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As part of the UF-wide focus on supporting international engagement, the UF/IFAS International Support Team (IIST) is building a college-level infrastructure that aligns with the UF mission. We provide college-level “cradle-to-grave” support for international projects and activities. Click here for more information about who we are and what we do.
UF/IFAS is dedicated to ensuring that our international activities are conducted according to UF, state, federal and appropriate international regulations. Helping IFAS faculty comply with all appropriate policies is a top priority for IFAS leadership.
Support received by the investigator from a foreign government, university or other legal entity outside the US should be disclosed. This disclosure requirement includes support the investigator receives through UF agreements (contracts or grants), or support provided directly to the individual as a consultant, visiting scholar, lecturer, or similar non-UF appointment. For faculty on nine-month appointments, this requirement includes applicable funds received from a non-UF entity for activities over the summer term.
Institutional review is required prior to hosting visitors, entering into contracts, or engaging in activities with an entity or individual listed on any U.S. government restricted party list. Commitments of funds, resources, or time that involve international can be considered inside activities and should be pre-approved by the department, college, and institution. Click here to learn more about foreign collaboration and begin review the process for foreign visits.
Best Practices
• Contact IIST as early as possible to determine the most efficient process for disclosing foreign engagement, or for establishing and maintaining agreements, including unfunded MOUs and cooperative agreements.
• Any activity involving comprehensively sanctioned and/or high-risk countries requires institutional approval prior to undertaking the activity. All new and on-going activities in these countries should be vetted through the IIST immediately. Find out more about how the University interacts with sanctioned countries by visiting the Division of Research Compliance and Global Support’s website. Click here to begin the review process.
• For federally sponsored investigators and key personnel: report any activity that supports their research endeavors, regardless of (1) whether it is an activity conducted within the scope of their UF job (i.e., an “inside activity”) or conducted in their private capacity (i.e., an “outside activity”); and (2) whether it takes place within or outside the term of their UF appointment.
Send an email to iist@ifas.ufl.edu with the subject line "Foreign Collaboration" or "Hosting Foreign Visitors." Be sure to include the following:
1. Full legal names and institutional affiliation of ALL visitors or collaborators
2. Dates of activity or trip (can be tentative)
3. UFIRST proposal or agreement number (if related to a sponsored program), or, if funded by another organization, the name of the organization and program funding the trip or activity
4. Description of planned activities, including a draft itinerary, tours and meeting locations (if applicable)
5. Would you like a Dean (or Dean’s representative) to provide a letter or participate?
Note: We are currently developing an online form to make this process easier and will link it here when complete.
The IIST supports this mission, as our research, extension and teaching activities expand into international spaces.
Travel costs are to be allocated and expended within established budgetary limitations and serve an official business purpose. Travelers are not to make commitments to travel or to incur travel expenses without first obtaining the appropriate approvals. Any property that will be transported outside the United States must receive authorization prior to travel. Departments must follow all UF business processes, including all UF Travel Directives & Procedures, when expending University of Florida Foundation (UFF) monies, this includes pre-approval of travel via the Travel Authorization.
Travelers should provide adequate documentation in accordance with UF travel guidance and financial best management practices. Per UF policy, faculty who plan to be absent from their assigned campus duties must do so with the knowledge and concurrence of their Chair/Director. Conferences, meetings and events organized by professional associations, although personally enriching, are not automatically allowable as UF business activities—even if some of the activities touch on what IFAS faculty do. Travel in support of collaborative activities (research projects, scoping visits, networking, etc.) should be discussed with departmental leadership as early as possible to allow ample time to review itineraries involving foreign partners/institutions.
Best Practices
Travelers are responsible for organizing trips that are necessary to UF business and meet UF needs. Prepare a complete justification for your travel by documenting the UF business purpose, benefit to UF/IFAS, and connection to current job functions/duties. The most complete travel documentation also includes (where applicable):
• Itinerary, showing business activities
• Invitation letters, conference description
• References to sponsored projects (UFIRST Agreement and/or Award number) or other agreements, if applicable.
Include this documentation in your Travel Authorization Request and Expense Report, and discuss it with your immediate supervisor prior to expending funds. The IIST is available to consult with travelers, supervisors and IFAS departments to review specific travel activities, provide customized recommendations and assist with the development of internal travel processes.
Click here for more information about international travel, or to request IIST assistance.
Send an email to iist@ifas.ufl.edu with the subject line "Disclose International Travel." Be sure to include the following:
1. Your full name and the full names of all travelers
2. Name of collaborator and collaborating institution (if applicable)
3. Destination(s)
4. Dates of trip (can be tentative)
5. UFIRST proposal, award, or agreement number (if connected to a sponsored program)
6. Description of UF business purpose and itinerary (can be tentative)
Note: We are currently developing an online form to make this process easier and will link it here when complete.
The IIST works hand in hand with IFAS Proposals to review all international proposals and collaborates with DSP to review all international agreements. We encourage faculty and staff to present as much relevant detail as possible before funds are received/spent to ensure that UF can provide support early on.
UF requires approvals for proposals, supplemental funding, progress reports with detailed budgets, or other sponsored projects in UFIRST prior to submitting the documents to a sponsor. All proposals submitted on behalf of University of Florida faculty and staff must comply with University, State, Federal and sponsor requirements. Division of Sponsored Programs is the only office authorized by the University of Florida to accept grants, contracts, and other agreements from external sponsors and to execute agreements, including unfunded teaming agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOU) with partners where unfunded or funded research or development is anticipated. Documents requiring signatures must be reviewed and signed by an authorized representative located in DSP.
IIST reviews proposals and agreements that include:
• Foreign travel
• Hiring/paying foreign nationals
• Importing or exporting anything purchased by UF or sponsored project funds
• International IRB/IACUC
• Relationships with foreign entities or individuals
Remember, do not sign any documents or communicate any financial or institutional commitments unless it has been reviewed and approved by DSP. UF International Center (UFIC) MOUs and Cooperative Agreements are statements of intent to collaborate and cannot be used to capture UF approvals for specific activities with international partners. Please contact the IIST with questions about this process.
The IIST automatically reviews all proposals with foreign engagement as part of the pre-award review process within the Dean’s office. Enter international proposals as early as possible. DSP provides us with a daily list of proposal drafts designated as “international” (i.e. travel questions are marked ‘yes’) to allow us to review proposals that have not officially arrived. We work hand in hand with IFAS Proposals to ensure that all proposals meet both UF and sponsor requirements, including deadlines.
Best Practices
• Review and follow sponsor guidelines for proposing and disclosing international activities.
• Enter your proposal into UFIRST and complete the Smartform travel questions as soon as possible. In most cases, the IIST will review international proposals before they are finalized to facilitate a quick review by the Dean’s office; the team will work with your department to ensure compliance.
• When applying for federal awards, appropriately disclose all current and pending support, including U.S. and foreign sources of funding.
• Consider cost principles during budget development:
• Necessary: Is this necessary to the project? Don't skip this question—responses will help you justify spending throughout the project
• Reasonable: Would a prudent person make the same decision at this cost? Does this deviate significantly from UF practices and policies?
• Allocable: The charge can be assigned to an award activity based on relative/proportional benefit.
• Consistently treated: Like costs should be treated the same (e.g., direct or indirect) in like circumstances.
Don’t forget to budget appropriately for international work to ensure all costs (including costs that the department will share) are considered.
Click here for more tips on developing activities and preparing budgets to support them.
