Service Agreement for Research
A General Services Agreement (GSA) must be set up and sent to the Office of Research, Scholarship and Community Engagement (ORSCE) before an independent contractor starts working. The ORSCE will not be processing any documentation for work completed before a contract is in place.
Note: All services agreements are available in MYMRU under the Employee Tab and Office of General Counsel, Legislative Resources and Policies (Agreement Templates).
For researchers contracting services externally from Mount Royal as part of your research, here are some notes to remember
- Ensure you are familiar with MRU's Purchasing Policy in terms of competitive bidding and sole/preferred source. Both of these processes apply to contracted services, as well as the purchasing of equipment.
- When filling out service agreements make sure to incorporated the corporation or individual's full legal name where indicated.
- If special terms are required, the ORSCE Director will be able to work with you to develop terms. If terms move beyond the ORSCE's authority, we will work with you and Office of General Counsel to determine the best way for your agreement to move forward.
- If the contract is with a corporation, a copy of the business incorporation document and professional liability insurance are needed.
Note:If a contractor does not have the requested liability insurance, a waiver of this term may be requested to ORSCE. - In terms of guest speaker, if the guest speaker or service provider (paid or unpaid) is a foreign national, the completed contracting information must go through Office of General Counsel confirming they may legally provide services in Canada.
- All new vendors (suppliers of goods and services), including those seeking cost reimbursement from the University, must fill out a vendor form to enlist as a MRU vendor.
- A void cheque copy and/or direct deposit information endorsed by the bank must be provided by all contractors and service providers with a vendor form. MRU prefers direct deposit for Canadian and US vendors.
Sole and Preferred Source
Service Contract or Purchase Requisitions for sole or preferred source goods or services over $5,000 must be accompanied by a Sole/Preferred Source form detailing the specifics of the purchases that prevent utilizing the competitive process.
If a Sole/Preferred Source Form is required, it should be sent to the ORSCE along with the General Service Agreement.
"Mount Royal University policy requires three (3) competitive quotes for the purchase of goods and services valued $5,000 or greater. A Sole Source Form is used to justify the use of a single source rather than obtaining three quotes due to unique or extenuating circumstances."
Paying for Contract Services
Invoices for services on a contract should be forwarded with approval in writing to orscefinance@mtroyal.ca. Direct payment of the invoice will then be arranged. The invoice should indicate that the services have been satisfactorily completed, that you would like the invoice to be paid, as well as the FOAP from which it should be paid from.
Researchers should not pay contractors directly under any circumstances.
If you have any questions or require more information, please contact orscefinance@mtroyal.ca.