V. Receiving an award

Award notification

When a proposal has been approved for support by a sponsor, the notice, agreement, check and other materials should be sent to the Institutional Advancement for processing. This includes creating an award record, obtaining a grant account number and drafting a letter of thanks on behalf of the university president. Please note that each grant receives its own account number and that grant funds cannot be co-mingled.

Award orientation

A faculty member who procures a grant award is required to track project-funded revenues and expenditures to make sure that they 1) reflect the original project budget and 2) are in compliance with the terms of the grant agreement with the funding agency. Representatives from Academic Affairs, Accounting, and Institutional Advancement will help prepare the faculty member to manage the project budget through an orientation required for access to the grant funding. During the orientation, the faculty member will receive a template spreadsheet that includes the 1) grant account number, 2) line items (object codes) to charge expenditures to, and 3) the names of persons authorized to approve grant expenditures (e.g., people familiar with the project budget and grant agreement compliance issues). Subsequent to this meeting, the faculty member will receive weekly email notifications providing current account revenues and expenditures from the Grant Administrator.

Drawing on an account

Once the orientation is concluded, the faculty member may draw on the account following our Grant Expenses Policy and Procedure. All reimbursements or charges against the account over $1,000 must be signed off by the authorized personnel listed on the budget tracking spreadsheet (see Award Orientation). If during the project, the reallocation of monies between line items is required, the faculty member should request such fund movement in writing to the Grant Administrator to determine if permission is required from the funding agency.

Hiring grant employees

When hiring personnel using a grant-funded award, the following employment-related guidelines should be considered.

Initiating the hiring process

To hire new project personnel, the faculty member is responsible for making sure the following forms are completed and submitted to Human Resources:

• To hire an independent contractor, this person must fill out an Independent Contractor Checklist to be submitted to Human Resources to determine if he or she actually qualifies for independent contractor status. Typically this person 1) is free from control or direction in performing work by agreement and in reality, 2) performs work outside the usual course of the organization's business or away from the employer's facilities, and 3) is customarily engaged in an independent trade, occupation or business.
• To hire temporary employees (adjunct faculty, exempt and non-exempt staff), a Temporary Hire Requisition form from Human Resources must be filled to out by the faculty member and submitted with a resume/vitae to Human Resources 30 days prior to the starting date of the new employees. Employees hired for a limited duration are typically considered temporary, and therefore are not eligible for benefits, with one exception: they may participate in Linfield’s retirement plan via payroll deduction. Please contact the Office of Human Resources to determine the appropriate classification of new hires and eligibility for benefits and pay increases.
• To hire students for the project, each student is responsible for filling out a Student Referral Form and submitting it to the Office of Human Resources.

Documentation and training

All employment offers are to be made contingent upon the completion of an acceptable criminal background check and, if relevant to the duties of the position, a driving record check. The Office of Human Resources will initiate the background check process upon receipt of the Temporary Hire Requisition form.

• All new employees must report to Human Resources on the first day of employment for a brief orientation and to complete necessary employment forms including W-4 and I-9 forms. (Please contact the Office of Human Resources at 503-883-2594 to schedule the appointment.)
• International students, faculty, or staff who will be paid from a grant must obtain valid authorization to work in the United States and be able to show proof of same upon employment. Consult with the International Programs Office on the McMinnville campus or Associate Registrar on the Portland Campus regarding visa restrictions and the timeline for visa approval.
• New employees must also complete anti-harassment, anti-discrimination and OSHA training. These programs are available online. This information will be reviewed with the new employees when they meet with Human Resources staff.

Compensation

• To compensate project personnel, the faculty member will submit a Payroll Check Request Form to Human Resources, which will provide a copy to the Grant Administrator for review.
• Students must obtain, complete and return a Student Employment Referral Form to Human Resources in order to receive compensation. Students and non-exempt staff will receive payments in response to the timely submission of time cards.
• Anyone receiving a salary from federally-funded grants must fill out time and effort report forms (see "Awards from Federal Agencies"). To learn more about this, please consult Linfield's time and effort policy and procedures.
• The payment calendar for employees lists the dates to expect payment for different types of employees throughout the year.

Please note that no payments will be made in advance for future work.