The NDSEG fellow is authorized up to a $5,000 travel budget over their tenure for professional development. Travel payments are electronically transferred directly to each Fellow's financial institution.
Fellow Use of Travel Funds:
- Fellows may use up to $2,500 of their travel budget in the first year and a half of their Fellowship. This will ensure that enough funds are available to cover the Fellow’s travel and attendance to the DoD National Fellows Conference which takes place in the second year of the Fellowship. The DoD National NDSEG Fellows Conference is a mandatory required travel obligation during their tenure. Those fellows who complete PhD’s are required to participate/attend the DoD conference.
- All other trip(s) must be for professional development including tour facilities/laboratories, perform research, and/or participate in professional societies’ conferences/workshops to present research to further the NDSEG fellows’ professional development.
- Fellow is allowed up to two maximum travel during their tenure. This includes the NDSEG Conference travel.
Travel Approval Process:
Professional development travel must be approved prior to travel. All travel forms are available via NDSEG Portal. Submit the following documents below to initiate the travel process 90 Days prior to planned departure date. Combine all documents into one PDF file and then upload via the NDSEG Portal.
- Travel Authorization Request Form
***NOTE: If the Fellow does not sign the form it will not be accepted. Please complete and sign prior to submission
- Agenda
- Signed Letter from University Advisor (on University letter head) justifying the benefit of using the NDSEG Travel funds as it relates to your program (As a PDF attachment)
Travel Expense Process:
Travel Expense Process: All travel reimbursement requests must be submitted to the NDSEG Portal. Please log in to your NDSEG fellow account to access Travel Forms.
The following are required for filing reimbursement request:
- Travel Expense Statement (TES).
- Travel Summary (TS).
- Receipts (as an Attachment): All items listed on your TES must be supported by a receipt (except for per diem). Amounts in the TES form must match receipts being submitted. If submitting a receipt with amount in foreign currency, provide a USD conversion. You may supplement the receipt with a credit card statement showing charges in USD or provide a published conversion rate at the time of your travel. If claiming mileage, taxi, uber or lyft, you must send a map showing mileage, where to and where from.
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If for any reason your Travel expense is more than your travel authorization, please provide a detailed justification as to what and why there was an increase in cost.
***NOTE: This will require Government approval. If it is determined by the Government that the cost was not a justified expense (e.g. laundry, travel insurance, charges incurred because of indirect travel for personal reasons, gratuities and tips, etc…) you will not be reimbursed.
- Combine all required forms and receipts into one pdf file and upload to the NDSEG portal. PMO will review your request and will let you know if there are any issues.
- DoD NDSEG Travel Summary needs to be uploaded twice. Firstly, it needs to be uploaded as a separate file in the Travel Summary upload field; it also needs to be attached to the TES form and travel receipts as a combined PDF file and uploaded in the “TES” field.
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Departure Date & Return Date
If the Fellow anticipates spending additional time in their destination, the Departure Date and Return Date should reflect the day they arrive for the event and the day the event ends, respectively.
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Airfare Return
It is fine if this is several days after the conference/event end date, but it must be explained why the Fellow is staying and whether the expense is higher to do so. If the airfare is higher because they stayed after the conference/event end date, it will not be approved.
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Lodging
Per government travel policy, AirBnB, VRBO and similar vacation rentals are *not* reimbursable lodging organizations, and thus, fellows are required to use approved lodging to receive reimbursement.
Please refer to the JTR guidelines or the GSA website.
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Lodging Taxes
The per diem rate assigned to each city and state/country combination are determined by the GSA within the U.S., and by the U.S. State Department for foreign countries (including Canada and Mexico). The maximum lodging rate identified on these sites does not include taxes. This is acceptable but must be approved prior to travel. Often, it is safe to assume a 12% tax rate in most locations.
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Lodging Check In & Lodging Check Out
If the Fellow intends to stay in the hotel beyond the end of the event, the cost for additional nights it the responsibility of the Fellow.
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Car Rental
If the Fellow has determined that it will be significantly cheaper to rent a car than to utilize public transportation or Taxi/Uber/Lyft in their destination, a car may be rented.
Car Rental Pickup date & Car Rental Return date - These dates must match the receipts when the Fellow submits them with the TES upon their return.
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Taxi/Lyft/Uber
Fellow should calculate an estimate of their Uber/Lyft/Taxi amounts using ride-cost estimate sites. The Fellow should consider adding ~20% to that estimation to account for any surge in pricing that may go into effect.
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POV Mileage
POV mileage may be reimbursed if pre-authorized by the government. For further information please refer to the JTR on GSA site. Generally speaking, POV travel may be permitted if cost is favorable to government compared to other transportation options.
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US Carrier
If travelling internationally, make sure you are booking a US carrier. Check out JTR on GSA site for latest information on this subject.
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Conference Registration
This field is required if the Fellow would like to be reimbursed for the cost of the event registration
Travel reimbursement will be provided within 30-45 days after completed reimbursement forms and receipts have been validated and accepted by Accounting.
Travel Forms
Please log in to your NDSEG fellow accountto access Travel Forms.