Central Business Unit

The Central Business Unit (CBU) operates under a shared-services model designed to provide financial, grant, personnel, and administrative support to academic units as workload demand and CBU capacity allow. Our mission is to provide excellent service to our customers, and to ultimately serve UMass Boston students.

If you are not currently a customer and are in an academic affairs unit interested in our services, please email us at [email protected] to request a meeting with our team to discuss how we can best support your operations. 

Following are the areas of support and services currently accommodated by the CBU: 

Personnel

•   Submit ePAFs for various actions including new hires, funding changes, other data changes, etc.
•   Complete preapproval and payment request forms for additional compensation 
•   Assist with paperwork for hiring work study and/or grad students

Financial

•   Submit employee travel and other expense reimbursements
•   Invite new vendors to register with UMB so they can invoice and/or receive payment
•   Pay invoices on Purchase Orders
•   Purchase items through BuyWays
•   Request honoraria for special guests
•   View and report on revenue and expense activity in Summit OBIEE
•   Assist with annual budget development
•   Provide monthly budget updates

Grants

•   Complete Pre- and Post Award forms for ORSP
•   Work with ORSP to set up subawards
•   Develop grant proposal budgets
•   Obtain signatures on forms
•   Prepare bio sketches translated from CVs
•   Submit subaward invoices
•   Assist with submitting final contracts/POs for consultants or services

Administrative

•   Request signatures through DocuSign
•   Create spreadsheets/collect data and update existing data
•   Complete Pre- and Post Award grant forms for ORSP
•   Take monthly minutes at Faculty meetings
•   Assist with events (limited – please ask)
•   Other administrative, financial or grant services assistance

Unfortunately, at this time the CBU is not able to provide a staff member for dedicated in-person coverage within a unit.  However, we will endeavor to assist your unit in finding other options to meet those needs.