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IRB Approved Research Payment Request


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 Instructional 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, including Non-IRB Research Payment Requests.

Please review the University and IRS regulations below, then expand the sections for instructions based on payment type.
 

  • University and IRS Regulations

  • -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.

     

  • Research Payment Portal Instructions

  • 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.

    Resource Table

    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 SAO of an Approved portal request on the MyUCLA Message Center


    Instructions

    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
    2. Order & gift card vendor information 
    3. FAU & IRB information 
    Physical Gift Card 

    1. Department & delivery information
    2. Order & gift card vendor information 
    3. FAU & IRB information 
    4. Safe information 
    BruinCard Deposit  1. Department information
    2. BruinCard order Information (Recharge Order Request information listed below)
    3. IRB information
    Cash 

    1. Department & delivery information 
    2. Order information 
    3.  FAU & IRB information
    4. Safe 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.

     

  • BruinCard Recharge Order Request Information 

  • If your IRB approved research payment request will be disbursed via BruinCard deposit, you must initiate a Recharge Order Request (ROR) with BruinCard prior to using the Research Payment Portal. The ROR E-Doc number will be required in the Research Payment portal. 
     

    BruinCard Recharge Order Request Instructions 

    Please review the BruinCard Recharge Order Request Guide for step-by-step instructions on submitting an ROR. The ROR portal status will remain in Awaiting Pricing until a Research Payment Request Form is submitted to PSC on the Message Center (step four above).

    PSC will review your Research Payment Request form and documents within ten (10) business days of receiving the Message Center request (step four above). Once your Message Center request is SFS approved, BruinCard will then quote the ROR and the ROR portal status will become Pending FAU Allocation. The department will then need to allocate an FAU to the ROR on the portal. Please monitor your ROR portal status so that you can allocate an FAU as soon as possible and payment processing is not delayed. BruinCard payments cannot be deposited until this step has been completed.

    Once an FAU has been allocated, the ROR portal will enter the Awaiting Fulfillment portal status.

    The BruinCard Center requires up to five (5) additional business days to process payments once an FAU has been allocated. This timeline assumes all documents (including an accurate recipient list) have been received. You will receive a notice via the MyUCLA Message Center when the disbursement has been made. The ROR portal will also be updated to Recently Completed.

    Please Ask BruinCard for questions related to BruinCard payment processing.


    BruinCard Payment Information 
    BruinCard payments are loaded onto a BruinCard stored value account (Easy Pay) and can be used by the cardholder at BruinCard Merchant locations. 

    Denominations Any denomination
    Processing Time *Up to 4 weeks
    (See Timeline below for Breakdown)
    Processing Fee $0.00
    Refundable Once processed, BruinCard funds are not refundable to the department.
    BruinCard stored value funds (Easy Pay) are available to cardholders as long as they are active members of the University. BruinCard funds cannot be redeemed for cash value.
    Resources BruinCard Recharge Order Request Guide
    BruinCard Recharge Order Request Portal (Access assigned by department DSA)
    BruinCard Merchants