Travel on Sponsored Awards
Downstate faculty, staff and students routinely travel in support of sponsored activities. The University reimburses travelers for necessary and reasonable business expenses incurred while traveling. Reimbursable expenses must conform to institutional policy, federal and state law, if applicable, and the restrictions placed upon each sponsored award.
General Guidelines
Travel is allowable as a direct cost when such travel will provide direct benefit to the award. If federally funded, sponsored awards are subject to certain federal laws and guidelines set forth in the OMB Uniform Guidance, 2 CFR, Part 200. All awards are subject to specific agency restrictions as well as RFSUNY's travel handbook and the Downstate campus travel policy. When there is a conflict between University policy and award requirements the more restrictive policy applies.
Sponsored travel must be justified, well documented, in compliance with the sponsor requirements, and incurred within the period of the award.
Each transaction must be adequately documented. Travel documentation must provide sufficient clarity so that anyone reviewing the transaction can verify that it is allowable, allocable, and reasonable. If the travel is either a requirement stated in the Request for Proposals (RFP), or clearly documented in the budget justification, no further documentation is required.
Charges that are split between two or more projects must demonstrate how the trip specifically benefited each project respectively.
If costs are not allowable, allocable, reasonable, consistently treated and sufficiently documented, they cannot be charged to a sponsored award.
Please review the travel guidance below.
Travel guidance
NYS prohibits travel to North Carolina and Mississippi. The federal government prohibits travel to sanctioned and embargoed countries.
If you are booking a flight with more stops or a longer duration than required for the business trip due to personal travel, then you should provide as documentation a comparable itinerary (including price, dates, and air class) based on the business portion of the travel. The comparison itinerary must be obtained at the time of purchase or within one business day of booking the flight. Only the allocable business portion of the travel can be charged to the sponsored award.
Prior to traveling, please review the pre-travel checklist below:
Was the trip budgeted for in the proposal?
Was travel a requirement in the RFP?
Does the sponsor allow foreign travel? If yes, complete the Foreign Travel Disclosure form and submit to at least two (2) weeks prior to departure.
Some awards from the State of New York (NYS) invoke the Office of The State Comptroller Manual (NYS Travel Manual). Travel on these awards must comply with the NYS Travel Manual, the RF Travel Handbook and the Downstate Travel Policy.
Travel must be associated with the aims of the project and not solely for one's professional development in their related field.
If so, review Insurance Guidelines for Rental Vehicles, the RF’s policy on rental car insurance, in the Insurance Manual. Please see page 22 of the RF Travel Handbook.
If so, complete this form and submit to the Procurement team.
Will the traveler be using a commercial airline?If so, prior to booking an airline ticket, make sure the airline is a "U.S. flag air carrier" as described by the Fly America Act.
For example, a traveler goes to a conference in Boston. The conference is being held in a hotel with a rate of $285 per night. The maximum lodging per diem for Boston is $273. The over-the-maximum can be justified, because the traveler, staying at a different hotel, would have incurred additional transportation expenses to and from the conference.
Review the travel policy for reimbursement policies.
Complete the Foreign Travel Disclosure form and submit to at least two (2) weeks prior to departure.
Yes, please request a travel advance by preparing this form and send to RF_Procurement@downstate.edu
The funds must be returned to the RF via personal check. Another advance can be requested when travel is required at a later date.
For reimbursement of both meals and lodging, the distance traveled, as defined in travel status, was greater than 35 miles from the traveler’s home and official work station.
Proof of the overnight stay and elibility of meals must be available as backup documentation.