This advisory, the fifth in the series of RCUH advisories, provides guidance to PIs preparing for employees returning to the workplace. Click here to view/download the advisory.
Loading...
Licensed attorneys who wish to provide specialized legal services to the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘i (RCUH) for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2020, 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, and discrimination/retaliation issues. Services shall include but not be limited to:
a. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto;
b. Providing advice and recommendations regarding responses to claims asserted by current and former employees;
c. Participating in negotiations regarding items (a) and (b); and
d. 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:
a. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto;
b. Completing and filing permanent residency applications (previous experience representing both employers and employees in the permanent residency application process is essential);
c. Completing and filing temporary visa applications and related documentation; and
d. 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:
a. 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:
a. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto; and
b. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, insurance policies/terms, internal policies, and other legal requirements.
Please email your SOQ to: [email protected] by Friday, June 5, 2020, to be eligible for consideration. An SOQ received after June 5, 2020 will be considered a “late submittal” for the balance of the fiscal year as follows: a late submittal received June 6, 2020 through July 6, 2020, will be considered beginning October 1, 2020.
SOQ forms are available here.
The Board of Directors of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘i is pleased to announce the appointment of Leonard R. Gouveia, Jr., JD, as RCUH’s new Executive Director, effective July 1, 2020.
Mr. Gouveia has been affiliated with the University of Hawai‘i for over 15 years, where he began his career as a contracts specialist in the Office of Research Services. He then served in an RCUH position as a Technical Partnership and Development Specialist at the Hawai‘i Space Flight Laboratory, a program of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, where he gained valuable experience managing a complex $40+ million project with unique administrative, contractual and legal issues. Mr. Gouveia was then engaged by the Vice President for Research to establish the University’s first Office of Export Controls in addition to assuming the role of Facility Security Officer, a position held previously by President David Lassner. He subsequently served as the Interim Assistant VP/Director of Research Compliance and currently serves as the Director of the Office of Research Services.
He received his B.S. degree from Chaminade University and Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga University School of Law. Prior to his University career, Mr. Gouveia was a practicing attorney with an emphasis on insurance defense litigation.
RCUH Board Chair Donna Ikeda commented:
We believe Lenny’s familiarity with the University of Hawai‘i, RCUH, state government, and the federal government will allow him to hit the ground running. He understands the critical role RCUH plays in supporting the research enterprise. We look forward to working with him as he leads RCUH to greater success in the future.
The Board also extends its thanks and appreciation to Dr. Sylvia Yuen, the current Executive Director, for her five years of dedicated service. Our best wishes on her retirement at the end of June!
Important Dates:
| June 30, 2020 | Last check run for FY 2020 (payments must be approved by 12 noon) |
| July 6, 2020 | RCUH Financial System scheduled to reopen |
| July 6, 2020 | First check run for FY 2021 (4:00 PM) |
Online payment and purchasing transactions must be approved by Fiscal Administrators by 12:00 noon on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, to be included in FY 2020. The last check run for the fiscal year will be on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Pending transactions will remain in the RCUH financial system and will not be automatically deleted or disapproved.
From July 1 through July 5 online payment and purchasing transactions can be initiated, 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 2021. The RCUH financial system is scheduled to reopen on Monday, July 6, 2020. The first check run for FY 2021 is scheduled for Monday, July 6, 2020, 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, 2020 until processing resumes on July 6.
Please contact Maile Brooks at 988-8340 or [email protected] if you have any questions.
Click here to view/download the advisory.
Loading...
Advisory #3 focuses on personnel actions relating to potential negative effects of COVID-19 on your RCUH employees. The information is largely based on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) which was enacted by Congress on March 19, 2020, and which was amended by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) which was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The aforementioned is effective from April 1 through December 31, 2020. RCUH is continuing to provide the finance and personnel services needed by your projects. Please refer to previous advisories (see Advisories 1 and 2) for changes to our operating procedures and other information. RCUH is dedicated to assisting you and your project—please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance.
Click here to view/download the advisory.
Loading...
This second advisory (see first RCUH advisory here) presents changes to RCUH’s operating procedures due to the escalating impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Our central focus in making the changes was to protect the health and economic well-being of RCUH employees. RCUH will continue to provide the services needed by your projects, recognizing that the cessation of services will jeopardize your work and, possibly, the job security of your staff, which may cause financial hardship to them and their families.
To safeguard the health of the RCUH core staff, we have modified internal operating procedures to include remote work, social distancing, staggered work hours that extend into evenings and weekends, and other practices. These actions may result in longer processing time and, perhaps, some changes in the way you interact with RCUH. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for accommodating the following changes, which will be effective starting Wednesday, March 25, 2020.
Click here to view/download the advisory.
Loading...
Due to health concerns about the COVID-19 virus, the Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission will be canceling all ethics training sessions for state employees through April 10, 2020. Additional cancellations for sessions scheduled after April 10, 2020, may be announced at a later date.
RCUH employees can still complete ethics training online in the RCUH Training Portal. Click here to log in or request a new account. Additional information about the State ethics laws can also be found on the Commission’s website: http://ethics.hawaii.gov/
Employees with questions about the ethics laws are encouraged to contact the Commission’s office at (808) 587-0460 or [email protected]. The entire Commission staff is available to assist you via phone or email at any time.
This advisory provides a guiding framework for principal investigators (PIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. RCUH will continue its finance and personnel services to assist PIs in successfully managing their research and training projects and protecting the health and safety of their staff. Some of the items below will be immediately applicable, while others provide information that will be useful at a later date. All of the advisories presented under the subheadings RCUH Financial Transactions and RCUH Personnel Transactions can be implemented immediately, which RCUH recommends. However, because there is a wide variety of projects served by RCUH, the timing of when to implement these actions is left to the PI’s best judgement. Note that increasing numbers of governmental agencies and private businesses are suspending operations, requiring employees to work
remotely, and/or functioning only with essential workers. RCUH is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving COVID-19 outbreak and will issue advisory updates as necessary.
Click here to view/download the advisory.
Loading...
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the East-West Center announced that effective immediately, visitor access to Burns Hall will be restricted. Until this restriction is lifted, RCUH mail/checks can be dropped off/picked up at the Manoa Innovation Center (2800 Woodlawn Drive, Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96822), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Please share this announcement with appropriate individuals in your project/department.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call RCUH Corporate Services at (808) 988-8314/8315 or email [email protected].
We appreciate your understanding.
Reload document 
Open in new tab