Contact Global Operations during both pre and post-award when you have questions regarding an international project. As a starting point, refer to the Checklist of International Risk Considerations. If your project can answer Yes to any of the questions, please reach out to Global Opserations.

Global Operations provides support throughout the project lifecycle, from proposal to closeout. We can help to identify possible challenges during the proposal phase that will impact implementation and provide options to address them. We can help with project startup, answering everyday questions during post-award, and assist with closeout requirements. We work with all units in ORSPA, PIs across the university, project managers, Business Ops staff, and other ASU support staff to help international projects run smoothly. 

Yes! We can help identify and estimate costs related to foreign travel, staff, taxes, procurement, and other expenses related to implementing international work. International projects often require expenses that differ from domestic projects and so it’s best to consult Global Operations.

For questions related to agreements or subawards, see Research Administration’s Agreements with ASU or Subaward Basics. Subaward Basics also reviews Cost Reimbursable vs. Fixed-Price Subawards when considering what type of award may be best for a foreign entity. Reviewing your sponsor’s rules and regulations is also recommended.For basic questions related to partnerships, see International Partnerships, or email [email protected].

For questions related to creating and submitting a Trafficking in Persons Compliance Plan, see ORIA’s website.

Global Operations maintains a variety of documents and templates related to global sponsored projects. For questions, please email [email protected].

They are unallowable and this policy is enforced by The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The FCPA prohibits payment or gifts to any foreign government official for the purpose of obtaining an advantage in securing business or influencing the individual to conduct business. Examples of payment or gifts are payment to entertainment, expensive meals, upgrades on hotel, airfare, etc. Questions about the FCPA should be referred to the ASU Office of General Counsel.

ASU’s preference is to not transfer funds prior to a legal agreement being signed. When working in developing countries, cash advances, up-front payments, and other similar or unusual financial approaches may be requested. When requested, ASU must balance its risks with the needs of the foreign entity or individual. It will be necessary to establish reasonable caps for cash advances. Ensure the payment structure is explicit in the proposal and establish mechanisms for reconciling cash advances with expenditures. Please note, there are also limitations on the amount of cash that can be brought into a foreign country. For additional information about currency limitations, contact the country’s embassy or consulate.

Non-U.S. partners may encounter issues when trying to complete required steps for a sponsored award for various reasons. The unit’s business operations team may need to walk the partner through the necessary registration via Zoom or collect the pertinent details and complete the registration on their behalf. For international suppliers, Financial Services may be able to set up a supplier manually if a W-8 is provided. Contact [email protected] for help.

Arizona State University prefers proposal submissions and payments be made in U.S. dollars. Reasons for avoiding non-U.S. currency either in proposal submissions or awards include the following.

• Currency values rise and fall. When ASU engages in international business transactions, a swing in currency value can affect a project’s final cost. What is initially budgeted for a project may become inadequate and may then result in a principal investigator’s department having to fund a project to ensure its completion.
• ASU may also be subject to foreign transactional fees, also known as currency-conversion fees. These fees range from 2% to 3% of the payment made by ASU and may not be reimbursed as a miscellaneous expense. If categorized as non-reimbursable, the ASU principal investigator’s unit will be required to cover the cost.

For proposals with international subrecipients, the proposal Research Advancement Staff should work with the international partner to ensure their budget is submitted in U.S. dollars. Proposal teams may need to include in the budget narrative the method by which the exchange rate was determined for projected project costs. 

A non-U.S.-based worker is defined as a person who works in a country other than the U.S. Non-U.S.-based workers who have U.S. nationality are referred to as expatriates.

There are many options concerning non-U.S.-based workers on a sponsored project. For more information about those options and ASU guidelines, see Non-U.S.-based Workers, or email [email protected].

The U.S. Department of State sets the rates and allowances for project personnel working outside the U.S. on projects funded by federal dollars. You can view a list of allowances by location. If you have specific questions about allowances, please email [email protected]

This varies by country, position and person. Typically, only U.S. personnel are provided allowances set by the U.S. Department of State. Project personnel who are citizens of the project location would receive benefits customary for the culture, such as 13th month salary, living allowances, private health care and pension. Global Operations can help determine what allowances and benefits would apply.

Value-Added Tax (VAT) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) are sales taxes that may be assessed on goods and services in other countries. ASU may be responsible for payment of this tax. ASU prefers that this tax not flow-down to ASU as a prime or pass-through recipient of federal funds.

VAT can be a significant and unexpected cost. ASU may not be able to reclaim a full or partial refund from a foreign country. If a full refund is not available, ASU’s principal investigator will be contacted by ASU Research Operations to discuss options for payment.

During proposal development, we recommend reviewing the project location’s applicable consumption taxes as well as the sponsor’s rules regarding the payment of foreign taxes. The Worldwide VAT, GST and Sales Tax Guide contains country-specific information.

For questions related to international taxes, such as VAT and GST, see International Tax Liabilities, or email [email protected].

Visiting students and scholars that receive a payment from ASU may be subject to U.S. taxes. This includes exchange programs where ASU hosts students and scholars from another country. For more information on paying internationals and related taxes, see the Foreign Visitor Tax Guide.