Travel Support: Funding and Planning

South Central ACS | CASE | Office of Graduate Education | CASE Funding Provided | GE Travel Funding Provided

Travel Funding Sources:  Graduate students are eligible for support by the Office of Graduate Education Travel Fund up to $500 once every 2 academic years.  Graduate and undergraduate students are eligible for travel support by CASE Travel Grants up to $500 once per academic year.  Graduate and undergraduate students are eligible for travel support by the Department of Chemistry (DOC) Research Incentive Fund up to $500 per academic year. 

DOC Research Incentive Fund Travel Support:  Graduate and undergraduate students are eligible for travel support by the Department of Chemistry (DOC) Research Incentive Fund (department SRI) up to $5,000 per academic year.  DOC will support funding in place or in addition to Graduate School and/or CASE support.  DOC funds will be limited to no more than $500 per research group per academic year (August 1-July31).  DOC travel support for regional meetings is up to $250 and for national meetings is up to $500. 

The application is simple: (1) Fill out the DOC Application and Travel Authorization Form supply a budget and then after trip fill out and submit receipts on the Chemistry Department Travel Reimbursement Form.  (2) Supply evidence of authorship or co-authorship on a presentation (Poster, Oral Presentation) and/or participation in a DOC sanctioned recruiting event.  (3) Email information re/items (1) – (2) to dawnd@mst.edu.  Applications will only be accepted one week before the conference.  Decisions are made in the DOC Office solely based on completeness of submission of the requested information.  Reimbursements will be made after submission of receipts. 

Steps to responsible Travel Planning and for applying for Travel Funding:

1) Prepare a GA/GTA substitution request and get approvals

2) Apply for travel authorization through the department

3) Collect receipts for reimbursement fill out the Chemistry Department Travel Reimbursement Form and upload receipts on the reimbursement form

 Detailed instructions for each step are included below. 

In general, any kind of travel should be scheduled and planned to avoid or minimize interference with graduate student employment as a GA/GTA/GRA. This applies both to business travel (conference, interview, collaboration, etc.) and personal travel (holidays, vacation, etc.) Personal travel should be limited to breaks between semesters. Note that GA/GTA/GRA employments begin weeks before the start of the teaching semester and end weeks after commencement.

If the graduate student travel occurs during a GRA employment period, the travel plans need to be discussed and approved by the graduate student’s adviser before travel plans are finalized.

If the graduate student travel occurs during a GA/GTA employment period, the travel plans need to be discussed and approved by the graduate student’s adviser as well as the faculty directing all affected GA/GTA activities. Graduate student X on GA/GTA employment must find a substitute Y to fill his/her function during the time of travel and demonstrate that the substitution is possible without any overlap conflicts. The requested substitute Y needs to be named. The requested substitute Y must be approved by the faculty directing the GA/GTA employment of traveler X, by the research adviser of substitute Y, and by the faculty directing the GA/GTA employment of Y (if any).

The GA/GTA substitution permissions need to be collected with the online Graduate Student Travel and GA/GTA Substitution Request Form. All approvals are required before travel plans are finalized. Failure to do so will be recorded and will reduce eligibility for future GA/GTA employment. 

1. You must contact International Enrollment and inform them of your travel plans.  You can do this via e-mail to International and Cultural Affairs at ia@mst.edu. 

2. International students must work with International Enrollment and submit all their required paperwork. This is important as it can affect your visa and re-entry into the United States. Visit the website International Travel on Behalf of S&T.

3. All students must fill out the Travel Authorization Form for Domestic and International Travel. For information about the MOCODE & financial source, talk to your advisor.

Things to Note: If you travel without submitting your Authorization for Travel first, the university reserves the right not to reimburse you as are in fact traveling without permission. Late submissions will not be accepted. 

  1. Collect receipts for reimbursement fill out the Chemistry Department Travel Reimbursement Form and upload receipts on the web-based reimbursement form.  Contact Dawn Davis if you have any questions dawnd@mst.edu.
  2. Receipts for meals one person only and must be itemized. Hotel stays must have students name on final receipt or attach credit card statement showing payment and will not be reimbursed until after the stay, when you have the final receipt. 
  3. The receipts will be attached to the reimbursement and filed by MOCODE. 

Things to Note:  If you are reimbursed and do not participate, you will have to pay the university back. If the trip is cancelled, you will also have to pay the university back for reimbursements and these will be attributed to the correct MOCODE. No itineraries or estimated expenses will be accepted as proof of payment, all must be on the chemistry department travel reimbursement form and itemized final receipts attached.