Travel

Travel Policy

• University Policy states that an RTA (Request for Travel Authorization) is to be requested prior to travel. In recognition of this policy, if authorization has not been requested prior to travel the faculty member will be asked to complete a signed memo acknowledging that he/she did not previously know that an RTA was necessary and submit this with the reimbursement request. Three exceptions (at most) will be allowed per fiscal year (per faculty). The fourth request will be denied.
• In order to be reimbursed for travel, receipts must be processed within 60 days of return date. Reimbursements are routinely denied for receipts submitted later than 60 days after faculty member has returned from travel.
• Faculty cannot be reimbursed for personal travel.  If you expect to conduct research while on personal travel, the specific work dates have to be indicated prior to the travel in the notes of the RTA.
• Faculty cannot be reimbursed for payments to non-commercial lodging without prior authorization.
• For travel during the first and last week of classes and finals periods, prior approval from the Chair is required. Chairs must review travel dates, missed classes, name of faculty member who will oversee missed classes, final exam dates and how exams will be administered, a plan for on time grade submission, and a method of contact for student queries. The TAR document notes must confirm the Chair's approval. Chairs traveling longer than a week require prior approval from the Dean’s Office.
• If classes are to be missed, the traveler should state the name of the faculty member covering each class.  If the traveler is a Chair or Director, they should also indicate who will be assuming their administrative duties.
• If you will be out of town for more than 30 days and wish to be paid for a meal allowance beyond the 30 days, you need approval from your department. The College will now allow these payments if they are approved internally.
• We strongly encourage faculty who will be paying for extraneous research needs to request a Cash Advance before travel. If a trip will include group travel and/or research payments, please ask about the possibility of a cash advance.

Restricted Regions

• No student, faculty, or staff can be required to travel to a location on the Restricted Regions List (PDF).
• Download an explanation of the criteria and ratings (PDF) for Restricted Regions.
• You must apply for approval in order to travel to a Restricted Region. Instructions and request forms can be found on the Request Restricted Region Travel Approval page.
• To receive safety and security information from the International Oversight Committee, sign up for the IOC listserv (search for "IOC" and subscribe to ioc@utlists.utexas.edu) or contact us at grs@austin.utexas.edu. 
• You cannot be reimbursed for travel to a Restricted Region unless you have received advance approval from the International Oversight Committee in the International Office for such travel.

Travel Funding

Departmental

Department Stipend – All Tenured and Non-Tenure Track Faculty may make use of a travel stipend provided by the department. This stipend is $800 per fiscal year (September 1 – August 31), and unused funds do not carry over/cannot be used for non-travel expenses.

Graduate School Funding

Types of Graduate School Funding

Faculty Travel Grant (FTG) Beginning academic year 2021-2022, eligible faculty may receive as much as $1400 per academic year for travel expenses to present original papers at scholarly and professional meetings. This includes reimbursement for allowable travel-related expenses for the conference—lodging, meals, transportation and registration, all of which are non-taxable reimbursements.  It may also be a taxable reimbursement to cover unusual extra child-care expenses incurred because of the travel.  Funds may be used for foreign or domestic travel. An approved (not just submitted) Faculty Travel Grant Application must be on file prior to the trip to receive funding. It is recommended that you submit your FTG application once your travel plans are set, but at a minimum please allow two weeks prior to travel for processing and approval.

Virtual Conference Faculty Registration Grants (VCFRG)

The VCFRG program is a new option within the overall Faculty Travel Grant (FTG) program. The VCFRG will provide reimbursement for basic conference registration fees for virtual conference presentations where a registration fee is being charged.  The purpose and eligibility requirements for a VCFRG are the same as for a FTG. The maximum award total for FTG plus VCFRG has increased, as of Fall 2021, to $1400 per academic year toward qualified expenses.  An approved (not just submitted) VCFRG application must be on file prior to the conference to receive funding.  Applications are due to the Graduate School two weeks prior to the conference to allow for processing and approval.

Purpose

The purpose of the travel grant or virtual conference registration grant is to support presentation of the applicant’s original research or creative effort at a recognized organized conference or professional meeting. The presentation will usually be in the form of an oral or poster presentation, but can vary with field, merely attending a meeting does not qualify.  Nor does the FTG program support accepting an invitation to present a seminar, taking part in a lecture series or giving a colloquium at another university or similar venue that is not a conference.

Eligibility

The following faculty members are eligible for funding from the above programs:

• All tenured faculty
• All tenure-track faculty members and emeritus faculty members are eligible.
• Mid- and senior-level non-tenure-track faculty members with five years of service are eligible.
  • Senior lecturer
  • Associate professor of instruction
  • Associate professor of practice
  • Clinical associate professor
  • Distinguished senior lecturer
  • Professor of instruction
  • Professor of practice
  • Clinical professor

Allowable Expenses

• Registration fee (Membership fees are not allowed on the FTG)
• Airfare — economy airfare to/from the conference (Reimbursement only, no direct billing)
• Taxis — to/from airport, hotel, conference site
• Lodging & Meals — lodging is reimbursed at the single occupancy rate  
  • Within Texas, total limit of $260/day ($51/day for meals
  • Outside Texas (continental United States), total limit of $375/day ($51/day meals)
• Extra Childcare Expenses - Faculty may claim extra childcare expenses incurred because of the travel, subject to the $1,200 total limit.  The faculty member must sign a document affirming the added expenses due to travel, above and beyond normal childcare expenses.  These expenses will be paid as a taxable reimbursement. To claim reimbursement, complete the Confirmation of Extraordinary Childcare Expense form.

Paying for Travel

Reimbursement/Payment Types

Direct Billing

Direct billing may be used by faculty and staff to purchase Airfare through Anthony Travel. Once your Travel Authorization request has been final approved and your Travel Approval Voucher has been approved by CBS, you may select a flight and send that information to Noël Meyer, who will work with Anthony to secure your flight. 

Standard Reimbursement

Standard reimbursements are the most popular form of of travel payment. These are issued post-travel when receipts for travel expenses have been submitted to Noël Meyer and prepared for and processed by CBS. Receipts may be submitted digitally using the link in the sidebar or sent via email. 

Rules for Reimbursement Receipts

• Lodging - Lodging receipts must be from commercial lodging entities (hotels, AirB&B or similar) and must be itemized to show price per night and any applicable taxes. UT is exempt from hotel tax in the state of Texas
• Meals - Meal receipts submitted as part of a travel reimbursement must be for a single diner. Receipts where dinner is shared must be part of an official event and fallow the OOEF procedure
• Ground Travel - Taxi and Uber receipts must list tips separately

Cash Advance

• Travel involving payments made to workers, non-commercial lodging, group travel, entertainment, and program expenses can be made via a travel cash advance with prior authorization.
• With a Cash Advance, you are able to pay third party consultants or pay for group travel. Please remember that without a Cash Advance we cannot reimburse faculty directly for these payments.
  For example: You cannot be reimbursed for paying for travel expenses for others, however you can pay expenses for other researchers on your team with your Cash Advance.
• Cash advance requests should be submitted within 2 to 4 weeks before the date funds are needed, and receipts are due 14 days after travel has been completed.
• If you or your faculty member are unfamiliar with the ease in which Cash Advances can cover your travel expenses, please ask to meet with CBS and we will go over the pros and cons for your particular situation.

Types of Cash Advances

• Travel Cash advances provide the convenience of receiving funds before travel begins.
• Study cash advances are also available for payments made to study participants.

 

Travel Quick Links