Stipends & Travel

The NDSEG fellowship provides stipends, prorated monthly based on a 12-month academic year. Stipend amounts are determined for each Fellowship class by the DoD. The monthly stipend is $3,200 ($38,400 annually) for fellowship tenure.

Stipends are paid monthly directly to the fellows. Stipend payments are electronically transferred directly to each Fellow's financial institution on a monthly basis.

If the Fellow is not enrolled in an institutionally approved academic study and/or research during the summer months, financial support will not be provided.

NDSEG Fellows must be in good academic standing prior the distribution of stipends and allowances.

There are no dependent allowances.

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.

Travel Approval Process:

The professional development travel must be approved prior to travel. Please submit via email to NDSEG.PMO@sysplus.com to initiate the travel process 90 Days prior to planned departure date:

• Travel Authorization Request Form (as a Excel or PDF Attachment)
  ***NOTE: If the Fellow does not sign the form it will not be accepted. Please complete and sign prior to submission
  
  
• Agenda (as a PDF attachment)
  
  
• 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:

Please submit via email to NDSEG.PMO@sysplus.com to receive reimbursement for travel expenses after travel has been completed:

• Travel Expense Report (excel or PDF) (as an Attachment)
  ***NOTE: If the Fellow does not sign the form it will not be accepted. Please complete and sign prior to submission
  
  
• Receipts (as an Attachment): Except for per diem expenses, valid receipts are required for all expenditures regardless of cost. ***SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS*** Tip: Take pictures of your receipts while on travel to ensure you have proof of purchase
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• DoD NDSEG Quad Chart Summary (as an Attachment) – More Information Coming Soon
  
  

• Departure Date & Return Date

  If the Fellow anticipates spending addition 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.

• 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 or not 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.
  
  

• Lodging

  Per government travel policy, AirBnB is *not* a reimbursable lodging organization, and thus, Fellows are required to use approved lodging to receive reimbursement.
  
  

• 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.
  
  

• 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.
  
  

• 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.
  
  

• Taxi/Lyft/Uber

  Fellow should calculate an estimate of their Uber/Lyft/Taxi amounts using ride-cost estimate sites. The Fellow should considering adding ~20% to that estimation to account for any surge in pricing that may go into effect.
  
  

• 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

All Travel Forms are available for download on the Forms page.