Guidelines
Everything You Need to Know About Traveling with CICOES
Submit travel summary and receipts within 90 days of return or tax withholding will be taken from the reimbursement.
Advance Funds
Must be $300 or greater.
Once the completed and signed Travel Request form is received by CICOES, submit advance request via email to Nomie (no additional form required). Indicate number of days in each location.
Airfare
Coach fare only. For additional leg room, see Coach Plus airfare below.
Once the completed and signed Travel Request Form is received by Nomie, contact CICOES’s travel agent, Corporate Travel Management, at uw@travelctm.com to make your reservation.
If you are hosting a visitor, submit the individual’s travel request and email address to Nomie and she will guide the visitor through the travel process, including how to contact the travel agent for flight reservations.
Business class fare allowed only allowed if entire one-way flight (including layovers) is more than 14 hours (or there is an approved medical accommodation) and approved by the Dean of the College of the Environment.
When traveling on NOAA cooperative institute budgets, US flag airlines must be used unless no US carrier offers flight or other exceptional circumstances (Fly America Act). See Foreign Travel below.
Baggage Fees
Receipt required for reimbursement regardless of amount.
Business Class – Air and Rail
Only allowed by prior approval of the Dean of the College of the Environment and when travel is more than 14 hours, including layovers, or there is an approved medical accommodation.
Car Rental
Detailed receipt required for reimbursement regardless of amount. For reduced rates, use Enterprise/National and use contract code 45WA033 and company name WAS. You must be the only driver unless you are working with another UW employee. Go to Enterprise website and click on business tab to get started.
More UW car rental guidelines and details
Coach Plus Seating
If needed to accommodate health needs, you must first make a medical accommodation request; see https://hr.uw.edu/dso/services/services-for-faculty-and-staff/. Cost of additional airfare must be identifiable from regular airfare, so it can be applied to a non-grant budget.
Currency Exchange
Collen calculates exchange rate on OANDA website for all expenses in foreign currency unless you provide exact USD charges from bank statement.
Currency Exchange Fees
Not reimbursable, considered to be covered by foreign meal per diem.
Emergency
Prior to travel, study and take action on guidelines provided on the Office of Global Affairs page.
Equipment
When taking equipment on foreign travel be prepared at US Customs reentry to show a receipt for the item and/or a confirmation letter signed by the CICOES Assistant Director.
Foreign Travel
When traveling on NOAA budgets, flights using UW carriers only and US carriers with an “operated by” code share (must be ticketed subsidiary to US company) can be ticketed without central NOAA approval. Contact Nomie or Fred prior to arranging travel. CICOES must purchase all tickets; we can not reimburse foreign airfare for NOAA budgets that did not get prior approval from central NOAA.
Foreign airline reservations can be made through Corporate Travel Management (see airfare notes above).
Some budgets require prior approval from sponsor for foreign travel, contact Fred Averick if unsure.
More foreign travel information
Foreign Visitors or Travelers
To be reimbursed, foreign visitors must provide scans of visa, passport photo page, paper or electronic I-94 form, entry stamp page, and other forms based on entry status (J1 – DS-2019; F1 – I-20). Canadian citizens can provide a copy of either the driver’s license and social insurance card or copy of identity page in passport.
Health
Allowable costs include medical evaluation, vaccinations, prescriptions, chest x-ray, TB test, and other items based on requirements. Prescriptions must be described on receipts, amounts only are not acceptable. A health authorization memo must be signed by the CICOES administrator. Costs are reimbursable prior to travel.
Insurance
Not reimbursable. Personal health insurance liaison in emergencies is Daniel Brencic, Global Travel Security Manager (see Emergency above).
Internet Fees
Allowable if there is a written business justification; a receipt is required for all uses including in airports and during flights. When traveling to a conference, usually when resorts charge a “resort fee,” internet access is one item in the list of services. Find this description on the website and provide the URL to Collen or Nomie. Without this justification, resort fees will be denied by the Travel Office.
Lodging
Fully detailed receipts (also called a “folio”) are required to be able to separate room rate from room service or mini bar charges (not allowable), internet (allowable), parking or valet parking (must be required by hotel), business center access (allowable), etc.
Reservations can be made via websites, and lodging paid for prior to travel is immediately reimbursable. Any bonafide, legal rental may be used such as AirBnb.
Justification for reimbursement greater than the per diem rate must be fully documented before travel or during travel in the case of needing to change reservations. Be informed of what is sufficient documentation prior to travel.
Meals
Receipts are not required. Full per diem is calculated for all travel based on location(s). Please provide complex travel itineraries on the Detailed Travel Movements form to document timing and location of movements. If meals (including breakfast) are provided by the event or hotel, no per diem will be given for that meal–unless there’s a documented health or business justification.
Membership Fees
Since the cost of membership can’t be allocated to one project – even when it’s required to attend a meeting at the member rate – membership costs cannot be paid on grants. Ask your PI if they can pay such professional memberships from their RCR budget.
Mileage
Mileage calculation must be via Google Maps or Mapquest. When using personal vehicle, an airfare comparison must be searched online prior to travel. You are reimbursed for the cost of the airline ticket, not miles driven, if airfare is less. Airfare calculation should be reasonable based on the plans you would have made for the trip.
More details on reimbursement for use of personal car
Personal Travel
It is allowable for UW employees to take annual leave before or after business travel, however do not assume reimbursement of airfare for trips that include personal time. Comparison airfare must be provided and documented prior to travel. Make note of date and time that personal leave starts and ends. It is best to cover requirements thoroughly with Collen prior to making arrangements.
Receipts
Regardless of cost, some items require receipts; specifically airfare, baggage fees, supplies, and car rentals. Many items under $75 do not require receipts, however best practice is to provide them (see receipt policy). Scanned and photographed receipts are allowed. Card transaction statements are acceptable if no other receipt is available and the statement is clear on what the charge is for (bank statements NOT ALLOWED for lodging and car rental).
Registration
Registration can be paid for by Nomie with CICOES’s ProCard. For sites requiring a user ID and password, send the information to her. A copy of the meeting/conference website URL is needed with the travel request at time of purchase.
Supplies
Reimbursable with receipts. If it may not be clear what the supply is for, describe research purpose.
Taxis
Tip is allowable. Foreign taxi currency exchange is calculated by Collen unless bank transaction of amount is provided. If the driver has no way to provide a receipt, record the expense in the foreign currency paid. For Uber and other types of car service, forward email receipts to Nomie.
Tips
Tips are allowable for car service and foreign research vessel steward payments. Have steward sign or initial your record of payments. Tips to hotel workers are considered to be covered by foreign meal per diem.
Travel Card
For all expenses related to travel that cannot be paid for by a CICOES ProCard (contact Nomie), UW policy encourages employees to use a UW Travel Card issued by JP Morgan Chase. The application can be found here. The card has a 60 day pay period rather than one month.
Visa
Costs can be submitted for reimbursement prior to travel.