What is a UW Contract?

A UW contract is an agreement with specific terms between two or more persons or entities in which there is a promise to do something in return for a valuable benefit known as consideration and must include specific elements. A contract may be in the form of an agreement, proposal, statement, notice, resolution, letter, memorandum of understanding (MOU), memorandum of agreement (MOA), purchase order, license, indenture, grant, cooperative agreement, etc. In addition, such documents may go by other names as well.

Signing a contract without delegated signature authority can subject an employee to personal liability for the contract.

Contract Approval

The Chancellor, VCFA and/or designee's approval is required on all contracts. The Contract Checklist form is designed to facilitate the review and approval process by answering the most common questions about proposed contracts.

Before starting the Contract Checklist, ensure you have all the information you will need by reviewing the Checklist Details.

Submit Contract Checklist

 

 

Quick Links

UW Tacoma contract review and approval flow

PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS NON-PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS RESEARCH CONTRACTS

Purchasing contracts involving goods and services

UWT Fiscal Services role:

  • Assist the requestor with identifying the right purchasing method
  • Guide through the purchasing process
  • Assist as UW Bothell’s liaison to UW Seattle Procurement Services
  • When necessary, coordinate signing of Data Processing Agreement (DPA) and data security review

How to get started:

Non-procurement contracts and MOUs supporting various new and ongoing projects in academic and administrative units

UWT Fiscal Services role:

  • Help requestor identify who needs to be involved with the contract process
  • Ensure proper approvals are obtained
  • Maintain contracts in contract tracking system 
  • When necessary, coordinate signing of Data Processing Agreement (DPA) and data security review

How to get started:

Research contracts and agreements, non-disclosure agreements (NDA), confidential disclosure agreements (CDA), and data sharing agreements that support research in schools and centers

UWT Office of Research role:

  • Triage type of agreement
  • Route eGC1 (with contract attached) for approvals in SAGE
  • Research contracts and agreements are signed by UWB SP representatives
  • NDAs, CDAs, & Data sharing agreements are signed by UW Seattle OSP Contracts Team

How to get started:

UW Procurement Services

UW Seattle Procurement Services Contracting Team will review the document for compliance with the UW terms and conditions, determine whether terms need to be negotiated, and sign these contracts.

UW Tacoma - may be consulted

  • Director of Academic Budget & Planning for academic considerations
  • Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration for business/operational considerations
  • Dean/Director
  • Others as needed

UW Seattle - may be consulted

  • UW Attorney General Office
  • UW Tax Office
  • Controller
  • Others, such as CoMotion
  

APPROVAL

Cost Center Managers once contract has been signed by UW Seattle Procurement Services

APPROVAL

Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration or Chancellor or designees

APPROVAL

UW Office of Sponsored Research

List of Designees

Designees have delegation to review and approve contracts and agreements based on subject matter expertise and must complete mandatory state contract training.

  • Deans of Schools: Any agreements involving internships and mandatory clinical field placements
  • Director of Real Estate & Development: Any ongoing leases of space on or off campus
  • Senior Director of Information Technology: Any agreements involving data collection and sharing

For questions about training, please contact tacfinadmin@uw.edu.

Contract Checklist Details

Below is the information you should prepare in order to complete the Contract Checklist form. Also, see the Glossary. If you are unsure about any of the items below, email tacfiscal@uw.edu for support prior to submitting.

Type of Submission and Agency

  • Procurement contract, Service Agreement, Memorandum of Agreement or Understanding (MOA/MOU), Other - you will fill in the form field
  • Federal, State, Local, Private, Other - you will fill in the form field

Facilities impact

This includes any need or alteration of campus space the contract may cause or require. You will need to explain on the form. Learn more about Space Management.

About the agreement

  • The individual who will manage the agreement and contact information
  • Contract details, including title/name, term dates, amount, Worktags, funding, etc.
  • Whether a renewal, addendum or extension of an existing agreement
  • Whether data collection/sharing is involved
    • If so, the Senior Director of IT should be consulted before submitting this form
  • Whether other colleges or universities are involved and which ones
  • Whether intellectual property (IP) agreements are involved
  • Whether Institutional Review Board (IRB) is needed
  • Summary and justification for the contract
  • Upload contract document(s)

Additional Resources

Glossary

Capstone Program funding agreement - student led projects

Funding to support student-led research projects, typically at the undergraduate or graduate program level, in which students earn academic credit.

Capstone program funding is handled by the individual academic department. Contact your department administrator or Capstone Program administrator.

Consulting Agreement

From time to time, an individual at the UW may be asked to provide consultation as a service for a fee, in which the service primarily benefits the customer. Review more indicators of providing services.

Corporate Affiliate Program - CAP

Membership agreements between Industry members and the UW for companies to learn about the latest UW research, interact with faculty and students, and network with industry colleagues.

These are not sponsored programs.

Review guidance from Corporate and Foundation Relations

These are not sponsored programs. Use the Membership template endorsed by the University and process membership payments as revenue.

Gift Letter or Agreement

Intent to provide a contribution of external support to the University without any requirement for receipt of economic or other tangible benefit beyond what any member of the public would receive.

Memorandum of Agreement or Understanding (MOA/MOU)

Memorialize expression of intent, or expressing goals and aspirations or activity without committing to a legally binding agreement implicating legal remedies.

Some examples of what binds the University in agreements:

  • Committing resources, such as effort, space, or in-kind support
  • Providing rights or benefits to another party such as rights to reports, IP, or data
  • Incurring risk, such as indemnification of another party
  • Specific deliverables promised

Procure or Obtain Outside Goods or Services

The University is purchasing goods or services. Review Procurement guidance for How to Buy.

Service Agreement

The University is providing goods or services. Includes when an individual is providing consultation in their capacity as a UW employee. (Consulting Agreement)