Ordering and Purchasing

Contact: msepay@uw.edu

Table of Contents

What Driver Worktag to Charge

On-Campus Purchasing (catalog)

Purchase (non-catalog, aka ProCard) or Payment Request

M&E Tax Exemption

Orders above the direct buy limit

Purchase Reimbursements

Travel Reimbursements

What Driver Worktag to Charge

Any type of purchase or reimbursement will require a driver worktag to process. Consult the chart below for the person to contact.

• Faculty advisers will assign research driver worktags to graduate students and undergraduate advisees working in their labs under their direction and may submit a purchase request under the faculty’s delegated authority.
• Students who have submitted an AMP Project Agreement Form or an SRP Agreement Form should consult with their faculty adviser about obtaining a driver worktag to purchase materials and supplies needed to support their research projects.
• Teaching assistants, working with the faculty and the technician in charge of each lab, will obtain supplies for use in specific courses. They may submit under the MSE Department’s delegated authority. These orders will be approved by MSE Staff and the administrator.

Certain PI/faculty advisers require preapproval if the purchase is above a certain dollar threshold. If your PI/faculty adviser requires it, obtain via email and attach to the order:

On-Campus purchasing

As of June 1, 2023, Ariba purchasing is no longer available. The UW is transitioning to a purchasing catalog in Workday.

At this time, Workday does not currently allow requesters to view UW supplier catalogs. We are working to find a solution. In the meantime, the fiscal team will help determine if your order will be processed via Workday or ProCard. Please understand that UW pricing could be slightly different than the price posted on a supplier’s website.

Please use the Purchase/Payment Request webform and staff will purchase on your behalf.

Purchase/Payment Request

Use this form for all purchases, including M&E Tax Exempt orders and invoice payments.

Purchasing Physical Goods

Submit all purchases through the Purchase/Payment Request webform. It will route for approvals before the order is placed.

Paying for Services

If you need to hire an independent contractor or consultant to provide services, use the Purchase/Payment Request webform and process below to submit an invoice for payment. It is illegal for you to pay for services and request reimbursement.

Process

1. Purchaser (a delegated authority/authorized personnel) submits their request through the purchase/payment form. You will receive an automated message with a submission #.
   • Make sure you enter the delivery address and contact in the appropriate field. If you choose to have the package delivered to 302 Roberts Hall, use your name as the contact so that the MSE Staff knows to contact you that the package has arrived.
2. It routes to the "Approver's Email."
   • If the purchaser is a researcher/grad student, then they should enter the email address for their PI/faculty. It routes to the PI/faculty who replies with their approval and forwards the email with approval to msepay@uw.edu.
   • If the purchaser is the PI/faculty, enter the administrator's email address. The administrator will approve as the second layer of required approvals for purchases. The administrator will send to msepay@uw.edu for staff to place the order.
3. For payments: MSE Staff pays the invoice and updates the submitter.
4. For purchases: MSE Staff places the order.
   1. Staff emails the purchaser that it has been ordered and reminds them of the  packing slip process.
   2. Purchaser receives the item, whether at the main office or the lab. If it comes to the main office, staff will email the purchaser that it has arrived.
   3. Per Washington State law, every order must be accompanied by a detailed/itemized receipt and proof of delivery (packing slip). Please submit packing slips within 10 business days of package delivery:
      • If the Purchaser/PI picks up the item from the main office, they need to sign/date the packing slip and leave it in the packing slip box.
      • If the package is sent to a lab, the receiver signs/dates the packing slip and drops the hard copy off in the main office.
        • For Procard purchases, title with the submission #. See the first step in the process for how to identify that submission #.

Submit a purchase/payment request

M&E Tax Exemption

If you have a purchase that you believes qualifies for M&E Tax Exemption, please complete the Purchase/Payment Request form and check “yes” for the tax exemption question. MSE staff will work with you on the determination and process. For more information on process and what equipment qualifies, visit the UW’s exemption pages.

Orders above the direct buy limit

All orders over $10,000 go to bid unless there is a justification for a specific vendor. Please work directly with MSE Staff, either your grants manager or submit the purchase request form above. Also note that you cannot sign any contracts. However, you may submit a contract through the purchase request form above and MSE Staff will handle it.

Purchase Reimbursements

Effective January 11, 2024: Purchase reimbursements are handled by the College of Engineering Shared Environment. If you are a UW employee (anyone with an appointment in Workday), fill out this form to submit your purchase reimbursement request. If you are a UW student who is NOT employed by the University, fill out this form to submit your purchase reimbursement request. By submitting this form, you confirm you have not previously been reimbursed for any of these costs from any source.

Note: On the form, please make sure that “College of Engineering Shared Environment” shows in the Shared Environment box. If it does not, please choose to route it to the College of Engineering Shared Environment. If you have any questions, please write to the MSE Administrator at lanip@uw.edu.

Travel Reimbursement

Effective January 11, 2024: Travel reimbursements are handled by the College of Engineering Shared Environment. If you are a UW employee (anyone with an appointment in Workday), fill out this form to submit your travel reimbursement request. If you are a UW student who is NOT employed by the University, fill out this form to submit your travel reimbursement request. By submitting this form, you confirm you have not previously been reimbursed for any of these costs from any source.

Note: On the form, please make sure that “College of Engineering Shared Environment” shows in the Shared Environment box. If it does not, please choose to route it to the College of Engineering Shared Environment. If you have any questions, please write to the MSE Administrator at lanip@uw.edu.

Please submit the preapproval and receipts for a travel reimbursement. Please note that all requests must be accompanied by preapproval. All travel must follow UW travel policies. Your grant and contract sponsors may have more rigid regulations, and they supersede the UW policy.

Meals Per Diem: If you are requesting meals per diem and do not know the rate, put 1.00 in the Total Meals Per Diem box. Then, in the Additional Comments box, state you do not know the correct per diem rate and list the days and meals (breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner) for which you would like to claim a meal per diem. The Shared Environment will calculate the appropriate meal per diem amount when they enter the expenses into Workday, based on your location of travel and the days and meals for which you are requesting a meal per diem.

If you are splitting the reimbursement costs between two separate reimbursements, include a note in the Additional Details section about which costs should be reimbursed now and which were reimbursed earlier or will be reimbursed later.