Foundation funds may be used to support domestic or foreign travel expenses to bona fide scientific meetings or for other research and/or educational conferences, seminars, etc. Travel charged to a research account must be limited to purposes that relate to that project account’s research activity.

Travel for educational activities not related to research must support the training and education mission of the VA.

Forms are to be completed/submitted a minimum of 4 weeks prior to travel.

1. Request for Travel Funds: is to be used to reserve funds in the project account. Current per diem travel rates can be found at: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId=17943&contentType=GSA_BASIC

Administrative Absence:

For Foundation employees:
You are responsible for requesting administrative absence (AA) leave in the Foundation’s time and attendance system hosted by ADP Workforce Now Timekeeping. Enter travel information in COMMENTS function of the timecard. This confirms you are on official work detail for insurance purposes.

For VA employees:
All Foundation supported travel for VA employees must be pre-approved in accordance with the appropriate policies of the Veterans’ Health Administration (a request for authorized absence). This approval allows VA salaried employees to travel on Authorized Leave.

You are responsible for completing VA Authorized Absence Request Form 0893 if you plan to use “Authorized Absence” to attend any meeting.

Attach a copy of your travel orders to the Foundation Travel Request form if you are receiving government travel orders OR a printout of Approved Leave (VISTA) if you are not receiving government travel orders.

The following must be attached to the Request for Travel Funds form:

1. a copy of program material (i.e. program agenda, syllabus, etc.) or meeting documents (i.e. email correspondence, invitation, etc.)
2. a copy of the abstract/paper, which acknowledges the VA and/or Foundation, and the acceptance letter if making a presentation
2. Registration/Conference Fees: For the Foundation to pay registration fees directly, check the “yes” box by  Registration” on the Request for Travel form. You must include a completed registration form and submit the entire travel packet at least two (2) weeks prior to any registration deadline with the deadline date  noted on the request form.
3. Airline Reservations: If you would like the Foundation to make the airline reservations directly, please submit the preferred itinerary must be submitted along with the acceptable time ranges for each direction of travel. AREF will try to accommodate your preferences.

   NOTE: Persons traveling on Foundation funds may not use government rate airfares. All Foundation paid airfare will be purchased at the basic coach rate. If you make changes to your ticket and there is a fee associated with this change, you and/or your project will be charged for the change(s). Generally, the cost of air travel is reduced with a Saturday overnight stay. If you can document that the cost for the hotel/per diem for the extra day is equal to or less than the difference in air travel with the Saturday overnight stay, you may be approved to take advantage of this option.

4. Cash Advances: will be granted in very rare instances based on need, generally to cover the ME&I (Meals and Incidentals) per diem. If you request an advance that exceeds the cumulative per diem, must also attach a hardship justification.

5. Following return from travel: ALL travelers must complete and submit a Travel Justification/Expense Reimbursement form with original receipts attached for all items (including those prepaid by the Foundation). Travel reimbursement packets should be submitted to AREF no later than two (2) weeks after the travel has been completed.

6. Reimbursements take about two (2) weeks to process once received by the AREF office.
7. International Travel: All international travel should be reported to the foundation as soon as possible.

   INFORMATION/REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIC TO EMPLOYEES WORKING AT CDC

   1. All expenditure requests must relate to a specific research project which has been approved by the VA Research & Development (R&D) Committee, not research in general.
   2. The VA Science Information Office assigns a project number after all approvals, including the appropriate IRB approvals, have been secured. These numbers will now be required in your requests along with the AREF assigned project number (not IAA number).
   3. A written justification that addresses the reason for the travel, including the benefit or impact to the project for all travel, both Domestic and International, is required. If Human Subjects contact or data collection is involved, a copy of the IRB approval must be included with the request.
   4. International travel must have CDC approval by the same individuals that approve travel for CDC employees. These individuals should sign, including position title, the justification to be submitted along with the PI’s signature.
   5. Travel requests must be submitted at least three (3) weeks in advance if no registration or airline reservations are to be completed by the AREF office. If registration is requested, the request must be submitted at least two (2) weeks before the early registration deadline.
   6. If self-registering, AREF employees must include AREF in their Company/Affiliation along with CDC.
   7. If an abstract based on the findings of the project has been accepted for presentation at a conference, a copy of the abstract must be submitted with the request.
   8. The VA or Foundation must be acknowledged on the abstract, the poster and/or during the presentation.
   9. Expenditures made before a request has received approval by the appropriate AREF official, may not be reimbursed if the travel request is not approved.

INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO NON-EXEMPT AREF EMPLOYEES

1. OVERNIGHT TRAVEL – In general, whether travel time counts as hours worked when an employee travels overnight, depends on whether the travel occurs within the employee’s normal work schedule. Travel time that occurs within the employee’s normal work schedule is compensable.

COMPENSABLE

• Any portion of authorized travel that occurs within an employee’s normal work schedule counts as hours worked. Travel on non-work days (like weekends) also counts as hours worked if it occurs within the employee’s normal work schedule.
• If an employee is required to attend meals, social events, etc., that time is counted as hours worked.
• Time spent waiting at the airport counts as hours worked if it occurs within normal work hours.
• Any work while traveling, which an employee is required to perform, is counted as hours worked (e.g., answering e-mails, taking business related phone calls.)

NON-COMPENSABLE

• Regular meal periods do not count as hours worked.
• Riding as a passenger outside of normal work hours, via airplane, train, boat, bus or automobile does not count as hours worked. In other words, the act of riding as a passenger is not considered work.
• Time spent sleeping does not count as hours worked.
• Time spent waiting at the airport outside of normal work hours does not count as hours worked.
• Travel between home and work or between hotel and worksite is considered normal commuting time and does not count as hours worked.

The US Department of Labor does not treat any time spent in travel away from home which is outside regular working hours if the employee is a passenger on an airplane, train, boat, bus or in an automobile as compensable work time.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, AREF is not prohibited from arranging the employee's travel schedule outside normal working time. AREF retains to the right to approve, modify or disapprove non-exempt travel requests.