Important Dates:

June 30, 2022	Last Check Run for FY 2022 (Payments must be approved by 12 noon)
July 6, 2022	RCUH Financial System scheduled to reopen
July 6, 2022	First Check Run for FY 2023 (4:00 PM)

Online purchasing, payments, and travel transactions must be approved by Fiscal Administrators by 12:00 noon on Thursday, June 30, 2022 to be included in FY 2022.  The last check run for the fiscal year will be on Thursday, June 30, 2022.  Pending transactions will remain in the RCUH financial system, and will not be automatically deleted or disapproved. 

From July 1 through July 5, online purchasing, payment, and travel transactions can be created, but Fiscal Administrators will not have the ability to approve transactions.  Transactions will not be posted to project accounts until the financial system is reopened for FY 2023.  The RCUH financial system is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, July 6, 2022.  The first check run for FY 2023 is scheduled for Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at 4:00 PM.

On an emergency basis only, manual checks can be issued during this period. Fiscal Administrators should contact RCUH Disbursing at [email protected].

Project reports will be accessible on the RCUH website.  However, report balances will only reflect transactions posted through June 30, 2022, until processing resumes on July 6, 2022.

Please contact Maile Brooks at (808) 988-8340 or [email protected] if you have any questions.

RCUH buyers who are new to SuperQUOTE™, an electronic solicitation solution (for requests for quotation, proposal, information, or a sealed bid request), should consider enrolling in one of the May trainings offered by CommercePoint:

• Tuesday, May 3, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, May 10, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, May 17, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, May 24, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

You’ll learn about the SuperQUOTE™ buying process and how to :

• create a new request
• create a sealed bid request
• award, cancel, or copy a request
• write an effective request
• qualify your vendors

In-person classes will be in the FMO Training Room, UH Mānoa Lower Campus, 1406 Lower Campus Road, Building 171-B, Room 59 (portable building across SimplyFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center). Classes are limited to 15 and attendees must wear a mask. Register here.

To attend virtually, please email [email protected] and use the subject line: May 2022 SuperQUOTE™ Training @ UHM. Include the date you wish to attend. The Zoom meeting details will be emailed to you.

REMINDER: Please use the RCUH account for transactions being processed through RCUH. Refer to these RCUH buyer registration instructions.

Any questions about the training or to request an on-site training class at your location may be directed to [email protected].

Want to learn about the challenges of starting your own research project? How about a few tips on writing a successful grant proposal?

Join us on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to hear from a few of the most experienced and successful UH researchers in this interactive Q&A session. The distinguished panel features:  

• Dr. David Karl, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
• Dr. Karl Kim, College of Social Sciences
• Dr. Marjorie Mau, John A. Burns School of Medicine

Panelists will share the lessons they’ve learned throughout their tenure at the University of Hawai‘i and answer questions from both in-person and virtual attendees. There are a limited number of in-person seats at UH Manoa’s IT Center Room 105 A/B, but there is an option to participate virtually via Zoom.

Click here to RSVP and to submit questions for the panel.

If you have a question about the forum, please email [email protected].

UPDATE, MAY 16, 2022: We have reached the limit of 4 nominations for each of the categories. No additional nominations will be accepted.

NOMINATE YOUR PROJECT STAFF FOR THE 2022 RCUH OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR AWARDS

RECOGNITIONS

Three award categories are available:

1. Researcher/Project Manager (exempt status position)
2. Project Support Staff (non-exempt status position)
3. Team (2-5 staff in exempt and/or non-exempt Regular-status positions)

The awards encourage, recognize, and reward RCUH employees who have made demonstrable, significant, and exemplary contributions to their project during the past fiscal year (July 2021–June 2022) or years.

AWARDS

• $1,000 to the first place awardee in each category
• $500 to the second place awardee in each category
• $50 to each nominee

All nominees will be recognized at the RCUH Awards Luncheon to be held in the fall.

NOMINATIONS

A Principal Investigator may submit one nomination. Team nominations are limited to no more than five individuals per team. Please ensure that your nominee(s) is (are) willing to be interviewed and filmed on camera.

• New this year: A category will close once the limit of four (4) nominations is reached.

Due to the new category limits, PIs must indicate their intent to submit a nomination by emailing [email protected] no later than May 20, 2022. The email should include the employee’s name and nomination category. Upon verification of employment status, RCUH will provide the PI with a nomination form. The deadline to submit a nomination form is June 1, 2022.

FILMING

We will resume filming of nominees, unless public health and safety directives prevent us from doing so.

For more information, please refer to policy 3.450 Outstanding Employees of the Year Awards or contact RCUH Corporate Services at [email protected] or 808-988-8314.

Update, May 9, 2022: The deadline is extended to May 16, 2022.

Licensed attorneys who wish to provide specialized legal services to the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi (RCUH) for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2022, are invited to submit a Statement of Qualifications and Expression of Interest (SOQ) to RCUH pursuant to HRS § 103D-304.

RCUH is currently looking to contract for legal services in the following areas:

1. Employment: Employment, employee benefits, disciplinary, termination, workers’ compensation and discrimination/retaliation issues. Services shall include but not be limited to:
   1. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto;
   2. Providing advice and recommendations regarding responses to claims asserted by current and former employees; 
   3. Participating in negotiations regarding items (a) and (b); and
   4. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, and other legal requirements.

Previous experience advising employers is essential, and previous experience advising government agencies is preferred.  

2. Immigration: Temporary visas and/or permanent residency applications. Services shall include but not be limited to:
   1. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto;
   2. Completing and filing permanent residency applications (previous experience representing both employers and employees in the permanent residency application process is essential);
   3. Completing and filing temporary visa applications and related documentation; and
   4. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, and other legal requirements.

3. Tax: Payroll, IRS compliance, foreign payroll and/or nonresident alien and foreign entity contractor payments (crossover immigration experience preferred), IRS compliance. Services shall include but not be limited to:
   1. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, internal policies, and other legal requirements.

4. Maritime: Charter, third-party vessel, and other marine-related agreements; marine insurance terms and policies. Services shall include but not be limited to:
   1. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto; and
   2. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, insurance policies/terms, internal policies, and other legal requirements.

Please email your SOQ to: [email protected] by Monday, May 16, 2022, to be eligible for consideration. SOQs received after May 16, 2022 will be classified as “late submittals” for the balance of the fiscal year as follows: a late submittal received May 17, 2022 through June 10, 2022, will be considered for services beginning October 1, 2022.

SOQ forms are available here.

To: Principal Investigators and Fiscal Administrators

The continuation of intramural and/or revolving accounts beyond their termination date require a renewal request. If your account is expiring on June 30, 2022, RCUH Project Administration will email you the renewal instructions in mid-April.

It is highly recommended that you submit the renewal request(s) as soon as possible; RCUH is the last stop in the routing process. Please note that payroll will be held and procurement actions will be delayed on an expired account.

Your prompt attention and submittals are appreciated. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Chang by emailing [email protected] or calling (808) 988-8341.

The RCUH Financial Portal will be down for system maintenance on Friday, February 4, 2022, 4:00 p.m. (HST) to Saturday, February 5, 2022, 6:00 p.m. (HST).

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

The RCUH Financial Portal is back in operation and you may resume approving transactions in the Financial Portal.

On Tuesday, January 4, 2022, we encountered a system error which affected our end of day business processing and consequently checks could not be printed.  Vendor payments approved on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 will be processed a little later than normal on January 5, 2022.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused, and we appreciate your patience.

On Tuesday, January 4, 2022, we encountered a system error which affected our end of day business processing and consequently checks could not be printed.  We are working to resolve the issue and we will post an updated announcement when the Financial Portal is back in operation. At this time, online purchasing, payment, and travel transactions cannot be approved until the issue is resolved. 

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

Effective January 1, 2022, the following updates were made:

• UH WH-1 Form – The University of Hawaii Statement of Citizenship and Federal Tax Status form has been updated for 2022. The new form may be found in the RCUH Procurement and Disbursing Document Library. Previous versions of the UH WH-1 Form will no longer be valid.
• Standard mileage rates – The Internal Revenue Service has updated the standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile (includes cars, vans, pickups, and panel trucks) for business or charitable purposes. The 2022 rates are as follows:

$0.585	per mile driven for business purposes, increased from $0.56 in 2021
$0.14	per mile driven in service of charitable organizations (rate for volunteers)

• The standard mileage rate for business miles is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The charitable mileage rate is set by statute. See IR-2021-251, December 17, 2021.
• Attachment 12, Current RCUH Travel Rates, has been updated with the mileage rate changes. UH employees may refer to www.hawaii.edu/etravel/rates.html.

Should you have any questions, please contact Charlene Gibo at [email protected].