Processes & Procedures

Logistics & Financial Processes (ALL grants)

Chicago Studies grants may be used to pay honoraria, consulting fees, and other costs for course or field-based)participation by guests, with relevant, deep knowledge about Chicago. Payments to external persons processed via this form will be processed after they have provided their service. Chicago Studies, which will review the request, approve it, and then issue the proper request for tax documentation to the payee on the instructor's behalf, CC'ing the instructor.

Chicago Studies payments are frequently made to individual persons (e.g. guest speakers or visiting experts), but can also be made to entities. When a guest participates in a class as part of their professional duties or on behalf of their employer. Some individuals may also prefer to be paid through their sole proprietorship/LLC for tax purposes. Please clarify the specific entity to be paid before requesting payment.  Mismatches here can delay payments for months at a time. Note that UChicago will not issue a 1099 or other form of tax paperwork for annual payments totaling less than $600.

Visit the Request for Payment to External Person form at http://chicagostudies.uchicago.edu/honoraria.

To request transportation support, visit http://chicagostudies.uchicago.edu/transportation. The Transportation Request webform has been designed to streamline transportation requests and prevent back-and-forth emails with instructors to obtain all the requisite details. Transportation around the city has become considerably more expensive and difficult to arrange. Instructors planning field trips or integrating fieldwork into their course design are encouraged to consult with Chicago Studies and submit their transportation requests as early as possible to avoid last-minute scrambles and unnecessary costs. Chicago Studies can also arrange travel for guest speakers, undergraduate researchers, or faculty members developing new Chicago-focused classes. 

Types of Transportation Supported
Whenever possible, instructors should take advantage of students' UPass, which provides free access to all CTA trains and buses. Chicago Studies can assist instructors or departments with reserving non-CTA transportation like Metra/South Shore Line tickets, rental vans, UGo Shuttles, school buses, and charter buses. (Note that buses, in particular, have proven very difficult/expensive to obtain since the start of the pandemic. To ensure their service they must be booked well in advance.) In the 2023-24 school year, Chicago Studies is excited to offer assistance reserving E-scooters, E-bikes, and Divy Bikes. Alternatively, should it be simpler or more cost-effective for students to arrange their own transportation, Chicago Studies can set up pre-paid Lyft Passes. All of these options may be requested via the Transportation Request webform. Should a student need reimbursement for transportation costs, please see reimbursements below. 

Chicago Studies grant monies may be used to purchase goods and services associated with course content, experiential learning, community-based projects, etc. This includes purchasing tickets or paying admission to venues throughout the city and the greater Chicagoland region. 

Personal or Departmental GEMS Card
Whenever possible, costs associated with a Chicago Studies grant/micro-grant should be paid using a UChicago GEMS (University Procurement) card. Instructors with access to a card may make the purchase themselves, and then allocate the charges to Chicago Studies' FAS account. GEMS administrators should email chicagostudies@uchicago.edu for account and sub-account information. Allocations requests must include proper documentation of the purchase.

Goods & Services Purchase Requests
Instructors may request purchases directly via the Goods & Services Purchase Request form at http://chicagostudies.uchicago.edu/purchases. This should be used if instructors cannot use a GEMs card (or other University purchasing resource). Most commonly, these requests are for admission fees or tickets to events. Chicago Studies will respond to requests within three business days. Please submit requests as early as possible to avoid last-minute purchases or rush fees. For information on goods and services purchased out of pocket, please see reimbursements below.

Reimbursement to Instructors (Out-of-Pocket Costs)

While instructors should always use GEMs cards when possible, some may need to use personal funds to pay for pre-approved costs associated with a grant/micro-grant. Out-of-pocket costs must be submitted via the GEMS expense system and allocated to the proper Chicago Studies FAS account for reimbursement. Instructors unfamiliar with the GEMS expense system may schedule a 15-minute appointment over Zoom for a walk-through of submitting expenses. The University processes reimbursements submitted through GEMS every two weeks. Chicago Studies is not responsible for grant-related costs that are not pre-approved, nor for costs that exceed the grant/micro-grant maximum.  

These instructions apply to instructors only.  Reimbursements to students or external partners can be made using the Reimbursement Requests webform (see below).

Reimbursement to Research or Other University Accounts

Instructors with research accounts or access to other University accounts may also use those fund to pay for pre-approved costs, especially if there are numerous purchases to be made throughout the term of the grant/micro-grant.  Once documentation of these purchases (e.g. receipts, invoices, etc.) has been submitted, Chicago Studies can approve a single lump-sum transfers to reimburse grant-related expenses at the end of the term.  Departmental administrators may contact Abigail Kremer directly for FAS account/sub-account information and to submit purchase documentation.  Again, Chicago Studies is not responsible for grant-related costs that are not pre-approved, nor for costs that exceed the grant/micro-grant maximum.

Reimbursements to Students and Visitors

Students and visitors who have paid out-of-pocket for grant-related expenses should visit http://chicagostudies.uchicago.edu/reimbursements to upload receipts and request reimbursement. This reimbursement request webform is necessarily general and better suited for occasional/one-off reimbursement requests.  Instructors whose course design involves multiple structured activities requiring reimbursement or offering different types of reimbursement (e.g. for transportation, admission, AND meals associated with self-guided exploration) may request that Chicago Studies design a more targeted, class-specific webform (see example here) to more closely track reimbursements associated with a class' experiential learning micro-grant.

Reimbursements to students are made by direct deposit via Workday.  Students who do not have a Workday account will be invited to create one in order to receive reimbursement.  Reimbursements to external partners or other visitors will be made via ePayments; they will be sent a paper check in the mail at an address they provide, usually in 1-2 weeks.

Interested in engaging your class in the city or applying Chicago Studies grant monies in a way not described above?  Contact Chris Skrable, Executive Director of Chicago Studies & Experiential Learning and Assistant Dean of the College, with your questions, or schedule a consultation to discuss your ideas in more detail.