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Business and Financial Policies and Procedures

8.4.1 Cash Advances for Human Subject Payments

Policy Statement

The University of Illinois System often conducts research projects that involve the use of human subjects. When human subjects are offered financial incentives to participate in research, a cash advance may be required to pay them in the form of cash/cash equivalents. A cash advance must be issued in the name of the principal investigator or designee responsible for the program. This individual is the custodian of the advance.

Reason for the Policy

To provide a method for paying human subject participants in the form of a cash/cash equivalent from a cash advance.

Applicability of the Policy

Whenever human subject participants are provided with payment in the form of a cash/cash equivalent from a cash advance.

Procedure

Refer to 8.3 Cash Advances for guidance that is universally applicable to all types of cash advances.

A human subject in a research study may not receive a single cash/cash equivalent payment or cumulative payments that equal or exceeds $200 in a calendar year.

Payments to participants in a research study that equal or exceeds $200 need to be paid directly to the participant via a Chrome River transaction.

A cash advance cannot be used to purchase goods or services to support a research study. Purchases of goods or services to support a research study (including the purchase of a good or service provided to human subjects in exchange for their participation in a study or required for their participation in a study) must be made under an allowable purchase method defined in 7 Purchasing.

8.3 Cash Advances
8.4 Payments to Human Subjects

Chrome River Resource Page
Payments to Foreign Nationals
Foreign National Payments Resource Page
Award, Prize, and Human Subject Payments
University Payables Training Materials
University Bursar office locations and hours:
   Urbana-Champaign
   Chicago
   Springfield

Last Updated: August 10, 2023 | Approved: Senior Associate Vice President for Business and Finance | Effective: November 15, 2017

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