Travel & Expense Reimbursements
Faculty with Research and Professional Development accounts may request reimbursement for the purchase of supplies and equipment or for travel-related expenses by using the TravelND expense reporting system.
The two most important factors for timely reimbursement are (1) proper documentation and (2) a sufficient explanation of the business or University purpose justifying the expense. Both are critical and closely scrutinized, especially on federal grants and fellowships. For example, if submitting for reimbursement for a meal activity, the itemized receipt should be included (not just the credit card authorization), the people attending should be noted, and any alcohol included should be separated under its own code.
TravelND provides an input field for business purposes. You should use that field to provide a business purpose explanation/justification, which links the expense to a University purpose/need. When in doubt, opt for over-explanation of business purposes. The description should be of sufficient clarity and completeness so that a third-party reviewer could readily understand the relationship of the expense to a university business purpose.
Examples of inadequate descriptions include:
- attend a conference
- research
- meet with colleagues
- site visits
- give a lecture
Examples of adequate descriptions include:
- attend the Annual American Solar Scientists Conference (please see attached agenda)
- Interview candidate (insert name) for position (insert position)
- Speaker for April 5th symposium at XXXX
- research for Brain Imaging Project
Common reasons why a TravelND submission may not be readily approved or will not immediately reimbursed include:
- Missing conference agendas
- Receipts do not show proof of payment (e.g., Expedia, Hotwire, Priceline, etc.)
- Chase Visa travel card charges fed to Concur (to assist with data entry) are being mistaken as a substitute for receipts – receipts are still needed.
- Concur e-receipt for flights is not enough in seeking reimbursement (if not charged to FOAPAL). Still need to prove cost was incurred by either linking travel card to Concur or including credit card statement if a personal credit card was used.
For additional information on the University's Travel, Entertainment, and Business Expenses policy, see the Controller's website.
Related Links
College of Arts & Letters Spending Policy