Finance and Research

Information on MyFinance, claiming expenses, purchasing goods and services, and paying participants and casual workers.

Finance and Research Support

Your local finance and research support is provided by pals.finance@ucl.ac.uk if you are based UCLIC, please contact their local admin team instead.

Guides and Best Practice

What is MyFinance

It is the UCL on-line tool used for financial processes – invoice payments, sales invoices, expense claims, financial reporting, etc.

Note: All staff have access to MyFinance for iExpenses BUT only some professional services staff have higher levels of access, which allow payments and other processes described in this section.

Expenses and Travel Claims

www.ucl.ac.uk/finance/expenses

www.ucl.ac.uk/finance/policies-procedures/expenses-policy

 

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  • The Centre Secretary will provide project code details which the claimant has to enter.
  • If you are having difficulties, guidance and training is available online. Sign in to Myfinance and click the ‘help’ button on the top right hand corner.
  • Please report problems to MyFinancehelp@ucl.ac.uk

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The approver is the authorised signatory for a project, their approval is required before the claim is processed. The Centre Administrator is the approver for DCAL accounts. Other PaLS accounts have different authorised signatories.

Purchasing

www.ucl.ac.uk/finance/purchasing

Purchasing responsibilities at DCAL

These members of the professional services team deal with the following orders:

  • Centre Secretary – general office supplies, catering and regular suppliers.
    Note: In emergencies, small quantities of stationery can be purchased by individuals and claimed on expenses but this cannot be routine practice.
  • IT Officer – All equipment must be ordered via the IT Officer. This includes computers, software, associated consumables, and specialist experimental kits.

    Note: Equipment cannot be bought by individuals and claimed for using expenses – see expenses policy.

  • Reasonable Adjustments Co-ordinator – all communication support activities.
Guide to paying for goods and services
  • Any supplier (individual or company) we are paying, MUST be setup on MyFinance, otherwise they cannot be paid.
  • ALL invoices must have a corresponding Purchase Order (PO) set-up on MyFinance, before they are paid.
  • What do you have to do and how we will administer it
    • If you think an activity is going to generate an invoice, contact one of the above staff and discuss what you need. If you have a specific supplier in mind, they can check MyFinance to see if that supplier is already there. If not, they will be able to advise what to do to set up a supplier. Note: the supplier needs to provide very specific information for this so if the supplier does not respond promptly, the whole process is delayed.
    • Once the supplier is setup on MyFinance, we will inform you and then proceed with setting up a PO for the goods/service required.
    • The supplier then sends the invoice (with the unique PO number), to the person who placed the order. If you receive an invoice please pass it on to our team immediately. Our team will confirm via MyFinance, that the amount is correct, the goods/service have been delivered... then, UCL finance pays the invoice.

If we are simply presented with an invoice, we have to back-track and follow the process through – this will delay the payment.

Paying 'Casual' Staff

One off payments to temporary/casual workers are now processed through Unitemps.
https://bit.ly/2PCLixn

Note: The steps below MUST be followed or your casual worker will not be paid.

Step 1
You must download and fill in the UCL Unitemps booking form – instructions are on the form. Please make sure that provide the name and email address of your candidate/s so that they can be directly contacted and booked by Unitemps branch staff.

  • You'll need to give Unitemps at least 3 working days' notice before requesting a temporary worker.
  • If you would like Unitemps to advertise and source candidates, they'll need at least 5 working days notice.
  • Step by step instructions are available on Unitemps 'Hiring a temporary worker' page.

Step 2
Send the completed booking form to unitemps@ucl.ac.uk and they will manage the process from there.

IMPORTANT Regarding eligibility to work checks
Unitemps branch staff will complete eligibility to work checks, no copies or scans will be accepted.

  • The person being paid will need to go IN PERSON to have their documents checked BEFORE they begin working.
  • Unitemps will contact the candidate directly to invite them into the branch to show their right-to-work documents and to be set up on payroll.
  • The branch is located in Gower Street.

Step 3
Collection of timesheets and payment will be managed by Unitemps.

  • Before payment is made Unitemps will request authorisation of timesheets for your temporary workers online.
  • Payments are no longer restricted to three times a year, casual workers can now be paid as many times as required.
  • If there is no tiimesheet submitted for 4 weeks, the worker's record will be closed.
Summary for processing one off payments

BEFORE work takes place you need to:

BEFORE work takes place the candidate will be asked directly by Unitemps to:

  • Go IN PERSON to have their documents checked.
  • Register on the Unitemps website, where they would then input the hours they work each week onto their timesheets.

AFTER work commences:

  • Unitemps will email you any timesheets (submitted by the worker) to check and approve for payment.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: Although Unitemps branch staff are responsible for completing eligibility to work checks it is important for you note the following when offering work:
The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 make it an offence to employ anyone who does not have permission to be in, or work in, the UK.
In February 2008 changes were made to employment legislation in relation to checking an employee’s right to work in the United Kingdom. Significant changes require employers to undertake more stringent checks on an employee’s right to work before they undertake any type of engagement. This includes the engagement of workers for a one off duty. Failure to knowingly undertake this check is now a criminal offence and will put UCL at risk of a serious financial penalty.

The change in the UK immigration laws are being reflected in UCL's procedures and we are now required to check that everyone we pay has the right to work in the UK – EU/UK nationals too. Verification must take place by Unitemps before work is carried out. This check has to be carried out each financial year.

Payment / Compensation Rates for Participants in DCAL Research

Payment rates

Those who assist in research must be compensated appropriately. For participants, particularly those who have no affiliation with DCAL, compensation should normally be monetary (at the appropriate rate given below).

DCAL researchers have the right to ask other DCAL researchers to participate at any level in each other’s projects. Following UCL ethical guidelines for research, those who are invited to participate (or model or provide a professional service) have the right to decline the invitation or to withdraw their participation at any time and without the need to give any reason.

For participants (e.g. for piloting), models and experts/professionals who are DCAL researchers, compensation may be monetary. Note however that reciprocity among DCAL researchers is strongly encouraged. For instance, researchers may prefer to model for each other’s studies rather than to pay each other. Reciprocity can work in many situations. Be creative about what you offer each other. Also keep in mind that a reciprocal arrangement can involve a third party (A helps B, B helps C, C helps A).

Behavioural studies

DCAL Participant payment rates to signing participants for behavioural studies = £15/hour. This applies to deaf or hearing participants, regardless of sign level and including interpreters. Payment to hearing non-signing participants for behavioural studies = £9/hour (this is the approved PALS rate).

Neuroimaging studies

Payment to signing (deaf and hearing inc. interpreters) participants for neuroimaging studies = £18 / hour. If participants complete a behavioural task in the same session that is linked to the study this should also be paid at £18 / hour. A separate behavioural session should be paid at the behavioural rate (£15 / hour). Payment to hearing non-signing participants for neuroimaging studies = £10/hour.

DCAL Participant payment rates (general) 

Ideally, payment should be based on duration of the testing session (the average time for completion of the task, which can be obtained through piloting). Once the duration is established, a fixed rate for the study should then be set. If time for piloting proves to be highly variable, then an hourly rate may be used instead. In either case, make it clear which you are using in your project information sheet (e.g. ‘the task should take you about X amount of time for which you will be paid £X,’ or ‘the task can take anywhere from X amount of time to X amount of time and you will be paid £X/hour’). 

Models

Payment for models who are filmed or recorded in any way for research stimuli or as models for media (e.g. images or videos) which will be published or shown in a presentation or on a poster should be paid £18/hour.

Experts/Professionals

Those who are registered professionally self-employed (e.g. freelance interpreters/translators) should invoice DCAL for their hourly rate. Payment for services that require professional expertise (but to those who are not registered self-employed in this profession) should be at the rate of £25/hour.

For PIs & Supervisors

Notifying DCAL team about funding application

It’s important that the DCAL Management team know about what DCAL funding applications DCAL members plan to submit to help with future planning. Therefore, prior to submitting any Worktribe costing or any application for a grant or fellowship, please submit the following form to DCAL Executive Officer via dcal@ucl.ac.uk:

Preparation

  • See UCL’s Applying for Funding page: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/research-services/applying-funding
  • If you have not previously used Worktribe platform, please complete training prior to undertaking grant applications.
  • In line with UCL policy, Worktribe costings must be submitted for ALL grants and fellowships done well in advance. 
  • Please check UCL's Approval and Submissions guide (this is one of many approvals needed).
  • Factor in timings to work with your Research Dept finance officer on the costings and if applicable for approvals from partner institutions.
  • We recommend starting the application process at least 10 weeks prior to submission the deadline. Realistically, any costing application approval process started later than 4 weeks prior to submission is unlikely to be able to be completed on time. Note: The department/Centre (in this case, DCAL Centre) would be financially responsible for shortfalls in grant budget for grant applications that do not go through UCL’s pre-submission approvals processes. In these cases shortfalls will be charged to the PI’s discretionary account.
  • Your Research Dept local finance team is pals.finance@ucl.ac.uk if you are based in EP, SHAPS, Linguistics, Language & Cognition or CEHP based at Bedford Way. For queries relating to CEHP (Torrington), ICN or UCLIC, please contact the relevant department's local admin team instead.
  • Know who your Research Services Pre-Award contact is.
  • Funding applications that include research staff should also include professional services staff costs where guidelines allow.  If you’re unsure if it is allowed or how much to include, please discuss with your local finance team, Director or Deputy Director.

Process summary

Week 10: Submit signed DCAL Funding Notification Form to DCAL Adminstrator

  • Notify Res Dept Finance Officer of grant requirements (send link) and deadlines.
  • Notify Co-I’s of what is required from them and when

Week 8: Start working on budget with input from Res Dept Finance Officer
Week 4: Follow-up on costings from CIs
Week 3: Collate CI costings and finalise costings. Submit within Worktribe to Research Services for budget approval. Note: Costings sometimes require Faculty approval, which means more time for approval. Ask Dept Finance officer to check if Faculty approval may be required and factor in to your timeline.
Week 3 to submission deadline: ensure you maintain regular contact with and respond promptly to queries from your Res Dept Finance Officer and Res Services pre-award contact. Note that in most cases, the funder’s deadline is the deadline by which Research Services submits the application on your behalf. When you hit the submit button, it goes to Research Services, not to the funder. Therefore, your own deadline as PI for final submission is at least 3 working days before the funder’s deadline.
New Award: Inform DCAL Director and DCAL Administrator as soon as you have confirmation funding has been awarded… or not.

Useful links