When to work with ORSO

Several WSU offices manage contracts

ORSO, the WSU Real Estate and Business Office (REBO), and WSU Purchasing Services all manage different types of contracts and agreements on behalf of WSU. ORSO manages research proposals, awards, and related agreements, the Contracts Office generally processes WSU business and administrative contracts, and Purchasing Services manages procurements.

ORSO

Processes agreements related to research, teaching, and other scholarly or service activities, which:

  • Contribute to a field of study and grow the reputation of WSU, it’s faculty and its students (particularly associated with teaching, research, scholarship, creative and outreach activities that benefit society)
  • Benefit the sponsoring organization and/or the public
  • Involve ownership and use of intellectual property developed by WSU
  • Involve research compliance issues

Revenue-generating (sponsored) agreements, such as:

  • Grants
  • Contracts
  • Cooperative agreements
  • Purchase orders (incoming)
  • Clinical trial agreements
  • Fellowship agreements
  • Sub-contracts
  • All agreements where federal or federal flow-through funds are utilized

Non-revenue generating agreements such as:

  • Incoming material transfer agreements (outgoing material transfer agreements flow through the Office of Commercialization)
  • Non-disclosure/confidentiality agreements
  • Data use/sharing agreements
  • Equipment loan/transfer agreements
  • Loaned employee agreements
  • Master agreements
  • Teaming agreements
  • Intellectual Property management plans
  • Memorandum of understanding/agreement
 

Real Estate and Business Operations

Processes agreements that relate to university business or administrative activities:

  • Purchase, lease, or sale of real estate (Note: Departments should first contact the Real Estate Office)
  • Use of WSU and non-WSU facilities
  • Performer and speaker agreements
  • Domestic and international academic programs
  • Affiliation agreements (internships/student teaching)
  • Non-disclosure/confidentiality agreements related to business/administrative activities
  • Revenue-generating agreements not processed by ORSO
  • Interlocal and interagency agreements not processed by ORSO

 

Purchasing Services

Processes the following agreements (all for outgoing money):

  • Service contracts
  • Contracts
  • Purchase orders for goods and services
  • Equipment maintenance agreements

 

Decision Tree

Need help deciding? Answer the questions below to determine whether you need to work with ORSO, Purchasing, or the Contracts Office. This decision tree does not apply to service center or gift funding as defined within the Business Policies and Procedures Manual (BPPM).


Note:  This is decision tree is now a “click-through” process, vs. the prior PDF “one-pager”:

* Sponsored project means any funding from an outside sponsor to support research or any other University activity, whether such support is through a grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or any other means.  (University activity means an academic or non-academic activity conducted at, on behalf of, in connection with, or under the auspices of the University) . This decision tree does not apply to service center or gift funding as defined within the Business Policies and Procedures Manual (BPPM).

If funding, regardless of source, will be contracted out of WSU, follow guidelines for determining the appropriate contractual mechanism: e.g., subcontract, purchased services, or personal services contract (ORSO Guideline 22).