Travel and Research Funds

TRANSCEND trainees may request up to $1,000 for travel funds and $1,000 research funds. The application can be found here; please include any relevant information/justification. We will notify you within a week after we receive your submission. Please email transcend@uconn.edu when the application form has been submitted.

Research

Research funds can be used for Challenge Team projects, instrument fees, experimental participant fees, or purchase of software, databases, or electronics specific to your work with TRANSCEND. After your research request has been approved, the Program Coordinator will work with you to make the purchase(s).

A few things to note:

  • Items purchased with university funds must be delivered to an address on campus. If you prefer, items can be delivered to the Program Coordinator in Arjona 341 and pickups from there can be coordinated.
  • Some vendors have negotiated rates with the university, so pricing you find for items online may not be the most accurate. Please check with the Program Coordinator if you have any questions about this.
  • Please see approved purchases with university funds here.

Travel

Once your travel fund request has been approved, and you are a current fellow (in your paid year of fellowship) then the Program Coordinator will be booking your travel. For trainees who also hold a GA position, please follow the guidance under GA Travel below. All other fellows, please email transcend@uconn.edu with details of your travel arrangements including:

  • your full name as it appears on your ID/Passport
  • your date of birth
  • phone number
  • preferred travel days/times
  • preferred departure cities if flying
  • preferred airline and frequent flier # (if any)
  • For conference registration, any required log in credentials so that the registration can be purchased

During travel, you have the option to pay out-of-pocket for expenses such as meals, parking, etc. These out-of-pocket expenses can then be submitted for reimbursement through Concur. Another option is to apply for a Student Travel Card.

  • Please note the student travel card cannot be used to book airfare, hotels, or car rental. These should be booked by the Program Coordinator.
    • Approved expenses include:
      • Individual Actual Meals – If Not Claiming Per diem
      • Airline fees (e.g. ‘baggage fees, etc.)
      • Train (Amtrak)
      • Car Rental–Fuel for Rental
      • Ground Transportation
      • Taxis–Uber/Lyft
      • Local train services (e.g., MetroNorth, MBTA, etc.)
      • Tolls
      • Airport/Hotel Parking (within reason- for instance, the parking garage at Bradley instead a cheaper parking lot will not be covered)
  • If traveling internationally, you are required to submit a travel request in your own Concur to qualify for the travel insurance, even if the Program Coordinator is booking your travel.
  • For meal expenses, you can either use your travel card for meals OR claim per diem reimbursement in your report- you cannot do both options. For more information about meals, see this page.
  • Be sure to keep receipts from all expenses, whether paid for by the Student Travel Card or personal card for reimbursement.
  • Email Melanie Stroud for the KFS account number to use for expensing your out-of-pocket expenses or Student Travel Card expenses.
  • For information on creating a request, booking travel, or expensing a trip, please see this webpage.

      GA Travel:

      If you are considered to be a GA (non-NSF-Funded) and don’t have your own travel card, you will need to apply for one. Then you can submit travel requests, and book and expense your own travel in Concur.

      Please note that even though you’ll have your own Travel Card and can make your own arrangements, you are still required to complete an application for trainee Travel Funds.

      • A GA can request a Travel Card to cover their flight, hotel, and other allowable incidental expenses, or they can choose to use a personal card and seek reimbursement.
        • Allowable expenses include:
          • Airfare
          • Hotel
          • Train (Amtrak)
          • Car Rental–Fuel for Rental
          • Baggage Fees
          • Conference Registrations (Includes virtual conferences)
          • Individual Meal Costs (If not claimed on per Diem- For more information about meals, see this page.)
          • Gratuities (no more than 20%)
          • Ground Transportation
          • Taxis–Uber/Lyft
          • Local train services (e.g.,MetroNorth, MBTA, etc.)
          • Tolls
          • Airport/Hotel Parking(within reason- for instance, the parking garage at Bradley instead a cheaper parking lot will not be covered)
      • Be sure to keep receipts from all expenses, whether paid for by your Travel Card or personal card for reimbursement.
      • Before traveling, submit a travel request in Concur for approval. Please try to have an approved request before booking any travel if time allows.
      • After the travel, you will need to submit an expense report for the expenses charged to your Travel Card/personal card.
        • Email Melanie Stroud for the KFS account number to use for expensing your out-of-pocket expenses or Travel Card expenses.
      • PLEASE SEND THE FINAL AMOUNT OF THE EXPENSE REPORT TO transcend@uconn.edu

      Required reading prior to booking travel:

      If you have any questions about Travel, please email the Program Coordinator at transcend@uconn.edu.