Research Cash Advance FAQs

There are changes regarding Research Cash Advance and Research Cash Advance Reconciliations. Most notable change is that the PI must reconcile all requested funds. There will be no extensions for unused funds.

Please check UPPS 02.02.06 for details.

The PI will receive a confirmation message once the Research Cash Advance Request or Research Cash Advance Reconciliation is submitted.

Yes. Approval workflow automatically routes the requests and reconciliations, sends approval alerts and tracks the progress. The PI will receive status update messages during the approval process. The PI can also log in to the research cash advance system to check the status of his/her requests or reconciliations.

Yes. Research Coordinators and office Administrative Assistants can assist the PI with entering the data for the Research Cash Advance Request. The PI can assign one "Contact Person" for each Research Cash Advance Request. The "Contact Person" can help prepare the request and the subsequent reconciliation.

The RC or Administrative Assistant can fill all the fields for Research Cash Advance Request if he/she is designated as the "Contact Person" by the PI on  the Research Cash Advance Request form.

Yes. The RC or Administrative Assistant can save the information by clicking "Save and Continue" buttons - it is the only way to advance to the next page.

Yes. The RC or Administrative Assistant will get all status updates and receive all auto-generated messages sent to the principal investigator if they have been designated as the "Contact Person".

The principal investigator accesses the request by clicking “Existing Cash Advance Requests (in process or submitted)”, and then selecting “Details” to edit and submit a request.

No. Only the principal investigator can submit a Research Cash Advance Request. The RC or Administrative Assistant can click the "Inform PI" button on the final review page to inform the principal investigator that the request is ready for submission.

No. Only principal investigators can submit a Research Cash advance Request. Co-Investigators are not eligible to request cash advances.

No. Students are not allowed to submit a Research Cash Advance Request.

Yes. The IRB approval letter must be uploaded if the research cash advance is used for human subject incentives.

Research Cash Advance Requests must be submitted at least 10 days, but less 30 days, prior to the Use of Funds Start Date.

No. The use of state appropriated funds for any research cash advance is prohibited. You must use a local fund for Research Cash Advance. However, you may transfer the amount of the actual expenses to the fund after the reconciliation has been completed and advance has cleared. Some startup packages may have appropriated funds, please check the fund number. Funds with number starting with "1" are not be allowed for Research Cash Advance.

Yes. A principal investigator submit multiple Research Cash Advance Requests.

The RC or Administrative Assistant can fill all the fields of a reconciliation as a "Contact Person". This "Contact Person" needs to be the same as the one listed on the related Research Cash Advance Request. If the principal investigator decided to use a different person for reconciliation, he/she needs to start the reconciliation first and assign a new "Contact Person" for the reconciliation.

Yes. The RC or Administrative Assistant can save the information by clicking the "Save & Continue" button – it is the only way to advance to the next page.

Yes. The RC or Administrative Assistant will get all status updates and receive all auto-generated messages sent to the PI as long as they are designated as the "Contact Person".

The PI accesses the reconciliation by clicking the “Review & Submit Cash Advance Requests or Create, Review & Submit Reconciliations” link, then selecting “Existing Reconciliation" to edit and submit a reconciliation or “Start a New Reconciliation” to start a new reconciliation.

No. Only the principal investigator can submit a reconciliation for approval.

Yes. Human Subject Incentive Expenses Log Form is required for human subject incentive payment distribution.

Face to Face Cash Distribution

Human Subject Incentive Expenses Log Form and Acknowledgement of Receipt of Cash or Cash Equivalent Form are required.

Face to Face Gift Card Distribution

Receipt of payment for gift cards, Human Subject Incentive Expenses Log Form, and Acknowledgement of Receipt of Cash or Cash Equivalent Form are required.

Third Party Vendor Distribution, such as Amazon Turk

Receipts of payment to third party vendor and reports from the vendor on distributions are required.

Reconciliations are due within 30 days after the Use of Funds End Date or reconciliation will be considered past due.

The principal investigator will not be able to submit another Research Cash Advance Request through the online Research Advance system if he/she has a outstanding Research Cash Advance.

Yes. The online Research Cash Advance system will monitor the due dates of the outstanding research cash advances.  That system will automatically begin sending past due notices once the reconciliation is 31 days past due.

• Research cash advances become reportable as income on the principal investigator’s W-2 when either expenses are not substantiated or any unsubstantiated amounts are not deposited within 60 days from the use of funds end date of the research activities.
• No later than 120 days after the use of funds end date, the unsubstantiated amount of the research cash advance will be added to the employee’s W-2 as taxable earnings. Once the payroll adjustment has been posted, the posting will not be reversed.

You can find most of the answers from this Answers to FAQs and Research Cash Advance Tutorial. 

For policy questions, please contact Dr. Michael Blanda at mb29@txstate.edu.

For financial questions, please contact the Accounts Payable Office at payables@txstate.edu.

For Research Cash Advance Online system, please contact Dr. Yongxia Xia at ys11@txstate.edu.