UW Research

Policies, Procedures and Guidance

UW PNNL Dual Appointment

Overview

The University of Washington (UW) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) have a long history of collaboration, yet there have not been adequate mechanisms to date to allow for formal recognition and cross-fertilization of scientific collaboration between the two institutions. To this end, UW and PNNL developed three agreements that establish affiliate dual appointments between the two institutions.

Dual appointment of UW faculty with PNNL

Dual appointment of PNNL scientist with UW

Reappointment Process and Form

Proposal Submission & PNNL Dual Appointee Faculty

Note: This content is under review for updates due to Financial transformation.

The information provided is for proposals the UW is submitting to another sponsor, e.g. NSF and the dual appointee are senior/key personnel on that proposal:

  1. DOE is the parent agency for PNNL, so UW should not process submissions to DOE for a dual appointee serving as a UW PI without explicit permission provided by a PNNL supervisor.
  2. Departments must confirm that reimbursement to a national lab for the dual appointee’s salary and fringe benefit costs is an allowable cost to the project. Some sponsors may disallow (e.g., DOE).
  3. List UW/PNNL dual appointee as a UW faculty member, with salary & fringe benefits as a direct cost in the proposal budget at the PNNL rates, not the UW rates.
  4. Do NOT set up the Dual Appointee’s salary and fringe costs as an outgoing subaward on the proposal budget. Review Time of Award for how these costs are handled when GCA sets up the budget in the UW financial system.  
  5. Make sure the budget justification indicates there is a dual appointment and that the UW will reimburse PNNL for salary & fringe benefits costs of the dual appointee.
  6. Make the indirect cost rate consistent with where the work will be done. If the dual appointee is the PI, and students, postdocs, and staff on the grant will do the work at an off campus facility, use a 26% indirect cost rate.

Time of Award & PNNL Reimbursement: UW/PNNL Information and Responsibility

Note: This content is under review for updates due to Financial transformation.

Because the PNNL dual appointee is an employee of PNNL, they will be paid by PNNL. The department needs to reimburse PNNL for salary & fringe costs from the sponsored program award worktag number. UW department must follow these steps so PNNL can be reimbursed for the dual appointees work on the award.

Time of Award

  1. UW department: Provide OSP a budget for overall project. The dual appointee PNNL faculty salary & benefits costs should be listed as Miscellaneous Professional Services (UW object code 02-95). Students, postdocs, and staff on a grant submitted through UW will be UW employees, handled in the normal way.
  2. OSP: Processes award from sponsor and sends Funding Action to GCA for Budget Set up.
  3. GCA: Sets up UW budget. PNNL dual appointee salary & benefits are set up as Miscellaneous Professional Services (UW object code 02-95).

Reimburse PNNL

  1. UW department: Notify PNNL that the award from sponsor has been received.
  2. PNNL will send a Strategic Partnership Projects Agreement (SPP) for the department Chair to sign and return to PNNL. This is the department’s agreement with PNNL that it will reimburse PNNL for salary & fringe benefit costs PNNL incurs that are commensurate with the dual appointee’s efforts on the award. This agreement is NOT a subcontract to PNNL and OSP does not sign.
  3. UW department: After you have a UW budget number and have a fully executed SPP, establish a PO in ARIBA so PNNL can invoice the department for reimbursement. 

Memorandum of Understanding

To view the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Dual Appointees: University of Washington and Battelle Memorial Institute, Pacific Northwest Division, please contact Linda Gamman in the Office of Research.

Guidance, FAQs, and Resources

UW-PNNL Dual Appointment MOU Guidance and FAQs

Resource for Administrators for PNNL Appointments

Contact Us

For Questions on Faculty Appointment Requirements: Dan Schwartz
For Questions on Process: Linda Gamman, Office of Research