• Strategic Procurement Policy (PDF)
• Foreign Payment Request – Wire Transfer Form (PDF)
• Limited Tendering Form (PDF)
  • Tip: Please ensure your limited tendering requisition is reviewed prior to submission.
• Competitive Bid Request Form for orders greater than $100,000
• Review additional information on Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) purchase
• Procurement Guide (PDF)
  • Please use this brochure for any additional questions you may have.

Information on importing to Canada

• To make a purchase at the McMaster University Campus Store using a Mosaic account, you need to provide full chartfield information, as well as a valid employee ID. To charge a research project, you will need to be listed as a delegate on that project, which can be done by submitting the project delegation form (PDF).
  • A delegate for the research project can also be set up when research project is opened.
  • The ID number of the person making the purchase is entered into the cash register.
  • If the delegate ID information has not been entered into the project by research finance, the transaction cannot be completed.
• Additional information about buying at the Campus Store.
• If needed, misplaced receipts for a Scientific Store or Campus Store purchase can be reprinted. Learn more.

• Office supplies can be ordered through Grand & Toy and Staples in MacBuy.

Eligible expenses (PDF) for remote work office set-up for employees working remotely during COVID-19 pandemic.

• Send an email to place an order with Lab Stores.
• For in-person shopping, visit Arthur N. Bourns Building, ABB-133,  Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• The Lab Stores requires online registration of the supervisor and associated research group members before visiting.
• All others please register as a user/purchaser of the Lab Stores by visiting McMaster Lab Stores (please note that supervisor must register first). A supervisor will receive an email to approve each account sign-up of their group member.
• To register you will need to provide your name, McMaster email, employee/student number, supervisor name, and 5(or 6)-digit number from the keycard (working at mac card or white non-personalized card).
• Upon registration, each user (including a supervisor) will obtain credentials to log in to the Lab Stores purchasing platform (similar to any e-commerce platform), check up-to-date inventory, and place an order.
• Special requests are welcomed https://forms.office.com/r/jgZdACr3yt
• Learn more about purchases at Lab Stores.

Chemical purchases can be made through McMaster Lab Stores or can be ordered directly from the supplier.

Lab Stores offers sales of chemicals, solvents (including deuterated solvents), and lab consumables

Review how to order chemical supplies or send an email to learn more.

Apply for P-card (BMO Master Card).

• Send P-card application form (PDF) to Kathryn Wright, credit card administrator.

Download P-card statements.

• P-card quick reference guide (PDF)

Authorize finance staff to reconcile your P-card.

• Send P-card proxy form (PDF) to Kathryn Wright credit card administrator.

What if my card is not accepted and I cannot complete the P-card purchase?

• Often, when ordering online or by telephone, the address and/or telephone number associated with the BMO card is required. This information must be given exactly or the purchase will be denied.
• Repeated attempts with the incorrect information can send a ‘flag’ to MasterCard and the account may be frozen for precautionary measures.
  • The address/phone number associated with all biochemistry P-Cards is:
    • Address: 1280 Main Street, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8
    • Phone: 289-305-5877

What do I need to do if I place non-domestic order on my P-card?

• Please notify our Customs Department for import orders purchased on your P-Card. When sending your email, please ensure you include the following:
  1. Company name and address
  2. Item purchased, including item number and description
  3. Pricing, including a scanned copy of the quote
  4. Account number, which is required if additional shipping charges are incurred

• Sending the following information to the Customs Department will give them the information required to ensure your goods can cross the border smoothly.
• When using your P-Card for cross-border shipments, please give the supplier(s) your project number as the purchase order (PO) number. Please ask the supplier(s) to ensure the number is on the commercial invoice and on all packaging.

How do I locate my freight and brokerage transactions in the journal entry charging research project?

• Review the freight and brokerage instruction sheet for journal entry (PDF)

What is MacBuy:

• MacBuy is an eProcurement system that offers faculty, staff and authorized students an integrated (shopping cart) marketplace for purchasing, including automated workflow and payment process.
• MacBuy is one of the various ways you can make purchases at McMaster, in addition to non-PO vouchers and P-Cards.
• Requisitions entered and approved in MacBuy become a purchase order sent to the supplier.

Advantages of MacBuy:

• Purchases up to $100,000 can be made from MacBuy Suppliers with only one quote.
• Mac Buy offers negotiated pricing for Punch-Out and Hosted suppliers. (You will see them as tiles on the MacBuy home page.)
• Through automated workflow, approved MacBuy transactions are instantly posted to projects.
• Users can create a shared shopping cart, which is a convenient way for your lab members to order office or lab supplies!

Register for MacBuy:

• To request access to MacBuy, please send an email with your MacID and requested role(s). You must also provide your supervisor’s approval. Alternatively, the supervisor may request access on behalf of the employee.
• Carefully review the MacBuy available roles (PDF) definitions to determine the appropriate access to be granted (e.g., shopper, requester, requester/approver, approver, etc.).

How to login to MacBuy:

• Login to Mosaic and select the MacBuy tile:
  • This will either appear on the My Homepage screen or the My Work screen. To navigate to the My Work page, click on the arrow next to My Homepage and select from the dropdown list.

• After clicking the MacBuy tile, you will be redirected to the MacBuy home screen, as shown below.

* Tip: All four shopping methods will be initiated from this home screen.

* Tip: Prior to starting the shopping process, be sure your active cart has a balance of $0.00 to ensure there are no previous items already in your shopping cart. The first item selected creates a cart if a cart is not already open (a cart containing at least one item).

MacBuy Information:

• Set up profile and edit (PDF)
• Shopper guide (PDF)
• Requester guide (PDF)
• Approver guide (PDF)
• Shared cart guide (PDF)
• How to search documents (PDF)
• Cheat sheet (PDF)

More how-to videos:

• How to receive order
• Approving via email
• Approving in MacBuy
• Delegate the requester and approver role
• Changing your shipping address

Premier pricing. Click the supplier’s tile and shop their premier catalogue directly within MacBuy

• Under $100,000 = Two-way match, no receiving, no additional documentation required
• Punch-out and Hosted products can be mixed in the same cart
• Identified by no arrow in the top right corner of the supplier’s tile
• Static Pricing – you are purchasing within the MacBuy system

MacBuy Hosted Catalogue Video

Click the supplier’s tile and be taken externally to their website, reflecting our premier pricing. Once all items are added to the cart, follow the prompts to checkout. You will be brought back into MacBuy with the selected items in your cart to complete the requisition entry.

• Under $100,000 = Two-way match, no receiving, no additional documentation required
• Punch-out and Hosted products can be mixed in the same cart
• Identified by the arrow visible in the top right corner of the supplier’s tile
• Live pricing which can change
• You are directed to the supplier’s website

Punch-Out Catalogue Video

Click the Non-Catalogue Form to initiate a requisition to all other suppliers that do not appear in the showcase OR if you have special pricing (better than premiere) from a Hosted or Punch-out supplier. Suppliers must accept a purchase order and must be setup as a supplier in Mosaic. Complete the required form and add it to your shopping cart.

• All dollar values = Three-way match, added step of receiving required for payment to be issued to supplier
• Backup documentation required i.e., quote/price justification.
• Standard purchasing thresholds will apply – competitive quotes required for purchases over $10,000 before tax – review SP-01 Policy for threshold requirements
• Exclusive to own cart – cannot be mixed with hosted/punch-out

Non-Catalogue Orders Video

Click the Limited Tendering Form to initiate a limited tendering request. Complete the required form and add it to your shopping cart. All required backup and approvals will be requested/routed directly with the submission of the form.

• All dollar values = Three-way match added step of receiving required for payment to be issued to the supplier
• Backup documentation required, i.e., quote/price justification.
• Standard purchasing thresholds will apply – competitive quotes required for purchases over $10,000 before tax – review SP-01 Policy for threshold requirements
• Exclusive to own cart – cannot be mixed with hosted/punch-out

Refer to the Limited Tendering Guide (PDF)

Apply for BMO Diners Card

• Submit Diners Card Application (PDF) to Kathryn Wright, the credit card administrator

Access your Diners Card monthly statements

• Log in to the BMO Spend Dynamics reporting tool

Fraud Risk tips (PDF)

Delegation of entry authority authorizes finance admin staff to prepare expense reports on your behalf. It applies only to travel and expense claims. Please login to Mosaic using your MAC ID and password.

Once logged in:

• In the centre of the screen, click on Mosaic Home and select Employee Self-Serve
• Select Travel and Expense Tile
• Select Delegate TNE Entry Authority
• Click on the “+” sign, then add username allanmi
• Save

Please send the travel and expense form, along with receipts for reimbursement, to Michelle Allan via email

• For faculty travel reimbursements, please complete the faculty travel reimbursement form (.xlsx)
• For students travel reimbursements, please complete the student travel reimbursement form (.xlsx)

What expenses can I claim? 

Please check the travel guidelines policy (PDF), reimbursement to individuals for university business.

Learn more about research leave travel expense rules (PDF).

For faculty, please review the PDA Policy (PDF)

For managers, please review the MPDA Policy (PDF)

For PDA-related questions, please contact Dorothy Nizinski, finance manager for biochemistry and biomedical sciences.

Phone: 905-525-9140 ext. 20233

Email: nizind@mcmaster.ca

In Mosaic, you can check the balances for your PDA or MPDA account.

• Log In to Mosaic
• Click on Mosaic Home
• Select Employee Self Service

• You will see two PDA tiles. Click on PDA BAL by Person to see your balance and PDA Details by Person to see your transactions.
• To Run PDA Reports, you need to enter your employee ID number

Tip: Remember to type in two zeros before your employee ID number (e.g., 009999999)

Upon receipt of a Notice of Award and submission of award acceptance (if required by the agency), the researcher can start the process to open a research project.

To open a research project, please submit the following documents to HRS intake by email.

• HRS account request form (PDF)
• Award letter
• Signed acceptance, if required by the agency
• Final application, proposal and budget
• A revised budget if the award amount differs from what was requested.

Learn more about ethics approvals

More information:

• If you receive funding from departmental funds Fund 20 or Fund 80, please use the internally sponsored research (ISR) template form (PDF)
• If you receive funds from externally funded research project within McMaster University, please use the internal transfer account form (.doc)
• More forms are available on the HRS resources webpage

If you require an inter-institutional agreement or review of a sub-agreement related to a grant held at McMaster, please email Caroline Woods.

For all industry agreements, Intellectual Property and Licensing agreements, please email McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO)

If you require further assistance, please email Dorothy Nizinski, finance manager.

• To get to the BI tool click the My Research tab, then click Research Project Info in BI.

• To login to the BI Tool, use your Mac ID and password.

1. To use the Principal Investigator Dashboard, click the Dashboards dropdown menu in the top-right corner of the screen and select Principal Investigator Dashboard under Custom.

2. To select the PI you are looking for, click the dropdown arrow and select More/Search.

3. Select the default PI in the right column and use the arrows in the centre to remove them.

4. From the search bar, you can search a specific PI name.

5. To add the PI name, you are looking to select their name and use the arrows in the centre to move them into the correct box and click OK.

6. You can also review a YouTube video on how to use the Principal Investigator Dashboard

1. To use the Research Project Statement Dashboard, click the Dashboards dropdown menu in the top-right corner of the screen and select Research Project Statement Dashboard under Custom.

2. Use the Project Number dropdown list to select the desired project number.

3. Use the search bar to search for the specific project you are looking for and click the search button for results. Select your desired project number and click OK.

4. Once the desired project number has been selected, use the Period Start Date and Period End Date dropdown menus to select the timeframe you would like to run the Research Project Statement.

5. Click Apply to see the selected project.

You can set up dashboard defaults to eliminate the need to enter your information every time you need to run your project summary or individual projects selected. For either dashboard, select your name and any of the fields you are specifically looking for. It is better to keep these as generic as possible when it comes to dates, which can be left blank. You must then hit apply before you can save a default.

Click the tool wheel at the top right of the screen and select Save Current Customization. Be sure to give your saved customization a descriptive name so that you can reference it later. Click on Make this my Default for this page, then click OK.

• If you have multiple customizations saved, they can be edited by selecting Edit Current Customizations and selecting the one you wish to edit.
• If you wish to change from one default customization to the other, click Apply Saved Customization and choose from the dropdown.
• If you want to return to a clear dashboard, click Clear My Customization. This will not delete your saved customizations.
• If you are having difficulties, please review a YouTube video guide