Travel on Sponsored Grants

Travel on Sponsored Grants

University travel policy (http://www.rosalindfranklin.edu/businessoffice/TEPP.pdf) applies to all sponsored programs. However, if specific agency guidelines for a sponsored program are more restrictive than University policy, then agency rules shall apply. Based on the significant amount of federally sponsored funds that the University receives, travel policies to sponsored non-federal programs will parallel to those of the Federal government.

Travel: Allowable as a direct cost where such travel will provide direct benefit to the project. Consistent with the organization's established travel policy, these costs for employees working on the grant-supported project may include associated per diem or subsistence allowances and other travel-related expenses, such as mileage allowances if travel is by personal automobile.

Entertainment is NOT reimbursable on federal grants. Entertainment expenses include costs for meals, amusement, diversion or social activities, when a business discussion takes place during, immediately before, or immediately after the event.

Domestic travel is travel performed within the recipient's own country. For U.S. and Canadian recipients, it includes travel within and between any of the 50 States of the U.S. and its possessions and territories and also travel between the U.S. and Canada and within Canada.

Foreign travel is defined as any travel outside of Canada and the U.S. and its territories and possessions. However, for an organization located outside Canada and the U.S. and its territories and possessions, foreign travel means travel outside that country. Grantees must comply with the requirement of the “Fly America Act” that U.S.-flag air carriers be used by domestic grantees to the maximum extent possible when commercial air transportation is the means of travel between the U.S. and a foreign country or between foreign countries. This requirement shall not be influenced by factors of cost, convenience, or personal travel preference. The cost of travel under a ticket issued by a U.S. flag air carrier that leases space on a foreign air carrier under a code-sharing agreement is allowable if the purchase is in accordance with GSA regulations on U.S. flag air carriers and code shares (http://www.gsa.gov/portal/ext/public/site/FTR/file/Chapter301p010.html/category/21868/#wp1088924)(A code-sharing agreement is an arrangement between a U.S. flag carrier and a foreign air carrier in which the U.S. flag carrier provides passenger service on the foreign air carrier's regularly scheduled commercial flights.)

Exceptions to the Fly America Act: One exception to this requirement is transportation provided under a bilateral or multilateral air transport agreement, to which the United States Government and the government of a foreign country are parties, and which the Department of Transportation has determined meets the requirements of the Fly America Act. The United Sates Government has entered into several air transport agreements that allow federal funded transportation services for travel and cargo movements to use foreign air carriers under certain circumstances. Please find more at http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/103191

Foreign Exchange Rate: For foreign travel reimbursement purposes, travelers must convert the foreign rate to US dollars associated with the date that the expense was paid. A University-approved currency converter is available in the web at http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

In all cases, travel costs are limited to those allowed by formal organizational policy and, in the case of air travel, the lowest reasonable commercial airfares must be used. Grantees are strongly encouraged to take advantage of discount fares for airline travel through advance purchase of tickets where travel schedules can be planned in advance (such as for national meetings and other scheduled events). Federal regulations prohibit the charging of business class or first class air travel to federally sponsored projects. The cost in excess over the coach fare must be segregated on the Expense Report. Any cost in excess over the coach fare will not be reimbursed from other non-sponsored funds unless approved in advance and that the request for reimbursement is accompanied by a written justification.

Employees (including students) are responsible for their own expenses. Individuals are personally responsible that their travel arrangements meet sponsored travel regulations and that their claims for reimbursement are accurate. Improper or inadequately supported travel claims cannot be paid and may delay the reimbursement process. All travel reimbursement forms must be signed by the employee (traveler’s certification) who traveled and the employee’s department head or authorized delegate. If two or more employees are traveling together (including graduate students), each employee must claim his/her reimbursable expenses on separate travel reimbursement forms. Employees must not claim for reimbursement of expenses attributable to other travelers. If employees elect to pay for other traveler’s expenses during a business trip, they might have to recognize the expense from their own personal sources unless another arrangement is done with the traveler.

MEALS: Original itemized receipts must be submitted for all travel expenses including airline and rail, hotels, automobile rentals, meals and incidentals. For breakfast, $30, for lunch $ 30 and for dinner $65 per person including tax and tip is the maximum limit for reimbursement. Reimbursements of meals under $25 for which receipts are unobtainable will be allowed ONLY on a limited basis, this is meant for an occasional missing receipt and not for an aggregation of meals. Conference literature will be check for meals within the registration fee and should be deducted from the travel expense report. ALCOHOL is not allowed.

LODGING: Travelers will be reimbursed for the actual cost of lodging, up to $300 plus tax per day. Conference-site hotels will be reimbursed at the actual cost. To verify conference-site hotel rate, include conference literature with the Travel Expense Report. Exceptional circumstances will be analyzed on a case by case basis.

Research Patient Travel: If research patient care is an approved activity of the grant-supported project, the costs of transporting individuals participating in the research protocol to the site where services are being provided, including costs of public transportation, are allowable. The purchase of motor vehicles for this purpose may be allowable.