PSTC Travel Guidelines
If you will be traveling with funds from the PSTC, please take a few minutes to sit down with PSTC staff well before your departure date. It is the traveler's responsibility to fully understand and comply with all guidelines pertaining to funding and allowable expenditures, as well as all airline, PSTC, and Brown University travel rules and restrictions.
Brown University travel policies and procedures are available through the University Travel Accounting webpage; however, we have compiled an overview of some general guidelines and suggestions that is specifically aimed at PSTC travelers, particularly those who will be traveling internationally.
Before You Go
Travel Advances
Receipts & Reimbursement
Legitimate Expenses
Ineligible Expenses
Before You Go
Booking Flights: We strongly recommend that PSTC travelers, particularly graduate students, consult with Kelley Smith or Katelyn Clary when planning overseas travel.
Faculty and students who will use research funds to pay for travel must be sure that they comply with any restrictions or guidelines regarding travel expenses. (For example, those travelers using federal funds to fly internationally must comply with the "Fly America Act" and use American carrier flights.)
Travelers must fly economy class. We encourage PSTC travelers to be pro-active in finding and booking their own reasonably-priced airfare, but we can offer assistance booking your travel, particularly to international destinations.
Brown University has an agreement with Garber Travel that allows travelers to book airline and train tickets directly through Garber without using a personal credit card. This privilege is only available for travelers using Garber Travel, and PSTC staff must request approval for this type of purchase.
PSTC travelers are welcome to use other travel agencies but must use their own personal credit cards to purchase tickets from those agencies. Some travelers have found very good fares with ticket brokers in their countries of destination or through domestic agencies that specialize in tickets to certain regions; however, PSTC staff do not have any professional contacts with these agencies. If you need assistance in finding a convenient, reasonably-priced itinerary, please let PSTC staff know.
Please do not ask a colleague or friend to purchase tickets for you. The University strongly discourages this practice.
Visas: We are happy to assist you in securing any necessary visa(s) to your country/countries of destination and can provide letters of support for PSTC travelers. You bear responsibility for complying with all visa requirements. Citizens of countries other than the United States may require transit visas in addition to entry visas for their countries of destination. Please check these requirements, and the status of your passport and/or U.S. visa, prior to making travel arrangements.
Please note: Each traveler is responsible for the cost and process of renewing his/her own passport and/or U.S. immigration visa. These are not reimbursable expenses.Healthcare Planning: Visit the CDC's Travel page for information on health risks in global settings. U.S. travel clinic consultations, as well as vaccinations and/or prescriptions recommended by the State Department or CDC, are reimbursable expenses. The cost of any medications or ongoing prescriptions not specifically related to health risks in the country of destination are the traveler's own responsibility. Additionally, travelers should check with their health insurance providers regarding coverage while traveling.
Travel Advances
As a courtesy to travelers, Brown will provide funds to reimburse travelers for travel expesnes they incur prior to their travel, such as the cost of airline tickets or conference registration fees. Brown can also provide cash advances to travelers for those who need money up front for meals, lodging, and other expenses that cannot be prepaid. Foreign travelers can be provided with cash advances of up to $75 per day. Domestic travelers can receive up to $50 per day in advance.
Please speak with PSTC staff regarding the logistics for such requests. Reimbursement for airline tickets can be processed immediately after the tickets are purchased. Travelers who receive travel advances must still submit receipts in accordance with University guidelines once their travel is completed. Receipt of a travel advance does not absolve travelers of this obligation.
Required Receipts and Reimbursement
We understand that receipts can be difficult to obtain, especially in the developing world. Many PSTC travelers take a small receipt book with them so that they can keep track of money exchanged.
However, all travelers must submit the following:
- Original passenger receipts/e-tickets from air or train travel, showing itinerary and cost
- Original receipts for lodging, detailing cost of room and taxes and dates of visit
- Receipts for research expenses
- Receipts for any expense over $50
Meal receipts and "per diem":
Domestic Travelers: Domestic travelers must report actual expenses for meals and incidental expenses, although travelers do not need to submit receipts unless the expense is more than $50. As of August 2009, Brown does not permit use of a per diem for domestic travel. We encourage travelers to either keep receipts for each meal, or to keep a written record of meal expenses.Foreign travelers: Most foreign travelers usually opt to receive meal reimbursement using the per diem method, as it can be difficult to obtain receipts overseas. However, PSTC travelers generally spend considerably less than the per diem allowed by the government. Please review the international per diem rates set by the State Department as a guide. Travelers should plan to eat at budget-class restaurants. Travelers who use a per diem rate do not need to submit receipts for their meals - they must only be able to provide an accurate figure as to their total meal expenditures.
Reimbursement Procedures
Travel receipts should be submitted to Katelyn Clary within two weeks following the completion of travel.
It is helpful if you organize your receipts prior to submitting them for reimbursement. Generally, receipts should be grouped by type (transportation, lodging, etc.) and then chronologically within that type. Tape receipts to scrap paper. You may also want to include a spreadsheet documenting your expenses. If you have unspent funds from your travel advance, you must return them in the form of a check payable to Brown University.
If your receipts are in a foreign currency, please provide us with a receipt for the exchange rate you used. If you do not have a printed record of the exchange rate, we will use an online currency converter to calculate your expenses.
Once PSTC staff have completed the travel report, they will contact you to arrange a time for you to sign it. After the report is signed, it will be submitted to the Travel Accounting office. It usually takes about one to two weeks for them to process the report (and to issue a check, if the traveler is due a refund). Reimbursement checks are sent to Katelyn Clary, who will contact you when they are received.
Other Legitimate Expenses
When applicable and with the necessary receipts, you may also be eligible to claim the following as legitimate travel expenses, within the limitations of your funding:
- Taxis, buses, and subways
- Economy-class rental car
- Mileage reimbursement for use of own car
- Tolls incurred while driving
- Airport parking
- Internet use
- Conference registration
- Recommended vaccinations/prescriptions
- Small hospitality gifts to hosts/colleagues
- Payment to research assistants
- Photocopying for research purposes
- Visa/transit visa for country/countries of destination
- Books and/or research materials not available in U.S.
- Occasional phone calls to home/colleagues or phone cards
- Occasional laundry service
Ineligible Expenses
The following are not reimbursable expenses:
- Upgrades from economy-class travel
- Meal expenses in excess of maximum per diem
- Personal travel unrelated to PSTC itinerary
- Expenses incurred by family members or other non-PSTC travelers
- Cost of renewing passport and/or US visa
- Tourism
- Entertainment
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal hygiene supplies
- Souvenirs
Travelers should not submit reimbursement requests that would allow them to profit from their travel, cover costs incurred by fellow travelers, or that would exceed the permissible funding for their trips. As always, if you are confused about a travel policy or are unsure about what constitutes a reimbursable expense, please arrange to meet with PSTC staff.
The PSTC expects that travelers can appreciate the number of University and federal policies with which they and PSTC staff must comply. We appreciate your cooperation with these policies. Please feel free to contact Kelley Smith at 863-3201 or by email with any questions about travel planning.