Managing Your Budget

SPF supports multiple purchasing methods for grant, contract, and trust funds. Each method ensures compliance with sponsor requirements and university policies.

Purchasing Methods

You may use the following options:

• Reimbursements: Personal funds repaid*
• Direct Payments: Invoices or purchase orders
• ProCard
• P2P Punchout Shopping (CSUBUY)

*Travel reimbursements are covered in a separate Travel section due to additional requirements.

Submitting Forms

• Access all forms in the SPF Forms Library
• Submit forms to Accounts Payable (AP) via DocuSign when possible

• Contact your Grant Analyst (GA) for assistance or training

   

Approval Requirements

All transactions must be approved by an authorized signer on the fund.

Choosing the Correct Form

To ensure timely payments, it’s important to confirm signer authority with your GA and attach any exception approvals with receipts. Use the table below to identify the correct signee for your approval.

SPF Travel Guidelines for Sponsored Projects

Travel is often essential for grant-funded projects, including fieldwork, conferences, and collaboration. Sponsored Programs Finance (SPF) provides guidance to ensure travel expenses comply with sponsor requirements and university policy. All travel expenses must be reasonable, necessary, and directly related to project activities. No pre-approval is required for most domestic travel. For international travel, including Mexico and Canada, approval is necessary.

SPF Procurement Card (ProCard) Guidelines

The SPF Procurement Card (ProCard) allows authorized users to make purchases directly from suppliers, reducing the need for purchase orders, invoices, and reimbursements. All purchases must be allowable, project-related, and compliant with SPF and sponsor requirements and ProCard guidelines. Please follow the ProCard Cycle Dates for up-to-date information on due dates and cycle start and end dates.

Use the ProCard for:

• Low-dollar, allowable project expenses
• Purchases that align with the scope of work
• Transactions that do not require a formal purchasing process

All expenses must follow Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and CSU policies.

Key Cost Principles

Costs must be:

• Reasonable: A prudent use of funds
• Allowable: Permitted by sponsor and policy
• Allocable: Directly benefits the project

• Consistently Treated: Applied uniformly

   

Allocability Guidelines

• Costs must directly support project objectives
• Shared costs must be:
  • Proportionally allocated
  • Clearly documented
• Do not:
  • Charge unrelated expenses
  • Use funds to cover deficits from other projects

Before submitting expenses, you should verify account and fund balances in OBI. Some exceptions may occur.

Exceptions

If funds are insufficient, the GA must approve payment or provide an alternative chartfield.

What Is a Reimbursement?

A repayment to an individual or organization that used personal funds for an approved expense.

When to Use

• One-time purchases by:
  • PIs
  • Staff
  • Students
  • (Rarely) third-party organizations

How to Submit

All payment requests are processed using CSUBUY Legacy. It’s important to use the appropriate form based on signer status or whether submitting for yourself or others.

• If you are an approved signer on the grant/contract or trust, use the Approved Project Signer / Principal Investigator form. For reimbursements for yourself, utilize the Payment Request Form (with “One-Up” Approval).
• Submitting the payment request form on behalf of your PI or someone else? Use the modified version of the HMSPF Payment Request Form. For Payment Request Forms (with “One-Up Approval) on behalf of a PI or someone else, use the modified version of the form.

Hospitality and travel reimbursements require additional guidance (see relevant sections).

Getting Paid (Reimbursements)

University Employees & Students

• No additional forms required before payment
• Ensure your address matches university records

• Optional: enroll in AP direct deposit (separate from payroll)

   

Third-Party Organizations

Third-party organizations must submit the Payee Data Record (204 Form), even if they are already registered in P2P.

What Is a Direct Payment?

A direct payment is a payment made by SPF directly to a supplier. This is typically for:

• Services
• Goods
• Non-CSU tuition
• Stipends or honorariums

Payment Types

All payments are processed in CSUBUY P2P. Subaward POs can only be initiated by SPF staff.

Purchase Order Requests

Purchase orders are required for quotes, estimates, and agreements. To submit a purchase order, use the Purchase Order Request Form. 

Supplier Requirements

All payees must:

• Register as a Supplier in P2P
• Complete supplier registration (via Jaggaer portal)

Suppliers must be invited to register in P2P and they must complete a Supplier Registration before receiving payment from Cal Poly Humboldt. To request a new supplier, e-mail hsuf@humboldt.edu with the organization or individual's legal business name or the name that will appear on their invoices, the email address for any individual who can provide accurate financial and legal information about the organization, and a brief description of the nature of their business with SPF. 

Required Information Includes:

• Tax ID
• Business structure
• Banking details
• IRS status

Within 2 business days of registration, the individual will receive an email from support@jaggaer.com with the subject line: “ Supplier Portal Invitation from The California State University”. The invitation email contains a link to the portal (Register Now button). Suppliers should visit the Supplier Resources page for help with the registration process, or contact csubuy-suppliersupport@calstate.edu for direct assistance.

Punchouts are pre-approved supplier catalogs within CSUBUY. These provide discounted pricing, built-in warranties, and reduced ProCard reconciliation. Keep in mind that there is no off-campus shipping when using P2P and a ProCard may be necessary for shipment transportation to campus.

Important Requirements

• Assign cart to SPF Purchasing Coordinator
• Authorized signer must complete:
  • P2P Assigned Cart Approval Form
• Hospitality purchases require a Hospitality Form

Support and Processing Times

The average turnaround time on AP processing is 5-7 weeks. To ensure that your SPF reimbursements, travel claims, advances, etc., are paid quickly, submit complete and accurate documentation. 

Get Help

• Drop-In Zoom Hours: Weekdays, 2:00–3:00 PM
• Phone: (707) 826-4189
• Email: hsuf@humboldt.edu

Support is available for:

• Reimbursements
• ProCard reconciliation
• Form completion.

OBI Reporting & Grant Financial Tools

The Sponsored Programs Foundation (SPF) provides tools, training, and support to help you track and manage your grant funding effectively and efficiently.

Getting Started with OBI

You can access OBI (Oracle Business Intelligence) in two ways:

• Through the MyHumboldt Portal
• Via the direct OBI login link

Please note that OBI is best accessed using the Mozilla Firefox browser.

Need help? You can submit an Access Request form if you cannot log in or contact your Grant Analyst for any additional questions. Prefer hands on training? Sign up for an OBI training workshop.

Off-Campus Access (Virtual Lab)

Off-campus research? Not a problem! You can access OBI remotely using the Virtual Lab:

• Log in to the Virtual Lab portal
• Open the OBI dashboard from off campus
• Follow setup instructions provided on the site

Need help? Contact SPF for assistance with setup or troubleshooting.

Indirect Costs (IDC) Rates

Indirect costs (IDC), also called Facilities & Administrative (F&A) costs, support general operations and grant administration.

Current IDC Rates

Key Guidelines

IDC rates are often set by the funding agency. Depending on the grant, some funders may allow negotiation. Humboldt-SPF and many other organizations have an approved federally cognizant negotiated rate. At SPF, the federal cognizant agency is the U.S. Health & Human Services agency.

If a faculty member intends to use an IDC rate that is lower than the funder’s published rate, they will need to provide Humboldt-SPF with a justification and request approval. If you have questions regarding indirect costs and how it may affect a proposal or current grant or contract, please contact the SPF main office at (707) 826-4189.

Encumbrances (Budget Planning Tool)

Encumbrances help you set aside funds for planned expenses without spending them yet.

How Encumbrances Work

Examples

• Subcontracts and consultant agreements appear in OBI reports as encumbrances
• A $2,000 blanket purchase order reserves funds

• If only $1,700 is spent, $300 is returned to your budget (disencumbered)

   

Support for Encumbrances

SPF can help you identify encumbrances throughout the lifecycle of the award.

• Pre-Award Specialists: Set up subcontracts and agreements
• Post-Award Grant Analysts: Assist with forms and processing

How to Request a Blanket Purchase Order

Follow these steps:

1. Locate the Purchase Request Form in the SPF Forms Library
2. Complete the form
3. In the description, write: “Blanket Purchase Order”
4. Include all costs:
   • Items or materials
   • Tax
   • Estimated shipping
   • Handling charges

Time and Effort Certification

Time and Effort Certification is required for certain grant-funded employees to ensure compliance with federal regulations.

Payroll expenses make up a large portion of grant funding. This process helps ensure all payroll charges meet Uniform Guidance requirements.

Questions? Contact William Cook, SPF Compliance Officer:

• Email: wac6@humboldt.edu

• Phone: (707) 826-5162

   

Who Must Complete Certification

Employees who:

• Work for both Sponsored Programs Foundation (SPF) and Cal Poly Humboldt

• Are paid from a federal or federal pass-through grant

   

What Is an Effort Certification Statement (ECS)?

An ECS:

• Shows how an employee’s total work time is distributed
• Reports effort as a percentage

• Must total 100% across all work activities

   

When Certification Occurs

Certification is completed three times per year:

• Fall semester: September – December
• Spring semester: January – May

• Summer session: June – August

   

Why Certification Is Required

Federal regulations require a review of payroll charges after work is completed. This process ensures:

• Accurate reporting
• Compliance with grant requirements

• Proper use of federal funds

   

How to Complete Certification

ECS forms are sent via DocuSign to the email on file for the grant. Please follow the instructions emailed to review and sign the certification.

If you receive an ECS and are unsure if it is legitimate, do not ignore it. Contact the SPF Compliance Officer to verify before taking action.