Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

Services and Contacts

Proposals and Grants

Members of the Communications office and the Business office are available to assist you in creating and submitting your grant proposals and outreach programs.

Contacts
grants@igb.illinois.edu
(217) 300-1281

Proposal Development Team

Purchasing and Billing

Airfare Purchase	Theme Admins
Allocations	Carla Dickey (217) 244-4522
Billings	Meii Chan (217) 333-2024
Copy Machine Access (IGB)	help@igb.illinois.edu
Grants and Contracts	IGB Grants Group (217) 300-1281
IGB Purchasing (Chrome River queries, IBuy assistance)	purchasing@igb.illinois.edu
Department Card Manager	Renee Profancik (217) 300-8607
Purchasing and Procurement Oversight Purchasing - Pcard Order Information Form	IGB Purchasing Group
Refreshment/Meal Form IGB Documentation for Meals & Refreshments	IGB Purchasing Group
Travel Reimbursements: Domestic or Foreign	Renee Profancik (217) 300-8607

Human Resources

Appointment Processing	Jacinda King (217) 244-2276
Payroll/Time sheets	Malissa Leistner (217) 244-4575
Visas	Jacinda King (217) 244-2276

Human Resources Team

Business Office Helpful Tips

A document that provides users with helpful tips and tricks for purchasing needs.

Business Office Helpful Tips

Tariff Informational Resources

Friendly vendors list

• Bio-Rad: June 18, 2025 Update on Tariff Surcharge
   

Sigma-Aldrich listed as "unfriendly vendor"

On May 5, 2025, the Purchasing and Contract Management Offices were notified of Sigma-Aldrich’s intent to begin adding a 7% tariff surcharge to all future orders, regardless of whether an ordered item’s supply chain was impacted by import tariffs. In contrast to other vendors who proactively reached out to the university to strategize around ways to partner to mitigate tariff impacts, Sigma took this unprecedented and unjustified step without any prior discussion with the university. This is not the level of service and partnership that we expect from any vendor, especially an awarded catalog vendor, and subsequent discussions with Sigma did not sufficiently resolve our concerns. Accordingly, the university will be responding by removing the Sigma catalog from the iBuy showcase. The university is actively involved in discussions with peer BTAA institutions that are also planning similar actions against this supplier. 

read the full notice here 

Strategies for procuring items

• Use the University storeroom whenever possible.
• When you are working with a foreign vendor, seek alternative quotes for comparison to potentially minimize costs.
• Request substitutes to avoid fees.
• Tangible items above $4,999 seek alternative quotes for comparison to potentially minimized costs.
• Fabricated equipment above $4,999 seek alternative quotes for comparison to potentially minimized costs.
• Ensure the country of origin for each item is listed on the quote.
• If you have any questions on a particular quote, please reach out to IGB Purchasing for further guidance within our scope. Otherwise, we may have to consult with Baker Logistics on a case-by-case basis.  

Tariffs and Trade Impacts

Guidance on how to manage tariffs for short- and long-term considerations. Before a purchase order can be issued, consider questioning the vendors as to why tariffs are being applied, and ask for proof.

campus purchasing tariffs and trade impacts 

Electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons Account

 Two-factor authentication

As of September 15, 2021, eRA has begun requiring two-factor authentication for principal investigators and key personnel 45 days after the submission of an application (Type 1 or 2) or Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR). Please note that due to this change, researchers will no longer be able to share their credentials with others for assistance with completing administrative tasks, including submission of Just-in-Time information or Research Performance Progress Reports. Questions about this change can be directed to grants@igb.illinois.edu.

Instruction guides on how to sign up via an InCommon Federated account, the preferred method, or via Login.gov are available here:

Instructions for InCommon Federated accounts (preferred)

Instructions for Login.gov (only if InCommon Federated is not available)

Resources and Helpful Links 

Accessing eRA Modules Via an InCommon Federated Account

Two-Factor Authentication: Accessing eRA Modules via Login.gov

NOT-OD-21-172 Guide Notice available

Transition Plan for Two-Factor Authentication Requirement for Accessing eRA Systems (Download Brochure, August 6, 2021)

Frequently asked questions

If you run into issues with associating your Login.gov or InCommon Federated account with your eRA account, please contact the eRA Service Desk.

You can also refer to Login.gov for additional help.