Purchasing and Payments

Purchases and payments made through the RF via an awarded grant must comply with specified rules and procedures, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is here to answer any questions regarding grant spending.

All purchases made through the Research Foundation (RF):

Must be made under RF Policy 501-D - Equipment, Supplies, Construction Contracts, which applies to all officially designated persons, Principal Investigators, and their designees, authorized to commit and expend grant funds. The Policy establishes the following guidelines:

The project director is responsible for obtaining the invoice from a vendor and processing payment promptly (within the grant period), preferably within 30 days of a purchase.
The PI Must conform to the approved award budget and sponsor requirements.
PIs are exempt from sales tax in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Tennessee; and, the RF is exempt from New York City Hotel Occupancy Taxes as well. Note: There is no reimbursement for sales tax.

Please keep in mind:

Any purchases via a grant fund must occur before the termination date of the award.
Note: All Expenditures Must Be Submitted Within 60 Days After The Budget Period End Date!
YC may have a role in the approval of expenditures.
The use of minority, disadvantaged, women-owned, and small business vendors is encouraged AND sometimes required.
PIs are held liable for all orders placed by the project staff directly to vendors
Certain vendors have contracts with the State of New York and provide goods and services at discounted rates. As such, purchases made through the RF qualify for these rates.

Purchasing Guidelines

Considerations for Purchases under $3,000

Follow these steps:

Obtain quotes from qualified vendors.
Prepare a Small Order Form if the vendor requires one.
Call your RF project administrator for an order number and fiscal approval if the sponsor requires this.
Order the item(s) directly from the supplier over the phone or by sending the vendor a copy of the Small Order Form.
After receiving purchases, attach the vendor’s original invoice and the receiving copy of the Small Order Form (if applicable) to The Payment Request e-system (learn more about using this system using the Payment Request User Manual).

To be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses:

Complete the RF Out of Pocket Reimbursement Form. Be sure to fully document the purpose of each expenditure, including the receipt number and expense code (object code).
Requests for reimbursement of credit card charges must be accompanied by an itemized receipt, especially for business meals. Requests based only on summary credit card charges cannot be honored.

Considerations for Purchases over $3,000

All associated forms are available via the ORSP, please call or visit us to request forms associated with payments and purchases made regarding sponsored research projects.

For orders totaling between $3,000 and $15,000 - for city or state sponsored funds, or up to $25,000 - for federally sponsored projects:

Prepare specifications of the items to be ordered.
Granting agencies require that you obtain the best value for all purchases. While competitive written bids aren’t required for items, we encourage you to solicit them or to obtain telephone quotes when making purchases of significant amounts.
Review bids and select the appropriate qualified vendor.
Complete a Purchase Requisition Form (RF 208). Keep one copy for your records and send the original to the RF Purchasing Office (please contact the RF at (212) 417-8300 to request the Purchasing Office contact information), along with quotes and other supporting documentation as applicable.
The RF will issue a Purchase Order on your behalf, transmit it directly to the vendor, and forward a receiving copy and a file copy to you.
When the item arrives, sign the receiving copy of the P.O. to certify its receipt.
Attach the signed receiving copy and the original invoice to a completed Payment Request and forward the documents to the OTPS Team for payment.
Important: Remember to sign and date your Payment Request.

For orders totaling over $15,000 (state- or city-sponsored) or $25,000 (federally sponsored or RF/agency funds):

Follow the same steps outlined above.
One additional step: At least three written bids must be obtained for such purchases and submitted with the purchase requisition. Bids are required at different thresholds depending on the sponsor. A written justification must be forwarded to substantiate sole vendor status.

For equipment costing $5000 or more per unit:

Same steps as above, plus you must first verify that YC does not already own the same or similar equipment, or, if it does, that it is already fully in use during regular work hours. Fill out an Equipment Screening Certificate (RF 209) and have it certified by the Grant Official at the ORSP, then forward it with your Purchase Requisition.

Leasing Equipment

All equipment leased under an awarded grant must be reviewed and executed by the RF CUNY on behalf of the principal investigator's sponsored project.
Note: The lease terms cannot exceed a project’s end date.
A copy of the lease agreement should be emailed to the Procurement & Payables department manager along with a completed Purchase Requisition Form.
- If a sponsored project is expected to be housed off-campus in a leased space, Procurement & Payables must, again, be contacted.
A lease cannot extend beyond the period for which a sponsor has provided funding.

Procuring and Maintaining Equipment

All indispensable equipment under sponsored project purchases valued at $5,000 or above must be instigated by RF CUNY on behalf of the PI.
- Each PI must submit both a completed Equipment Screening Certificate (RF-209) and a completed Purchase Requisition Form (RF-208), along with the equipment vendor’s quote.
Orders costing $15,000 or more (regarding state or private sponsored projects) or $25,000 or more (regarding federal sponsor or RF CUNY/Agency Funds), require PIs to submit a Purchase Requisition form along with three bids to RFCUNY.
- Note: Bidding may not be applicable if: a) the price of the equipment is established by a New York State, New York City, or Federal GSA contract, or b) the purchase is a sole source transaction, which requires a Sole Source Justification form.

Procuring Research Animals and Chemical Substances

The Animal Welfare Act of 1966, the first US federal law aimed to regulate the use of animals in research, sets the minimum standards of animal care that researchers must provide during the use of animals in the laboratory setting.
- In accordance with these federal regulations, research animal purchases require the completion of an Animal Purchase Approval form (RF-211), as well as, prior written approval of the college’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
For PIs who intend on utilizing chemical substances for a sponsored research initiative, you must obtain a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS or Safety Data Sheet) - this is necessary for any employee information requests.
- Note: Material Safety Data Sheets are available through the vendor.

Post-Award Travel

A PI utilizing their grant funding for travel purposes - concerning a sponsored project - whether for themselves, their staff, or an external entity must be thoroughly familiar with the RF’s travel policy and must likewise communicate the policy regarding allowable expenses and restrictions to any prospective travelers.
Allowable travel expenditures include transportation costs, lodging costs, sustenance costs (meals), conference registration fees, and visa fees.
For more information on transportation options please see the Allowable Transportation for Sponsored Research Related Travel PDF.
Travel advances cover any out-of-pocket travel expenditures, relating to a sponsored project initiative, for expenses totaling $50.00 or more. Note, that each traveler may only have one travel advance outstanding at any given time.
Upon fully arranging travel, but no later than three weeks before departure, a traveler must submit an E-Payment Travel Advance Request Form through the Payment Request system.
IMPORTANTLY:

All air transportation must be reserved in economy class on U.S. Flag air carriers whenever available, per the Fly America Act, or on an authorized European Union carrier per the EU Open Skies Agreement, or a Swiss, Australian, or Japanese carrier - as permitted under separate government agreements.

Please see the RF webpage on Obtaining a Post-Award Travel Advance for more information on the specific requirements for PIs traveling post-award.
When applying for local and international travel reimbursement, travelers are required to submit a completed, signed, and dated Travel Expense Voucher form with supporting documentation (e.g., airline boarding passes (physical or a screenshot of any online passes), train ticket stubs, taxi receipts, lodging receipts, car rental bills, meal receipts, and all other receipts) to RFCUNY within five (5) days after the trip.

Please see the RF CUNY Submitting Reimbursement for Post-Award Travel Webpage for more information.

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs