Budget Consultation & Billing Inquiries

Close up of male and female business managers reviewing research proposal budgetsManaging the many complexities of your research project can be challenging enough without worrying about the financial aspects associated with animal care and use.

That’s why the ULAM Business Office is available to assist investigators and support staff with questions and concerns about budgeting, billing, and per-diem rates.

Budget Consultation

If you’d like assistance with budget planning for your next project proposal, ULAM can:

Billing Inquiries

The University tracks many of the costs associated with day-to-day animal care and use through a barcoding system, which is primarily managed through the eResearch Animal Management System (eRAM). Billing for the costs associated with the purchase of animals and supplies, daily care of animals, technical assistance, and specialized research support services are billed monthly to departmental or investigator accounts.

Specific information about ULAM rates, including current per-diem rates for animal husbandry, animal acquisition, and research support services, can be found on the Rates page. For details on how to access eRAM, please visit our eRAM page.

Additional information about how barcoding is used to keep track of animals in our facilities is available on the Animal Ordering & Acquisition page.

Billing FAQs

The ULAM Billing Team can assist with pulling previous billing statements, assigning animal cages to different shortcodes, and moving past charges that cannot otherwise be moved with a Journal Entry.

The Team can also perform various shortcode-related functions including shortcode transfers (see additional FAQ below) and linking shortcodes to protocols.

The Billing Team is unable to generate invoices or process any purchases.

If you are unsure about whether your issue is related to billing, send an email to ulam-questions@umich.edu and your question will be routed to the appropriate party.

In order to prevent charges from hitting your original shortcode, you will need to perform a shortcode transfer.

A shortcode transfer will stop charges from hitting one shortcode and direct them to begin hitting a new one. Transfers can also be backdated,* meaning that you can select the original date that charges should have begun appearing on your new shortcode.

Shortcode transfers can be performed by a PI or Shortcode Manager.

Step-by-step instructions on how to perform a shortcode transfer are available upon request by emailing ulam-billing@umich.edu.

*The Office of Research & Sponsored Projects must approve any charges dating back more than 90 days.

For assistance with moving specific charges, please email ulam-billing@umich.edu with the following information:

  • the original shortcode that was charged
  • the new shortcode where the charges should be moved
  • the month that the charges hit your shortcode
  • a list of all charge(s) that should be moved 

You may also include a copy of your billing statement (if available) with all relevant charge(s) to be moved clearly highlighted or otherwise denoted.

To expedite processing, please also include the name and preferred method of contact (e.g., email, phone number, etc.) for one individual in case the Billing Team may need to reach out with any additional questions about your request.

Note: The Billing Team is UNABLE to look up charges, statements, or accounts by Project Grant Number (PGNS) or USE Numbers, so it is critical that shortcode information be included in all requests.

General questions may be sent to ulam-billing@umich.edu.

Please include as much information as possible in your initial email so that the team can carefully assess your situation and collect any additional background materials that may be needed to address your concerns.

The ULAM Billing Team is available via email Monday – Friday from 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM to address any questions or concerns you may have. All inquiries receive a response within one business day.

Questions?

Questions about billing, budget consultations, or requests for billing information should be directed to the ULAM Business Office at ulam-billing@umich.edu or (734) 764-0277.