UW Research Participant Payments - Cash Advance (Formerly Known As Temporary Custodian Funds)
Definition
This reference guide delineates the method to pay research participants via a Cash Advance in Workday. Formerly known as the Temporary Custodian Fund process, this method is used to provide cash or gift card payments to research participants for studies lasting up to one year. A check is issued to the Cash Advance Payee, who is responsible for cashing the check and either purchasing gift cards or directly distributing cash to participants.
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- All research participant payment methods must be HIPAA compliant.
- All individual or aggregate payments of $250 or more in one calendar year are to be supported with a participant W-9 form.
- Payments to Individuals are no longer permissible in SMPH to pay research participants due to HIPAA compliance.
Related Reference Guide(s): UW Research Participant Payments - Advarra, UW Research Participant Payments - Gift Cards
Who
Department/Unit Initiators
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- Employee/Payee (as self)
- Expense Data Entry Specialist (EDES)
Department/Unit Approvers
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- The Department Authorized Approver approves the Advarra Waiver Form
- The Department Driver Manager approves the spend authorization in Workday
- The Dean’s Office - Expense Operations Lead approves the spend authorization and Advarra Waiver Form as an adhoc approval in Workday
Obtaining Access
Setting Up Access to Submit Expenses on Behalf of Someone Else (Expense Data Entry Specialist)
If you need any security roles, including Expense Data Entry Specialist (EDES), to complete this process, discuss with your next level leader. If approved, reach out to your department/unit’s Workday Role-Based Access Requester.
To check your security role access set up prior to Workday:
- Click on the Employee Lookup tab in Tableau.
- Enter your name in the legal name field (last name, first name).
To find your department/unit’s Workday Role-Based Access Requester:
- Go to your Workday profile and click "Job” in the left navigation menu.
- Click “Support Roles” in the top header.
- In the Assignable Role column, scroll to find the Role-Based Access Requester.
Training
- Expense Reports and Credit Cards in Workday Part 1
- Expense Reports and Credit Cards in Workday Part 2
- Workday for Finance: Expenses for Support Staff
Prerequisites
How
SMPH Standardized Process
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- To open, close, and reconcile a Cash Advance for Research Participants, follow: UW Cash Advance for Research Participants
- Important considerations for requesting a Cash Advance:
- A Cash Advance for Research Participants may only be requested for a maximum duration of three months at a time. If the study is ongoing, the fund must first be reconciled and closed before a new request can be submitted.
- Once the spend authorization is approved in Workday, a check will be sent to the payee.
- Important considerations for closing and reconciling a Cash Advance:
- Cash advances must be fully reconciled within 30 days of the end of the study period.
- Temporary custodian funds opened before April 1, 2026, should be managed and closed according to existing procedures.
- If aggregate payments to participants are greater than $249, study teams should collect a W-9. Upload W9 as “Last Name, First Name” to SMPH Dean’s Office-Fiscal Affairs Box folder.
Core Workday Job Aids
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- N/A
Related Workday Job Aids
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- N/A
Related Reports
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- SMPH Fiscal Master Report Inventory (Excel) – Filter the Category column to show Worktag Reporting.
Questions
For help with content questions or technical issues, please reach out to the Dean’s Office- Fiscal Affairs team at smphfiscal@med.wisc.edu.
References
Policies
Guidelines
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- N/A