Aerial photograph of UC Davis campus taken on a sunny, clear morning from the south side of campus looking north with the UC Davis Water Tower in the front and Mrak Hall to the right. Campus buildings are visible through tree tops throughout the expanse of the campus, with the valley in the horizon.

Visiting Academic Collaborators

Overview

The Visiting Academic Collaborators Policy, outlined in the UC Davis Policy and Procedure Manual 380-09, applies to all campus faculty, clinicians and staff who sponsor Visiting Academic Collaborators for more than 10 days. Under the policy, a Visiting Academic Collaborator must have a Sponsor—a UC Davis employee who invites the collaborator to UC Davis. Both the Sponsor and the Visiting Academic Collaborator must provide the required information to UC Davis prior to the collaborator’s arrival at a UC Davis facility.

A Visiting Academic Collaborator is any person (domestic or international) who:

  • Will be at UC Davis in collaboration with a member of the UC Davis community for more than 10 days (not including weekends or campus holidays)
  • Is not employed by the University of California
  • Is not sponsored for a visa by UC Davis
  • Is invited by a UC Davis Sponsor to a UC Davis campus or facility
  • Will participate in activities such as a conference/seminar/meeting, interview, short-term training, or to conduct independent research for more than 10 days

The Visiting Academic Collaborators designation includes domestic and international visitors not sponsored for a visa by UC Davis. Visiting Academic Collaborators do not include those who should be sponsored for J-1 visa status. Visiting Academic Collaborators will usually have a visa sponsored by another U.S. institution, a B-1 business visitor visa, or be granted U.S. entry as a business visitor under the Visa Waiver Program.

Purpose

Given UC Davis’ commitment to enhancing its mission of teaching, research and service through partnerships and interactions with visiting national and international collaborators, this policy ensures that UC Davis maintains centralized information about Visiting Academic Collaborators; protects its interests, reputation and intellectual property; and mitigates related risks, including, but not limited to conflicts of interest, conflicts of commitment, export controls, foreign collaborations and intellectual property security and control.

Requirements

Sponsors and their visitors are required to submit information through the web portal iGlobal, managed by Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) within Global Affairs. During this process, the Office of Research will also collect information regarding a proposed visit by international Visiting Academic Collaborators.

Under the policy, information on international visitors is required to be submitted at least 90 days prior to the planned arrival and information on domestic visitors is required at least 15 days prior to the planned arrival.

Information about submission requirements can be found in Frequently Asked Questions below.

Contact

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

  • Who is considered a Visiting Academic Collaborator?

  • A Visiting Academic Collaborator is—with a few exceptions—any person, domestic or international, not employed by UC Davis and whom a UC Davis Sponsor has invited to a UC Davis campus or facility to participate in in-person activities such as a conference/seminar/meeting, interview, short-term training, or to conduct independent research for more than 10 days (not including weekends or campus holidays) in collaboration or partnership with a member of the UC Davis community (faculty, clinicians and staff). 

    Specifically for international visitors, the following individuals should be registered as Visiting Academic Collaborators:
    - International visitors here on a business visitor/tourist visa (B-1/B-2) or visa waiver (WB). 
          -- Note: international visitors coming to UC Davis to do research must be working independently (no benefits to UC Davis or a program back home), and due to federal regulations, international visitors doing collaborative work with campus faculty, researchers, or others are required to use a J-1 visa and do not fall within the Visiting Academic Collaborator category of visitors. Please contact a SISS scholar advisor to confirm if the WB B-1/B-2 is appropriate.
    -Visiting Academic Collaborators who are here in visa categories not requiring sponsorship by UC Davis, with a few exceptions noted in the following section. The appropriate immigration status is the individual visitor’s responsibility. SISS can direct the visitor to information on the USCIS website or a list of immigration attorneys for more information.

  • Who is not considered a Visiting Academic Collaborator?

  • - Academic visitors planning to be on campus for fewer than 10 days. 
    - Any international visitor sponsored by UC Davis for a J-1 visa. This new process does not replace the J-1 program sponsorship requirement for teaching and collaborative research, paid or unpaid by UC Davis.
        -- The Visiting Academic Collaborator is not a substitute for the J-1 visa. See information on what activities are appropriate for a business visa or visa waiver.
    - Visiting Fulbright Scholars.
    - Without salary appointments: International visitors without salary appointments should be here as J-1 scholars.
    - International visitors who are employees and whose visa was processed by a program sponsor other than UC Davis, using work authorization such as J-1 Academic Training, J-2 with Employment Authorization Document (EAD), F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT), etc.
    - Anyone employed by UC Davis, such as postdocs or researchers, or having an official academic appointment including without salary.  
    - Visitors who have an official academic appointment should not be considered Visiting Academic Collaborators. The host department should request support for a J-1 visa for these visitors.

  • When must information be submitted?

  • Sponsors must report the visitor in advance. Under the policy, information on international visitors is required to be submitted at least 90 days prior to the planned arrival and information on domestic visitors is required at least 15 days prior to the planned arrival.

  • What information is required to be submitted?

  • Sponsors (UC Davis employees who have invited the visitor) are required to provide the following information through the web portal iGlobal:
    - Name of visitor
    - Visitor’s email address
    - Is the visitor a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident?
    - Name of UC Davis host/sponsor
    - UC Davis host/sponsor’s email address
    - Type of visit (selected from a drop-down menu in iGlobal)
    - Anticipated arrival and departure dates

    Visiting Academic Collaborators are required to provide the following information:
    - Name
    - Date of birth
    - Is the visitor a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident?
    - Emergency contact information (name, phone, email)
    - Name of employer/home institution and department
    - Work title/position at home institution (e.g., faculty, researcher, undergraduate student, graduate student) 
    - Home institution address
    - Home institution country
    - Source(s) of funding for UC Davis visit

  • Who should submit the required information on Visiting Academic Collaborators?

  • Since Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) in Global Affairs has a network of campus department and program contacts with whom we work on visa issues and already have access to the web portal iGlobal, we recommend that Sponsors work with these staff members to submit Visiting Academic Collaborator information. Access to the UC Davis iGlobal reporting database is limited to staff with SISS approval, and you must have access to iGlobal in order to access the reporting form.

    Sponsors should contact the person in their departments or clusters who normally work with SISS to bring international scholars to campus (known as the "SISS department contact"). This person will have access to the UC Davis iGlobal system, where they will initiate the Visiting Academic Collaborator reporting form.

    Please email SISS if your department or cluster does not have an existing SISS contact or if you do not know who this person is.

  • How does a Sponsor report a Visiting Academic Collaborator?

  • - Contact the person in your department or cluster who normally works with Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) to bring international scholars to campus (known as the "SISS department contact"). This person will have access to the UC Davis iGlobal system, where they will initiate the Visiting Academic Collaborator reporting form.
          -- Please email SISS if your department or cluster does not have an existing SISS contact or if you do not know who this person is.
          -- You must have access to iGlobal in order to access the reporting form.
    - The SISS department contact will complete the Visiting Academic Collaborator reporting form in the UC Davis iGlobal system, including the names of others (e.g., department chair) who will be required to approve the visit.
          -- The form must be submitted at least 15 days prior to the arrival of a domestic Visiting Academic Collaborator, or at least 90 days prior to the arrival of an international Visiting Academic Collaborator.
    - Once the Visiting Academic Collaborator has been registered, the reported information will be entered into a database for reporting and archival purposes.
    - Upon the Visiting Academic Collaborator's arrival, the host department must submit information confirming the visitor’s arrival and confirming arrival and planned departure dates.

  • What are the overall roles and responsibilities?

  • The Sponsor: 
    - Provides required information about the prospective Visiting Academic Collaborator and coordinates the reporting process.
    - Consults with Global Affairs/SISS if there are questions about the appropriate visa status of international visitors.
    -     Reports the Visiting Academic Collaborator’s actual arrival and departure dates to Global Affairs/SISS.
    -     Ensures that the Visiting Academic Collaborator is aware of and follows all university policies applicable to their activities at UC Davis.
    -     Works with the Office of Research to resolve export control issues, if any. 

    The Department Chair/Supervisor:
    - Reviews and acknowledges the report form of the prospective Visiting Academic Collaborator within their area of supervisory responsibility.
    - Acknowledges and agrees to support the Sponsor with respect to policy compliance of the Visiting Academic Collaborator in the scope of their activities while at UC Davis, including providing and removing access to university facilities and resources.
    - Delegates to an appropriate department staff person the responsibility of reporting Visiting Academic Collaborators. 

    The Dean/Vice Provost/Vice Chancellor:
    - Reviews and acknowledges the report form of the prospective Visiting Academic Collaborator within their area of supervisory responsibility.
    - Acknowledges and agrees to support the Sponsor with respect to policy compliance of the Visiting Academic Collaborator within the scope of their activities while at UC Davis.

    The Vice Provost and Dean - Global Affairs:
    - Enters the reported information into a database.
    - Responds to appropriate campus officials to answer questions or address issues raised, as necessary.
    - Provides periodic reports summarizing data on Visiting Academic Collaborators to other campus units for appropriate analysis and decision-making.

    The Visiting Academic Collaborator:
    - Submits accurate information to be included on the report form.
    - Complies with all relevant university policies.

  • Why is Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) collecting information on domestic visitors?

  • The university would like to have a better understanding of both international and domestic visitors. To simplify data collection, the task was assigned to a single campus unit.