff tab. Select Business and Finance Manager. Select Research Payment from the Disbursement Request menu. Ensure you are connected to a UCLA Network/VPN to access the portal.
2. Complete the required sections based on payment type.
You may only select one payment type per request.
| Payment type | Required Sections |
|---|---|
| Gift Card E-Code |
1. Department information |
| Physical Gift Card |
1. Department & delivery information |
| BruinCard Deposit | 1. Department information 2. BruinCard order Information (Recharge Order Request information listed below) 3. IRB information |
| Cash |
1. Department & delivery information |
You will need to acknowledge the policies and procedures in order to save or submit your request. Once submitted, the portal status will update to Submitted.
3. Fund Manager and Principal Investigator review the request on the Research Payment Portal.
- Once the request is submitted on portal, the designated Fund Manager must review/approve the request. The Fund Manager will receive an automated email with instructions to approve or reject the request via the portal on MyUCLA. Once approved, the portal status will update to FM Approved.
-Once the Fund Manager approves the request, the designated Principal Investigator will receive an automated email with instructions to approve or reject the request via the portal on MyUCLA.
- If the Principal Investigator approves, the Requestor will receive an automated email with instructions on the next steps. The portal status will update to Approved.
- If the Fund Manager or Principal Investigator rejects, the Requestor will receive an an automated email with the rejection reason. The portal status will update to FM Rejected or PI Rejected. The Requestor will have the option to edit the request and resubmit for approval.
4. Requestor alerts SFS of Approved portal request via the MyUCLA Message Center.
- When the portal request status is Approved, the Requestor must submit a case to SFS on the MyUCLA Message Center and include the Research Payment Portal Request number in the subject line of the Message Center case.
-For BruinCard payments, An excel file of recipient names, UIDS, and amounts received attached to the Message Center case
You must also provide an Excel list with the names, university identification numbers (UIDs), and payment amounts for each recipient with your Message Center request. Please ensure the recipient UIDs are correct; the department will be held financially responsible for deposit corrections.
-For gift card e-codes payments, Tremendous templates (for applicable Gift Card e-code requests)
5. SFS reviews the request and coordinates disbursement through the Message Center.
- If SFS approves the disbursement request, SFS will update the Message Center case to begin disbursement coordination. The portal status will update to Completed. Delivery for preferred gift cards and cash will be made within ten (10) business days, from the time the Approved Message Center Case is submitted to PSC, and will only be released to the active, Authorized Personnel identified on the portal.
Non-preferred gift cards and BruinCard delivery may take up to four (4) weeks, depending on the vendor's processing and delivery schedule.
Once disbursement is coordinated, the portal status will update to Disbursed.
- If SFS rejects the disbursement request, SFS will update the Message Center case and the the portal status will update to SFS Rejected. The Requestor will no longer be able to edit the portal request and must initiate a new portal request if needed.
