The Linguistics department requires all faculty and staff to request Chair approval before spending any UW funds (start-ups, research/travel funds etc.). The only exception is grant funds, which were essentially approved when the grant was awarded (see grant section below).
Pre-approval Process (updated June 2026)
Please submit the pre-approval form to receive approval for your purchase or activity-related spending.
Requests will be reviewed weekly (biweekly during the summer quarter) by the Chair. Once reviewed, the Chair will follow up with you and provide written approval if approved.
On the form, please select an option based on what you are looking to do. You can request approval for:
- physical (computer devices, food, supplies, etc.) and non-physical goods (subscription, e-gift cards, etc.)
- travel (fares, lodging, per diem)
- services (honoraria, invoices)
- hiring someone (hourly employees, reader/grader etc.)
- applying for a grant
- or anything else! (We can't imagine all the things you might need to do your work.)
If you have any special notes about your need, please include those in the form. It's ok to submit tentative information as a starting point, too.
Reimbursements
Receipts in a foreign language need to be translated into English (machine translation is fine as long as it makes adequate sense). For lodging, you will need to submit the actual receipt, not a confirmation and finally, airfare receipts must show that fare is for economy/main cabin.
IMPORTANT! Reimbursement receipts must be submitted within 60 days of the purchase date. For travel reimbursements, receipts must be submitted no longer than 60 days after the end of travel. You will need to seek approval from the Divisional Dean, if you submit documentation past the 60-day deadline. For more information regarding the 60 Reimbursement Policy see the AST's resource section.
Grants
Grant funds (GRXXXXXX Workday tag) have already been approved when the grant was approved so no additional approvals are needed. As soon as you begin the process of applying for a grant, or are even considering applying for a grant, please use the CAS Research Support Team (RST) Proposal Intake Form.
Travel
Traveling Abroad?
Please note that if you are traveling to a foreign country you may be required to register your travel through the UW Global Travel Security. After you have submitted the form to the UW Global Travel Security you will receive an approval message through e-mail. The admin team will request a copy of this approval message before purchasing or reimbursing international travel. For more information on this policy, please see the Office of Global Affairs page.
Some Best Practices
- Always seek approval!
- It costs the UW at least $50 to process a single reimbursement. If the department would like you to purchase and be reimbursed for items, you may be requested to bundle multiple reimbursements into a submission of no less than $50.