Research & Conference Travel for CI Students

Overview

The Student Research Advisory Committee (SRAC) funds student travel related to research. Student travel funds support students attending disciplinary and interdisciplinary conferences. Funds can also be used to fund travel to research sites, training sessions, symposia, and other destinations that will enhance students’ research goals. Travel funds are available to undergraduate and graduate students. Prior to submitting a proposal make sure, you read the “Before Travel,”“After Travel,” sections and review the action items.

Before Travel

Fund Request Process

We count on faculty to nominate students for funding. This year we have secured funding from multiple sources, including the Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) fee, to facilitate this activity.

  • FACULTY can nominate students and their projects for up to $700 to support travel expenses per year (excluding SCCUR, CSU Student Research Competition, and Gradfit).
  • Nominations are accepted on a rolling basis.
  • Please submit your request at least 7 weeks in advance for domestic trips and at least 9 weeks in advance for international trips. Failure to submit your proposal within this timeline may result in your proposal being declined.
  • Allow at least two weeks to process/review the request.

Prior to submitting, faculty and students should be aware of the following stipulations:

Faculty

  • Sponsoring faculty are responsible for mentoring students through the forms and be aware of the student travel stipulations.

Students

  • Students may receive up to $700 per year in combined funding (excluding the CSU Student Research Competition, Gradfit and SCCUR);
  • Expenses beyond the maximum are the responsibility of the student and/or the sponsoring program;
  • Once the proposal is accepted, students will be enrolled on a Canvas training course. This training must be completed prior to meeting with our Student Research Analyst (Betty) and prior to travel.  Immediately, once students have completed the Canvas Training, students are responsible for reviewing the forms below prior to arranging a meeting with Betty. These forms include the following:

Please note that State Law prohibits the use of State Funds (including IRA funds) to travel to the states of Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma due to their state laws that discriminate against sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (see Travel Ban Notice (PDF, 141KB) for more info). There are some exceptions to this policy. Please refer to the FAQs the CA Department of Justice for guidance.

Fund Submission Process

Sponsoring faculty will complete the Student Research Travel Proposal. In order to complete the form, please have the following information ready and make sure to save the excel prior to submitting:

  • Student(s) Information including:
    • Legal name (if flying)
    • Birthday (mm/dd/year, if flying)
    • Mailing address ( street, city, state, zipcode)
    • Myci email address (xxxx@myci.csuci.edu)
    • Phone Number (000-000-0000)
    • Conference Name
    • Conference Dates
    • Travel Dates (if different from the conference dates)
    • Conference Location
    • Other (carpooling, students registered, etc.)
    • Total Funding Requested

To submit proposal:

Click on the Excel Spreadsheet and download the Form. Click open and save to your desktop.

Student Research Proposal Template (MS Excel, 45KB)

Once you complete the form, please submit an email to both Sean Kelly and Betty Ortiz. Allow at least two weeks for response regarding funding from the SRAC. Once approved, student will be enrolled in an online training and must be cleared before planning their travel.

After travel

Please consider the following prior to your travel:

  • Students are required to submit proof of expenditures and evidence of attendance for reimbursement;
  • Students must provide evidence of their participation (e.g., an electronic copy of their research poster, PowerPoint, paper, photos etc.) to SRAC for inclusion in the institutional repository. Students maintain copyright to all material;
  • Students agree to engage in assessment activities associated with this travel funding;
  • All travel must be completed and reimbursed by three weeks after the students travel. LATE requests will be delayed and may not be processed.
  • Failure to adhere to these policies may result in funding being delayed or revoked.

Action Items

Reimbursement Process

Students must complete the following steps in order to complete the travel reimbursement process:

  1. Complete the online training module through Canvas.
  2. Complete the Travel Expense Claim Form 2018 (PDF, 214KB) within the first three weeks of your trip. In order to complete this form, have the following documents ready and submit along with your TEC Form:
    • A copy of your conference agenda or a conference overview.
    • All of your receipts that you will be claiming reimbursement for.
    • A copy of your registration (if appropriate).
    • If you need some guidance to complete this form, feel free to reference this example TEC Sample (PDF, 146KB)

If you are experiencing issues downloading the TEC Form on your computer, feel free to come by the Student Research Space (Broome 1740) and use one of the computers there.

Your completed Travel Expense Claim is due three weeks after your trip to Betty Ortiz. Her office is located in Broome 1742 (please use Broome 1740 to access her office). If you have questions about your reimbursement packet, her fall 2018 office hours are Tuesdays 3:30pm – 4:30pm & Wednesdays 9am – 10am or by appointment only. Once completed Travel Expense Claim Forms are submitted, please allow for 2-3 for payment processing.