Sponsored Award Travel
In accordance with the University’s Travel Policy, in order for sponsored award funds to pay for travel to scientific, technical, or scholarly meetings or to conduct research, the trip must be approved by the Principal Investigator (PI) as being of definite value to the project funded under the sponsored award. Normally, travel to scientific and scholarly meetings at the sponsor’s expense will be limited to project personnel. Some federal awards have additional restrictions on travel expenditures that can be applied to a sponsored award. In certain instances, the PI may need to seek advanced sponsor approval for the trip and should coordinate with ORPA.
Airfare
All airfare purchased with sponsored award funding should be at the lowest fare available unless approved in writing by the sponsor. In addition, federally funded sponsored awards require the use of a U.S. Air Carrier, as specified by the Fly America Act (FAA), when traveling outside the United States. In some instances, a non-U.S. air carrier may be used if it meets one or more of the exception criteria listed in theFederal Travel Regulation (FTR) guidelines section 301-10.135-138. The Waiver of Fly America Act Checklist lists all available exceptions, which include Code Share and Open Skies Agreements . Note that some federal agencies may consider Canada, Mexico, and/or U.S. Territories as a “foreign” country.
Foreign Travel Process
University travelers are encouraged to review the University Travel site for comprehensive travel information and to register their travel in the University Travel Database prior to traveling outside the United States. Additionally, all foreign travel vouchers under a sponsored award must follow the guidelines below:
- Complete and attach a Foreign Travel Checklist with all foreign travel vouchers
- Complete and attach the Fly America Act Waiver Checklist if a non-U.S. Air Carrier is used and a University–approved travel agent FAA waiver cannot be obtained (Note: The Checklist is still required for use of the Open Skies Agreements exception.)
- Forward voucher and attachment(s) directly to Accounts Payable for review and processing.
Note that NASA's China Funding Restriction prohibits the University from using NASA funds to “enter into or fund any grant or cooperative agreement of any kind to participate, collaborate, or coordinate bilaterally in any way with China or any Chinese-owned company.” Therefore, travel to China may be restricted on a NASA award. Please see your ORPA administrator for further questions.
