Getting Started

Directive Statement

Anyone who pays research participants (other than in-kind, mechanical turk payments, or Prolific Academic payments) will need to use the University of Florida Research Participant Payments system, a myUFL module that enables researchers or their study team members to request payments for research participants.  Payments can be made with prepaid VISA debit cards.  The UF RPP system provides a secure method of recording those payments.

Reason for Directive

The UF RPP system provides a secure database to house payment and participant information and improved compliance by the University of Florida for required reporting. The University of Florida reports tax information to the IRS and other information to granting agencies.

Who Must Comply?

All University departments.

Procedures

1. Ensure the study has been granted Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval
2. Ensure that the appropriate people have the proper security roles and have completed the necessary associated training
3. Complete the Study Fund Request (SFR) page under the UF Research Participant Payments module in myUFL
4. Click the submit button to route the SFR to the department or college approver
5. The approver will review the SFR to see if there is enough available balance in the cost center to charge the payments
6. If there is not sufficient available balance, you will need to charge another, unrestricted source initially and change the cost center later as is appropriate (you can easily modify an existing approved SFR to change the funding source)
7. Collect the participants’ names and addresses per IRS requirements unless you meet one of the criteria below:
   • The study is anonymous (the identify of the participants is not known to the researcher); contact hsp@admin.ufl.edu for more information
8. You must collect the Social Security Number (SSN) unless the study will pay participants $200 or less in a calendar year

Definitions

Research Participant

According to federal regulations, 45 CFR 46 102.f, a participant means a living individual about whom an investigator conducting research obtains:

• Data through intervention or interaction with the individual
• Identifiable private information

Examples of participants are a person who becomes a participant in research, data obtained through medical records, data obtained through surveys and data obtained from observation. [Back to Top]

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The UF Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) are charged with protecting the rights and welfare of participants in clinical trials and other participant research studies.  UF IRBs review all research involving participants to ensure the welfare and rights of research participants are protected as mandated by federal and state laws, local policies, and ethical principles. [Back to Top]

Nonresident Alien

A nonresident alien (NRA) is an individual who is not a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident (aka Green Card Holder), or who does not satisfy the Substantial Presence Test.

In general:

• F and J student visa holders are considered non-residents during their first five full or partial calendar years in the U.S.
• J professors and researchers are considered non-residents during their first two full or partial calendar years in the U.S.
• H-1, TN and O-1 visa holders are considered non-residents until they meet the substantial presence test [Back to Top]

Last Reviewed

07/31/2021: reviewed content

Resources

Cash Fund Management

Institutional Review Boards (IRB)

Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP)

Contracts & Grants (C&G)

Training

PRV800 – HIPAA General Awareness

PRV804 – Protecting Social Security Numbers

RSH320 – Human Subject Payment

Contacts

Cost Analysis: (352) 392-5778

hsp@admin.ufl.edu

Disbursements: (352) 392-1241

Contracts & Grants: (352) 392-1235

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