Policies, Practices, and Procedures: A Handbook for Research Associateship Awardees

11.1 Purpose 11.2 Professional Scientific Activities 11.3 Programmatic Travel 11.4 Travel Authorization

11.5 Duplicate Form IAP-66 for Exchange Visitors 11.6 Claiming Reimbursement 11.7 Receipts 11.8 Disallowed Items

11.1 Purpose

11.1.1 -- As an Associate, you should have the opportunity for professional travel during tenure. Such travel can be to scientific meetings or gatherings, formal or informal; to visit other noted investigators in their fields of specialized research; or for other purposes that will afford you an opportunity for professional enrichment.

11.1.2 -- A limited sum is available for such travel, and attendance at one or two meetings per year is considered appropriate.

11.1.3 -- For travel during tenure, National Academies Travel will make all transportation arrangements for you.

11.2 Professional travel During Tenure

11.2.1 -- If an organization invites you to give a seminar or lecture, the organization is expected to pay the expenses of your trip.

11.2.2 -- If a workshop requiring a special fee is included as a part of a professional meeting, you must secure prior approval from the Program Administrator to claim reimbursement.

11.2.3 -- An Associateship is not a training program. Registration fees and travel solely for short courses to develop new skills are not permitted, since you are expected to have all the skills necessary to conduct your research program.

11.2.4 -- Occasionally, however, new techniques, technologies, or procedures are developed that can materially aid your research. Requests for short courses or seminars of this nature may be approved by the Program Administrator.

11.3 Programmatic Travel

11.3.1 -- Programmatic travel -- such as field trips to gather data or to make observations -- may be necessary to properly conduct an approved research project. The sponsoring laboratory, in approving the research program, assumes responsibility for supporting such travel.

11.3.2 -- Although supported by the laboratory, a request for programmatic travel must be endorsed by your Adviser and the Laboratory Representative and approved by the Program Administrator. (See item 11.4.2 .)

11.4 Travel Authorization

11.4.1 -- You must submit requests for all travel during tenure, regardless of the source of the support, to the Program Administrator in advance on an official Travel Authorization form.

11.4.2 -- Even when support will not be requested from the Research Council, you must obtain approval for travel from your Adviser, the Laboratory Representative, and the Program Administrator. These approvals will maintain your insurance protection and continue your stipend payments during your absence from the laboratory.

11.4.3 -- A limited supply of Travel Authorization forms and Travel Expense Reports are included in your prestart package (item 2.3), and additional forms are available through the Associateship Programs office. Instructions for completing these forms are shown on their reverse sides.

11.4.4 -- For professional travel within the contiguous United States, submit a Travel Authorization form to the Associateship Programs office at least four weeks in advance.

11.4.5 -- For professional travel outside the contiguous United States, submit a Travel Authorization form at least eight weeks in advance. Travel in these areas must have special justification, and various procedures are required to receive approval from both the fiscal officer at the laboratory and the Associateship Programs office.

11.4.6 -- Federal regulations require that you travel only on United States flag-carrier lines when such lines exist between any points of travel. Travel on non-US lines will not be allowed, regardless of cost or routing, if a US carrier serves the route or an accessible point thereon. No exceptions are made to this regulation.

11.5 Duplicate IAP-66 Form for Exchange Visitors

11.5.1 -- If you are an Exchange Visitor, you need to carry the following items with you whenever you leave the US, even for a short period:

(a) your passport, containing the visa originally issued by the US consular officials abroad and

(b) the pink copy of the original IAP-66 form that has been validated in Block 6.

11.5.2 -- Even if your passport has been validated for multiple entry, you must obtain a duplicate IAP-66 form, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status, by writing your Program Administrator.

11.5.3 -- You must surrender this duplicate copy of the IAP-66 to the US Immigration and Naturalization Service field officer at the port of re-entry when you return to the US.

11.6 Claiming Reimbursement

11.6.1 -- Submit your claim for reimbursement to the Associateship Programs office on the Travel Expense Report. Instructions for completing the Travel Expense Report are shown on its reverse side.

11.6.2 -- Since transportation by commercial carrier--airline, rail line, or overland bus line--will be furnished by NAT, the ticket amount should be entered in brackets and marked "provided by the Research Council."

11.6.3 -- Even though an airline ticket was initially purchased by NAT, you must submit the ticket receipt to the Associateship Programs office when claiming reimbursement. NAT ticket receipts should be returned to the Associateship Programs office with your Travel Expense Report even if no other expenses are being claimed.

11.6.4 -- You may claim reimbursement for other travel expenses as follows:

(a) for travel by a privately owned vehicle at the rate of 30 cents per mile, plus toll charges and necessary parking fees, only if the total costs claimed, plus related subsistence expenses, do not exceed the costs of travel by commercial carrier, plus related subsistence expenses;

(b) for a rental car, (with prior approval only);

(c) for registration fees for meetings; and

(d) for incidental expenses--airport limosines or taxis and local buses, subways, or taxis.

11.6.5 -- You may also claim reimbursement for the following items connected with professional or programmatic travel:

(a) fees for abstracts and proceedings,

(b) a fee for presenting an abstract, and

(c) the cost of an abstract or proceeding that is not included in a registration fee.

11.6.6 -- The maximum allowable reimbursement for meals, lodging, and incidental expenses is based on the Prescribed Maximum Per Diem Rates established by the US Department of State. See Section 7 for information on how to access these rates.

11.6.7 -- Travel advances made to Associates must be repaid in full within 120 days from the date on which the Associateship Programs office sends a first reminder notice. Advances not repaid within that time will be included in your gross income. This does not absolve you from submitting a Travel Expense Report or from returning any unused portion of the advance to the Associateship Programs office.

11.7 Receipts

All entries on your Travel Expense Report must be in United States dollars converted at the official exchange rate on the day of expenditure. This information is available through local banking institutions or the Associateship Programs office.

11.8 Disallowed Items

11.8.1 -- You may not claim reimbursement for the following items connected with professional or programmatic travel:

(a) books
(b) equipment
(c) meals already included in a registration fee
(d) nonstandard fees
(e) special taxes
(f) tours and optional attractions

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