Before You Attend

Psychology PhD students attending conferences or related meetings to present or attend for professional development will need to use the process below. This applies for in-person and virtual events.

1. Secure funding: PhD students have multiple avenues of travel funding. Some of these include fellowship funds, funds from your major professor, travel scholarships, graduate student organizations and matching funds as indicated below. Navigate with your major professor potential funding opportunities. If you are having issues getting travel funding, please communicate this with Dr. Pruden and Brandon.
   
   

2. The Graduate and Professional Student Committee is the most common way to receive funding for a conference/event. Before applying, view their frequently asked questions and presentation to understand funding processes.  You must apply at least five weeks before the event, and it is highly suggested you do it sooner. On the application, the travel liaison email should be psygrad@fiu.edu and name Brandon Isahack.
   
   
3. CASE funding (based on availability of funds). The college will support graduate travel on a matching basis. The college will award up to $200 once a year to encourage graduate students to present their research at professional meetings, to defray travel expenses associated with research, or to interview for a job. Fill out the CASE Travel Grant and send it in a single PDF to  psygrad@fiu.edu and the Graduate Program Director memo will be attached to your PDF folio. The CASE application must be sent by the department four weeks before travel . You will be copied when the application is sent to CASE.
   
   
4. Department leadership has approved an increase for Fall 2023 only in department travel funds to graduate students. Graduate students traveling to conferences to present their research or traveling to a site to gather masters or dissertation data (must show evidence of IRB approval) may apply for up to $500 (domestic travel) or $1000 (international travel). The department is doing this to assist students with representing FIU psychology via presenting/disseminating data and professional networking. We view this as a training and professional development priority for graduate students, and therefore aim to offset travel costs and make up for the loss of travel funds elsewhere in the university.  Students must apply for these Department of Psychology funds before they commence travel; our deadline to apply is 2 weeks before travel commences. Funds will be provided until the yearly allocation of Department of Psychology funds has been depleted, thus students are encouraged to apply early in the academic year for funds. These increased rates are effective for travel until 12/31/23 at which point the department will reevaluate its budget. For more information about eligibility criteria, policies, procedures, and the application, please see the attached document. To apply, please complete the request for Department of Psychology travel funds here and send in a single PDF to psygrad@fiu.edu.
   
   
5. To process your travel, you must designate an office travel liaison, Brandon Isahack, as your proxy. If you are uncertain of your proxies, here are instructions to view them:
   1. When you log into MyFIU on the main page, make sure the yellow tab on top says "employee," then on the upper right corner, click the 3 horizontal bar icon.
   2. Click on Main Menu, then click on Financial Self Service, then click on the first Employee Self Service option.
   3. Click on Travel and Expenses, then click User preferences, then Delegate Entry Authority.
   4. Your PID number should show up as the first authorized. Click on the + icon to add Brandon's PID (email  psygrad@fiu.edu to request his PID number if you do not already have it) then save.
      
      
6. You must complete a Pre-Travel form to have a Travel Authorization (TA) created for you (this is not applicable for virtual events since only registration costs are incurred and you would only need to submit the post-travel form in that case). Only estimated expenses will need to be included at this point. All applicable expenses would be processed in the expense report after the event. If GPSC is funding your trip, you must provide the email confirmation from GPSC before the travel authorization can be created. If you receive any other funding source, provide the activity or project number in the pre-travel form and the Travel Authorization (TA) form can be created.
   
   
7. Review the "Booking your travel" section below.

Please address travel questions to psygrad@fiu.edu.

Booking Your Travel

The FIU Travel Office has strict parameters regarding receipt documentation, here is a link to the university's travel manual should you need to review it. Always review your funding source instructions to see what they require as well (The Graduate Professional Student Committee GPSC has specific instructions). Only use travel websites that provide receipts that include proof of payment (credit card used with the last 4 digits). If this is not provided, contact the vendor to see how you can obtain a receipt showing this. All receipts will need to show your name, the breakdown of costs, and proof of payment (last four digits of the card used). Proper receipts are needed for all applicable transactions. Per FIU travel policy, the dates of your domestic travel cannot start earlier than 24 hours prior to the start of your event (48 hours for foreign travel) or end 24 hours after the end of your event (48 hours for foreign travel). At minimum, documentation for your method of travel, event registration and lodging accomodations will be needed.

1. Determine your method of traveling to the event: either airfare, using your car or getting an auto rental.

• Airfare receipts must show itinerary, ticket or confirmation number with takeoff time, landing time, cost of the ticket and the credit cards use as proof of payment.
• Mileage: If you drive to a conference with your own vehicle, please use the MapQuest page to generate PDFs of the mileage to the event and then another for the mileage returning. Mileage is reimbursed at a flat rate and gas receipts are not needed.
• Auto Rental: Please let Brandon know if you are using this option to verify the steps involved. FIU uses the State of Florida contract with Avis and Budget for the rental of vehicles. This contract is only applicable for renting from Avis and Budget in the continental U.S. Customers are strongly encouraged to only use airport locations for trips involving air travel. Gas will be reimbursed for auto rentals and University vehicles only to the driver of the vehicle.

2. Registration**: You must provide your registration receipt with the amount of the cost of the conference.

3. Lodging**: Lodging Folio showing zero balance due. (Even if you are not being reimbursed for lodging, the travel office requires to see where you stayed.) If you share a room, please request that the hotel charge each guest separately. If only one card is charged, the owner of that card will be reimbursed. This can make the reimbursement process complex, please always attempt to split payment and have the receipt show proof of payment for each payer. Credit card statements cannot be used in place of receipts or folios.

4. Have the full PDF event program and agenda handy for submission after travel.

** Some students may not incur certain costs. In these cases, explain the accommodations. Some examples include “registration was covered by organization” and “stayed with friend, did not have lodging costs.” As graduate student travel funding is limited, some students may only receive enough funding for mode of transportation to the event, registration, and lodging. If you have available funding, you can provide receipts to be reimbursed for the other expenses below.

Other expenses (if funding is available):

5. Meals: Meal receipts are not required. Meal per diem for domestic travel is $36 per day ($6 breakfast, $11 lunch and $19 dinner). It is calculated from the moment your flight leaves until you return. If there are any meals included in the conference itinerary, you will not be reimbursed for them. Foreign meals are calculated depending on the city and country. Visit U.S. Department of State: Office of Allowances for that information.

6. Incidentals: Taxi, shuttle, baggage and airport parking receipts may also be submitted for reimbursement if you have available funding for them.

If you secure funding early enough and you have proof of funds, the department procurement card (procard) can be used to pay for your travel costs (usually airfare, registration, and lodging). The amount we can place on the procard depends on how much funds you were awarded. For example, if your travel costs are $500 and you only have $400 in awarded funds, we can only put $400 of costs on the procard. Contact Brandon at psygrad@fiu.edu to determine if the procard can be used in your case.

Personal Travel If you are taking additional days at the beginning, middle, or end of your FIU travel, you are responsible for all expenses incurred for these. Please indicate the days you are staying extra when sending your documentation after travel. Suppose an indirect route was taken for personal reasons, in that case, you will need to gather airfare quotes to show what the cost would be if a direct route was taken, or those additional costs were not incurred due to personal travel. Be mindful that under IRS rules if the travel is determined to be more than a minimal amount of personal travel, anywhere from a portion to the full cost of the travel could be taxable.

Helpful Travel Links

• International Travel Procedures for FIU Employees Students – provides operational information to the International Travel Policy and is administered by the International Travel Committee (ITC).
• General Services Administration – for maximum hotel reimbursement rates within the contiguous 48 states (Please consult the Travel and Other Expenses Manual).
• Department of Defense – for maximum hotel reimbursement rates in Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S.    Territories and Possessions (Please consult the Travel and Other Expenses Manual).
• Department of State – for maximum hotel and meal allowance rates in all other Countries (Please consult    the Travel and Other Expenses Manual).
• Fly America Act – when traveling to or from foreign countries, travelers are required to use United States air carriers when the airfare is funded by the U.S. government. Federal grants are identified by fund code 660 and 661.
• Department of State Sponsors of Terrorism – prohibited countries where travel on behalf of FIU is not allowed.
• Map Quest – for mileage calculations and travel directions
• Foreign Currency Exchange to U.S. Dollar – to identify the amount of US Dollars spent in a foreign currency.

After You Attend

Upon completion of the event or travel, you must complete a Travel Cover Page to include in the Post-Travel form. A sample PDF folio can be found here. More information on required documentation is below.

At minimum, you will need the following documentation for processing after you travel:

1. Method of travel to event (Airfare, mileage with personal vehicle or auto rental) Airfare confirmation/invoice: Per FIU travel policy, the dates of your domestic travel cannot start earlier than 24 hours prior to the start of your event (48 hours for foreign travel) or end 24 hours after the end of your event (48 hours for foreign travel). Airfare confirmation/invoices need to show your name, ticket number, seat type (coach or economy class), airfare amount paid and credit card used (with last four digits). Trip insurance and seat upgrades are not reimbursable. If you use a third-party website to buy tickets, print out a receipt that includes credit card used with the last 4 digits. Copies of boarding passes are optional, but it is always a good idea to submit them. (If you have GPSC funding, this could be a requirement.) Mileage: If you drive to a conference with your own vehicle, please use the MapQuest page to generate PDFs of the mileage to the event and then another for the mileage returning. Mileage is reimbursed at a flat rate and gas receipts are not needed. Auto Rental: Provide rental receipt showing proof of payment. Gas will be reimbursed for auto rentals and University vehicles only to the driver of the vehicle.
2. Event Registration: Payment confirmation must show paid with zero balance due.
3. Lodging: Lodging Folio showing zero balance due. (Even if you are not being reimbursed for lodging, Controllers requires to see where you stayed.) If you share a room, please request that the hotel charge each guest separately. If only one card is charged, the owner of that card will be reimbursed. This is important if you are receiving GPSC and CASE funding. Credit card statements cannot be used in place of receipts or folios. They may be used in addition to your receipts, in certain cases only, such as when multiple students share the hotel cost and you need to prove the owner of each card.
4. Event Program: Provide the full event program and agenda PDF.

If you have funds available, the following additional expenses can be considered for reimbursement:

1. Meals: Meal receipts are not required. Meal per diem for domestic travel is $36 per day ($6 breakfast, $11 lunch and $19 dinner). It is calculated from the moment your flight leaves until you return. If there are any meals included in the conference itinerary, you will not be reimbursed for them. Foreign meals are calculated depending on the city and country. Visit U.S. Department of State: Office of Allowances for that information.
2. Incidentals: Taxi, shuttle, baggage and airport parking receipts may also be submitted for reimbursement if you have available funding for them.

After the expense report is submitted, all budget managers must approve. Final approval by the Office of the Controller can take up to several weeks.