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Transportation & Shipping

Updates and Announcements

SEAS requires eShipGlobal adoption by June 30th for regulated (hazardous, permitted), MTA, &/or international shipments.

SEAS specific eShipGlobal trainings dates are listed below. Links to register for the trainings in HTP will be provided on this site before Feb 28th.

Elle Macleod is holding SEAS shipping office hours

SEAS people and research transpose the globe, creating the need for materials transportation and shipping. Guidance on transportation and shipping guidance can be found below.

Sections

  • How to Ship
  • Transportation & Shipping Support Services
  • Getting Started with Regulated, MTA, &/or International Shipments
  • Hand Carry Transportation Considerations with Research Materials & Equipment
  • Additional information

How to Ship

Mailings (Domestic or International)

Letters and paperwork generally do not need to be reviewed and can be shipped directly through your preferred shipping vendor. There are no training requirements. Ensure appropriate packaging materials, tracking, and insurance/declared value.


Examples of mailings:
– Passport renewal application
– Check payment
– Information packets

Non – Regulated Domestic Shipments

Non-regulated domestic shipments generally do not need to be reviewed and can be shipped directly through your preferred shipping vendor. Ensure appropriate packaging materials, tracking, and insurance/declared value.


Examples of non-regulated domestic shipments:
-Package containing a t-shirt sent to an accepted student in Portland
-Package containing get-well flowers to a colleague in NH

Regulated, MTA, &/or International Shipments

SEAS, will adopt eShipGlobal as a required shipping compliance tool to manage all, regulated (e.g. hazardous, USDA permits, CDC permit), international, and Material Transfer Agreement [MTA]) shipments. There are training requirements outlined below.

Examples of regulated &/or international shipments:
-Package containing a t-shirt with embedded batteries sent to collaborator in London (R & I)
-Package containing a laptop sent to a traveling faculty member in Iran (I)
-Package containing 6 laptops sent to a traveling faculty member in Nevada (R)
-Package containing ethanol shipped to RI (R)

Contact RCP and EHS (hazardous) for these shipments well in advance of your shipping date.

Transportation & Shipping Support Services

Science Operations @ SEAS

SEAS Science Operations is available to help support and triage shipping and transportation issues, information requests, etc… We recognize there are many departments and logistics around transportation and shipment. Don’t hesistate to reach out to determine the best path for your transit needs.

Research Compliance Program (RCP): Export Control and Material Transfer Agreements

SEAS/FAS’s Research Compliance Program (RCP) supports our community in addressing the pre-shipment requirements, licenses, documentation and other controls for hazardous and select international shipments. Before undergoing shipping activities involving non-U.S. persons, places, or entities, or shipments of hazardous materials, contact our local export control administrators in RCP to conduct a screening.

If it is determined that an export license or other documentation is needed, the export control administrator will work with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research to apply for a license from the appropriate government entity, according to University’s Export License Review and Approval Policy. All licenses and permits must be obtained prior to initiating the shipment.  The RCP also reviews Material Transfer Agreements.

Harvard’s Environmental Health and Safety (EHS): Hazardous Shipment and Permits (ex. CDC, USDA)

Harvard’s Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) continues to support our community in addressing the pre-shipment requirements, packaging, documentation and other controls for hazardous and regulated shipments. Before shipping unreviewed shipments of hazardous materials to specific locations, contact EHS Research Transport to review packaging, labeling, and other shipping requirements.

eShipGlobal: Regulated, MTA, &/or International Shipments Required Shipping Platform

eShipGlobal is a shipping platform and system of record accessed through the University’s procurement platform, Buy-to-Pay. For more information on shipping in eShipGlobal, visit Know Before Shipping with eShipGlobal.

We recognize eShipGlobal may not be compatible or able to be used for all shipments. Prior approval for hazardous, regulated (e.g. USDA, CDC), international, and MTA shipments not using eShipGlobal must be sought through SEAS Science Operations and a workflow will be created on a case-by-case basis to ensure continuous workflow with compliance assurances.


 

Getting Started with Regulated &/or International Shipments

Take required hazardous shipment and permit training


To ship hazardous materials at Harvard, you must complete the pertinent trainings in Harvard Training Portal. You should not ship materials for Harvard purposes without the appropriate trainings. The Research Material Shipment and Transport Manual on starting on page 7 outlines what you can and cannot be training to ship at Harvard and when to escalate your shipment to EHS for help.

There are four trainings available on the Harvard Training Portal:
+ EHS-LAB109: Shipping Excepted Quantities: Flammables, Corrosives, and Common Fixatives Training
+ EHS-LAB104: Shipping Biological Materials and Dry Ice Training
+ EHS-LAB114: Shipping Non-Regulated Materials and Dry Ice Training
+ Biological Import and Transport Permits (related to Center for Disease Control [CDC], Fish and Wildlife Services [FWS], and United States Department of Agriculture [USDA] permits) – water, soil, rocks, other environmental samples

Familiarize yourself with eShip Global (required training for hazardous shipments)


Due to some limitations of eShip and the workflows related to hazardous shipment requirements, we are requiring all hazardous materials shippers to take the eShipGlobal training.

eShipGlobal Shipping Compliance Training
Please note these are live trainings with an occurrence approximately every two weeks

eShipGlobal is available now in Buy-to-Pay Several online resources are available for you to review as you get started in eShipGlobal: 
+ eShipGlobal Get Started guide 
+ Introduction to basic, domestic shipments with eShipGlobal 
+ Introduction to international shipments with eShipGlobal 
+ Introduction to Research Material shipments with eShipGlobal 
+ Introduction to Export Controls Laws and Regulations 

Hand Carry Transportation Considerations with Research Materials & Equipment

Local Tranportation

Transporting materials locally or with you during your travels has many considerations. The Research Material Shipment and Transport Manual provides details on what to consider. There are many modes of transportation services that have restrictions. Confirm with Harvard’s policy and the vendor’s policy before transporting hazardous materials.

Broader or International Travel

Generally, we advise against transporting your materials with you when you travel. The Research Material Shipment and Transport Manual provides details on what to consider. The Department of Tranportatation (DOT) regulates domestic ground transport, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code regulates water transport, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) along with other government and local regulations. Contact the transportation and shipping team below before planning to tranport research materials with you.

Additional information

For questions or concerns about Research Compliance, contact the SEAS/FAS Research Compliance Program at rcp@harvard.edu. For questions or concerns about the eShipGlobal tool, contact eship@harvard.edu. For questions or concerns about SEAS shipping policies, contact mmacleod@seas.harvard.edu.