The Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii announces the issuance of Request for Proposals (RFP) No. CS2022-1, “Designing, Furnishing, and Installing Functional Workspaces for the Relocation of RCUH Offices from the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa Innovation Center to East-West Center Burns Hall”.

All questions about the RFP must be directed to Kaylee Hull at RCUH via email to [email protected]. Closing Date for Receipt of Offeror Questions is 4:00 PM (Hawaii Standard Time), July 15, 2022.

Completed proposals must be submitted via email to [email protected] and received no later than 4:00 PM (Hawaii Standard Time), August 12, 2022. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure confirmation of proposal receipt prior to the Closing Date for Receipt of Proposals.  Proposals received after the time and date fixed for submittal will not be considered. 

A schedule of key dates is included in the RFP.

Click here to download the RFP.

There are more than a hundred new online courses in the RCUH Training Portal, including a bunch of 5-minute introductory lessons on Microsoft 365. The following may interest you as well:

• Budgeting Basics for Managers
• Disability Awareness
• Effective Communication

The new courses are highlighted in blue in the course catalog. If you need access to the RCUH Training Portal, please complete the registration form.

If you have any questions about the training portal, please email [email protected].

Throughout the year, RCUH visually features projects in publications, communications, videos, etc. And your project could be featured in the next calendar shot or annual report cover! Please send us a selection of your best project photos for our library.

• Ideal photos should be clear and bright
• Action or staged activities are preferred (no headshots)
• Minimum size: 600 x 600 pixels. Resolution: 300 dpi.

Please complete the photo information form and send your photos to [email protected] by Friday, September 30, 2022. Photos may be sent as attachments or via the UH File Drop (for require authentication, please select “No login required”).

Thank you for sharing your work with us!

The fiscal year-end cutoff for RCUH online payment transactions is 12:00 noon on Thursday, June 30, 2022. All online payment transactions processed after Thursday, June 30, 2022 through Wednesday, August 31, 2022, will require service dates. The service date format is MM/DD/YY.

For payments that will be processed or approved after Friday, July 29, 2022, are $100,000 or greater, and have service dates of June 30, 2022 or earlier, please complete the RCUH AP Worksheet. Please include estimates or projections for invoices that have not been received as of July 29. Please email your worksheet to Staci Saito at [email protected] by Monday, August 1, 2022. If there are no payments to report, please email Staci to report that there are no items by Monday, August 1, 2022.

A service date field is provided on all payment forms and is identified with the heading “S/D”. The service date is the date goods are received or services are performed. For certain types of payments including travel completions, petty cash reimbursements, extended services, etc., the service date entered should be the last day of the period covered by the payment. However, if the service period covers multiple fiscal years, allocate costs in each fiscal year incurred. For example, if the service period is from June 1, 2022 to July 31, 2022, record costs incurred from June 1 to June 30 with a 06/30/22 service date and costs incurred from July 1 to July 31 with a 07/31/22 service date.  

This information is needed to ensure that RCUH liabilities are properly reported as of June 30, 2022. Our auditors, N&K CPAs Inc., will be reviewing selected documents processed during this period as part of their audit procedures. Accordingly, please be advised that we may be requesting copies of payment documents for review. 

Please contact Maile Brooks at (808) 988-8340 or [email protected] if you have any questions. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

The RCUH Financial Portal will be down for system maintenance on Thursday, May 5, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (HST).

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

Important Dates:

June 30, 2022	Last Check Run for FY 2022 (Payments must be approved by 12 noon)
July 6, 2022	RCUH Financial System scheduled to reopen
July 6, 2022	First Check Run for FY 2023 (4:00 PM)

Online purchasing, payments, and travel transactions must be approved by Fiscal Administrators by 12:00 noon on Thursday, June 30, 2022 to be included in FY 2022.  The last check run for the fiscal year will be on Thursday, June 30, 2022.  Pending transactions will remain in the RCUH financial system, and will not be automatically deleted or disapproved. 

From July 1 through July 5, online purchasing, payment, and travel transactions can be created, but Fiscal Administrators will not have the ability to approve transactions.  Transactions will not be posted to project accounts until the financial system is reopened for FY 2023.  The RCUH financial system is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, July 6, 2022.  The first check run for FY 2023 is scheduled for Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at 4:00 PM.

On an emergency basis only, manual checks can be issued during this period. Fiscal Administrators should contact RCUH Disbursing at [email protected].

Project reports will be accessible on the RCUH website.  However, report balances will only reflect transactions posted through June 30, 2022, until processing resumes on July 6, 2022.

Please contact Maile Brooks at (808) 988-8340 or [email protected] if you have any questions.

RCUH buyers who are new to SuperQUOTE™, an electronic solicitation solution (for requests for quotation, proposal, information, or a sealed bid request), should consider enrolling in one of the May trainings offered by CommercePoint:

• Tuesday, May 3, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, May 10, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, May 17, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, May 24, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

You’ll learn about the SuperQUOTE™ buying process and how to :

• create a new request
• create a sealed bid request
• award, cancel, or copy a request
• write an effective request
• qualify your vendors

In-person classes will be in the FMO Training Room, UH Mānoa Lower Campus, 1406 Lower Campus Road, Building 171-B, Room 59 (portable building across SimplyFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center). Classes are limited to 15 and attendees must wear a mask. Register here.

To attend virtually, please email [email protected] and use the subject line: May 2022 SuperQUOTE™ Training @ UHM. Include the date you wish to attend. The Zoom meeting details will be emailed to you.

REMINDER: Please use the RCUH account for transactions being processed through RCUH. Refer to these RCUH buyer registration instructions.

Any questions about the training or to request an on-site training class at your location may be directed to [email protected].

Want to learn about the challenges of starting your own research project? How about a few tips on writing a successful grant proposal?

Join us on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to hear from a few of the most experienced and successful UH researchers in this interactive Q&A session. The distinguished panel features:  

• Dr. David Karl, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
• Dr. Karl Kim, College of Social Sciences
• Dr. Marjorie Mau, John A. Burns School of Medicine

Panelists will share the lessons they’ve learned throughout their tenure at the University of Hawai‘i and answer questions from both in-person and virtual attendees. There are a limited number of in-person seats at UH Manoa’s IT Center Room 105 A/B, but there is an option to participate virtually via Zoom.

Click here to RSVP and to submit questions for the panel.

If you have a question about the forum, please email [email protected].

UPDATE, MAY 16, 2022: We have reached the limit of 4 nominations for each of the categories. No additional nominations will be accepted.

NOMINATE YOUR PROJECT STAFF FOR THE 2022 RCUH OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR AWARDS

RECOGNITIONS

Three award categories are available:

1. Researcher/Project Manager (exempt status position)
2. Project Support Staff (non-exempt status position)
3. Team (2-5 staff in exempt and/or non-exempt Regular-status positions)

The awards encourage, recognize, and reward RCUH employees who have made demonstrable, significant, and exemplary contributions to their project during the past fiscal year (July 2021–June 2022) or years.

AWARDS

• $1,000 to the first place awardee in each category
• $500 to the second place awardee in each category
• $50 to each nominee

All nominees will be recognized at the RCUH Awards Luncheon to be held in the fall.

NOMINATIONS

A Principal Investigator may submit one nomination. Team nominations are limited to no more than five individuals per team. Please ensure that your nominee(s) is (are) willing to be interviewed and filmed on camera.

• New this year: A category will close once the limit of four (4) nominations is reached.

Due to the new category limits, PIs must indicate their intent to submit a nomination by emailing [email protected] no later than May 20, 2022. The email should include the employee’s name and nomination category. Upon verification of employment status, RCUH will provide the PI with a nomination form. The deadline to submit a nomination form is June 1, 2022.

FILMING

We will resume filming of nominees, unless public health and safety directives prevent us from doing so.

For more information, please refer to policy 3.450 Outstanding Employees of the Year Awards or contact RCUH Corporate Services at [email protected] or 808-988-8314.

Update, May 9, 2022: The deadline is extended to May 16, 2022.

Licensed attorneys who wish to provide specialized legal services to the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi (RCUH) for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2022, are invited to submit a Statement of Qualifications and Expression of Interest (SOQ) to RCUH pursuant to HRS § 103D-304.

RCUH is currently looking to contract for legal services in the following areas:

1. Employment: Employment, employee benefits, disciplinary, termination, workers’ compensation and discrimination/retaliation issues. Services shall include but not be limited to:
   1. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto;
   2. Providing advice and recommendations regarding responses to claims asserted by current and former employees; 
   3. Participating in negotiations regarding items (a) and (b); and
   4. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, and other legal requirements.

Previous experience advising employers is essential, and previous experience advising government agencies is preferred.  

2. Immigration: Temporary visas and/or permanent residency applications. Services shall include but not be limited to:
   1. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto;
   2. Completing and filing permanent residency applications (previous experience representing both employers and employees in the permanent residency application process is essential);
   3. Completing and filing temporary visa applications and related documentation; and
   4. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, and other legal requirements.

3. Tax: Payroll, IRS compliance, foreign payroll and/or nonresident alien and foreign entity contractor payments (crossover immigration experience preferred), IRS compliance. Services shall include but not be limited to:
   1. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, internal policies, and other legal requirements.

4. Maritime: Charter, third-party vessel, and other marine-related agreements; marine insurance terms and policies. Services shall include but not be limited to:
   1. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto; and
   2. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, insurance policies/terms, internal policies, and other legal requirements.

Please email your SOQ to: [email protected] by Monday, May 16, 2022, to be eligible for consideration. SOQs received after May 16, 2022 will be classified as “late submittals” for the balance of the fiscal year as follows: a late submittal received May 17, 2022 through June 10, 2022, will be considered for services beginning October 1, 2022.

SOQ forms are available here.