ShopUW  is the main system used for purchasing and payments. Training is available for shoppers on the ShopUW  website.

If your vendor is not available on ShopUW , make your purchase request through the Department of Chemistry online purchase request system, Aestiva, at purchasing.chem.wisc.edu. Vendors can be added to ShopUW , however a W9 must be obtained from the vendor if they are a US company, or a W-8Ben-E if they are an international company.

• You will need to have a chemistry account in order to gain access to Aestiva.
• You must be on the Chemistry VPN in order to log in to Aestiva every time. 
• If you have never used the system, but have a chemistry account, contact Chad Skemp at cskemp@chem.wisc.edu 

For purchases under $5,000

We can normally approve and process these requests without needing anything additional from the requestor. A business purpose is always required. There may occasionally be other barriers, such as the intended vendor being prohibited by the university, but this is rare. For questions on purchases in this area, email purchasing@chem.wisc.edu or Chad Skemp and Emily Bennin directly 

For purchases from $5,000 to $49,999

Anything over $5,000 must be placed on ShopUW and we require one of the following:

1. That the vendor and the items being purchased already be on contract with the university. Search vendors currently on contract.
2. Simplified Bid: Three comparative quotes, from which the lowest responsible quote is chosen to make the purchase and a completed copy of The Simplified Bidding Record form; or
3. Proper justification to waive the need for the simplified bid/three quotes, submitted on the Non-Competitive Purchase Request Form(.doc).*

*Non-Competitive Waivers over $25,000 require a governor’s waiver, which is very time-consuming and often unnecessary. In these cases, it generally makes most sense to prepare the simplified bid. If three relevant vendors are contacted, but two of the three cannot provide the requested items with required specifications, those two still count as bids as long as there is documentation.

*Documentation for any vendors that aren't able to provide a quote is required for the simplified bid.

For purchases of $50,000 or more

Purchasing Services will prepare an Official Sealed Bid or a Request for Proposal (RFP) depending upon the type of items and/or services needed.

Our main contact for these is Mike Marean at mike.marean@wisc.edu.

View a list of vendors who are not eligible to do business with UW-Madison.

• Anything that requires a credit card for the purchase of supplies must be placed through Aestiva. If a credit card must be used for an event or travel, contact the Admin Assistants or Kayla Driscoll for assistance.
• Anything over $5,000 has to be placed on ShopUW+

When should I use the Research Storeroom?

• Visit the Research Storeroom Inventory List
• Research Storeroom is open Monday-Friday, 8am – 4pm

Set up a Research Storeroom Account

1. Visit the Research Storeroom website.
2. On the left-hand side, you’ll see the header Research Storeroom Customer Forms.
3. Select the second document from the top, Chemistry Research Assistant Storeroom Account Application.
4. Complete the starred fields and email the document to Andrew Arndt.

Contact Andrew Arndt with questions.

• Submit all expense reimbursement requests within 90 days of the expense. This includes travel, business meals, supply purchases, etc. Anything after 90 days is considered non-reimbursable.
• Make sure you have the proper funding number for your trip before you submit your reimbursement.
• Make sure to include all expenses, including prepaid items, so that your E-Reimbursement reflects the full travel picture.
• Remember that a business purpose must include basic who, what, where, when, and why information about your travel & expenses.
• Any questions with expense reimbursements please contact your path coordinator or email: travelandreimbursement@chem.wisc.edu

1. To submit a request for expense reimbursement, see directions: https://businessservices.wisc.edu/travel-reimbursement/getting-reimbursed/
2. Any questions with expense reimbursements please contact your path coordinator or email: travelandreimbursement@chem.wisc.edu
3. Expense reimbursements are approved at the department level by Aaron Kluck. Department approved expense reimbursements then move to L&S for approval. Please allow 2-4 weeks for your reimbursement to be paid out.