Travel & Expense Reimbursements
Faculty with Research and Professional Activities Accounts may request reimbursement for the purchase of supplies and equipment or for travel-related expenses by using the TravelND expense reporting system. Faculty may also have a procurement card that is linked directly to their R&PD account, which allows them to charge supplies and equipment directly to the credit card. An application for a pro-card may be requested from the Dean’s Office or the Controller’s Office.
The two most important factors for timely reimbursement are (1) proper documentation and (2) a sufficient explanation of the business or University purpose justifying the expense. Both are critical and closely scrutinized especially on federal grants and fellowships. For example, if submitting for reimbursement for a meal activity, the itemized receipt should be included (not just the credit card authorization), the people attending should be noted, and any alcohol included should be separated under its own code.
TravelND provides an input field for business purpose. You should use that field to provide a business purpose explanation/justification, which links the expense to a University purpose/need. When in doubt, opt for over-explanation of business purposes. The description should be of sufficient clarity and completeness that a third-party reviewer could readily understand the relationship of the expense to a university business purpose.
Examples of inadequate descriptions and adequate descriptions include:
- attend a conference
- research
- meet with colleagues
- site visits
- give a lecture
Examples of adequate descriptions include:
- attend Annual American Solar Scientists Conference
- interview candidate for position
- speaker for April 5th symposium at XXXX
- research for Brain Imaging Project
Common reasons why a TravelND submission may not be readily approved or will not immediately reimburse include:
- Missing conference agendas
- Receipts do not show proof of payment (e.g., Expedia, Hotwire, Priceline, etc.)
- Chase Visa travel card charges fed to Concur (to assist with data entry) are being mistaken as substitute for receipts – receipts are still needed.
- Concur e-receipt for flights are not enough in seeking reimbursement (if not charged to FOAPAL). Still need to prove cost was incurred by either linking travel card to Concur or including credit card statement if personal credit card was used.
For additional information on the University's Travel, Entertainment, and Business Expenses policy, see the Controller's website.