Visiting Researchers and Scholars

Purpose: 

To share policies and procedures for creating Visiting Researchers and Scholars appointments. 

Relevant Definitions: 

Visiting Researcher and Scholar (VSVR): Researchers/scholars from corporations or other academic institutions who are self-funded or independently funded by a third-party source. Visitors typically initiate request for nomination and collaborate on research that may benefit their own research endeavors in addition to furthering the University’s mission. 

• VSVRs need to be sponsored by a faculty member within a department who will take responsibility for the visitor and serve as a point of contact
• VSVR privileges are added as Job Classifications via the Workday BP. (See Step 13 of the WIG.)

Visual Compliance: The outside vendor web tool UT uses to ensure UT departments do not knowingly initiate ties to individuals or entities of concern to the U.S. government.

Process: 

1. Make sure your VSVR has or creates a UT EID.
2. Follow the Office of the Vice President for Research’s Visiting Researchers and Scholars webpage instructions on how to appoint a VSVR.
   1. Note: Although the detailed instructions are useful, especially with respect to VPR Office requirements, do NOT upload a copy of the VSVR's ID to the Workday BP.
   2. You will need to run a Visual Compliance check:
      1. For access to Visual Compliance see Authorizations

      2. To run a Visual Compliance check (from VPR):

         1. Log in and, click on Restricted Party Screening (RPS). 

         2. Enter the name of the person (check spelling against an official document such as a passport). 

         3. Enter the information you have available (address, former university/employer, etc.,) but most importantly the country of citizenship. 

         4. In the Comment section, add the visitor's EID, department, and the name of the sponsoring professor. 

            1. This is important because Visual Compliance retains these searches and will send you an email if that person (or a person with a similar name) gets added to any of the lists and having that reference is useful. 

         5. You can search first by using Fuzzy Logic 2. 

            1. If there are no problems, you can proceed. 

            2. If there is a hit, the next step is to search using an Exact Match.  Make sure you double check the spelling.

            3. If you get a positive hit, please forward to David Ivey, University Export Controls Officer.

      3. Save your search results as a PDF.
   3. You will also need to request a Background Check for the VSVR prior to initiating the Workday BP. 
3. Use the Contract Contingent Worker BP WIG to guide adding the VSVR to Workday.
   1. As mentioned above, privileges are added as Job Classifications-descriptions of the 4 options are included in the WIG.
   2. Please sure that the following items are attached to the BP:
      1. VSVR CV 
      2. Draft offer letter – Research Titles Offer Letter Templates 
      3. Visual Compliance Report PDF (see 2.b.iii.)
   3. Please add Comments explaining you are creating a VSVR appointment and mention the sponsoring faculty member.
      1. If you did Not include this information in the "Assignment Details" section of the BP, then you Must include the following information in the comments as well: 
         1. Visitor's Nationality: (insert nationality)
         2. Current Affiliation: (insert external organization)
         3. Research Activities: (insert title of research)
         4. Background check clear as of (insert date)
         5. Visual Compliance cleared as of (insert date).

Related Policies: 

• Office of the Vice President for Research Policies 
• HOP 7-1020: Research Titles 

Other Related Links: 

• How to Hire a Visiting Scholar/Researcher in Workday 
• WIG: Contract Contingent Worker 
• Research Titles at a Glance 
• VSVR FAQs 

• Research Affiliate Benefits 
• Visual Compliance
• Background Check Administration (BCA)