IDigBio Travel Guidelines

THIS PAGE IS UNDER REVISION

Overview

iDigBio seeks to provide travel support to eligible invitees to our events, which include workshops, symposia, conferences, and training programs. This wiki page documents travel guidelines for all iDigBio internal (staff, faculty, students) and external (guest) travelers.

>>>> All travel processed by iDigBio must comply with the UF GO travel directives ! <<<<

If you have any questions, please contact a member of the iDigBio Travel Team.

iDigBio Travel Team

• Lauren Cohen, Deputy Project Manager with iDigBio at the University of Florida: Assists with travel logistics, creating Persons of Interest (POI), Travel Requests, and Expense Reports.
• Jesse Grosso, Deputy Project Manager with iDigBio at the University of Florida: Assists with travel logistics, creating Persons of Interest (POI), Travel Requests, and Expense Reports.
• David Jennings, Project Manager with iDigBio at the University of Florida: First-level approver of Travel Requests and Expense Reports.
• Gil Nelson, Project Director with iDigBio at the University of Florida: Cost Object Approver for Travel Requests and Expense Reports.

Key Resources

• UF GO Travel & PCard System
• UF GO Travel Directives
• UF Travel FAQs & Resources

General Guidelines

Travel Request (TR)

Travel Requests (TR) in UF GO are used to plan, organize, estimate costs, and request approvals for iDigBio-related travel. Travel Requests must be completed and approved before departing or making any travel arrangements. Please work with the iDigBio Travel Team to ensure Travel Requests are completed in a timely manner.

Expense Report (ER)

Reimbursement requests for travel expenses are submitted through an Expense Report (ER) in UF GO. Expense Reports should include all costs incurred during iDigBio-related travel, regardless of whether paid directly by the University (e.g., Air Card, PCard), a third party, or the traveler (e.g., personal credit card) and must reference the associated Travel Request. Reimbursements may only be made after travel has been completed. Expense Reports should be submitted within 30 days of trip completion.

Cost Comparison

Any trip that includes personal travel and/or combined business travel (e.g., personal extended stays at the business location or personal deviations to a non-business location) will require a cost comparison to ensure that iDigBio is not paying for costs unrelated to or unallowable while travelling on official UF business. The cost comparison should be obtained through UF GO or the University’s authorized travel agent at the time of booking to validate the reimbursable business-only portion of the fare. Cost comparisons must be included as supporting documentation on the Expense Report when personal travel or upgrades are included.

Booking Travel

All iDigBio-related travel should be booked through UF GO or the University’s authorized travel agent. Please work with the iDigBio Travel Team as your delegates to ensure compliance.

Travel & Transportation

All iDigBio travelers are to choose the most practical and economical mode of transportation and are generally to travel the most direct route. Consideration should be given to the total cost to iDigBio, considering the time of the traveler, impact on the productivity of the traveler, cost of transportation, and per diem or subsistence required.

Lodging

All iDigBio travelers are to choose the most practical and economical lodging. Justification is to be provided for a single room rate that exceeds the maximum lodging amount per the applicable "GSA Per Diem Schedule:https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates .

Meals

Meals not provided as part of an iDigBio event will be reimbursed according to "State of Florida Statute 112.061"http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=travel&URL=0100-0199/0112/Sections/0112.061.html : $36/day = $6/breakfast + $11/lunch + $19/dinner.

Ground Transportation

Reimbursement will be provided for transportation between hotels, railroad stations, airports, restaurants for business meals, workplaces, meetings, or other documented locations associated with the official business travel. Ground transportation to and from a restaurant for a non-business meal or for other personal reasons are not reimbursable.

Registration Fees

If registration fees are required for the iDigBio-related event, the Expense Report must include a copy of the conference/meeting/workshop agenda as well as a copy of your completed registration form stating the amount of the registration, what was included in the registration fee (meals, lodging, etc.), and the method of payment used to pay the registration fee.

Internal Travelers (iDigBio staff, faculty, students)

This section details travel guidelines for iDigBio staff, faculty, and students at the University of Florida (UF). The most comprehensive information about work-related travel for UF employees can be found on the UF Travel Information website. The information below summarizes the most relevant details for iDigBio staff, faculty, and students. You can expand this section by using the [Expand] link below on the right.

Additional Resources

• UF GO Toolkit
• Redmine Travel Request Information

External Travelers (iDigBio guests)

iDigBio seeks to provide participant travel support to eligible invitees to our events. This section details travel guidelines for Guests who are travelling on behalf of iDigBio and the University of Florida (UF). You can expand this section by using the [Expand] link below on the right.

Additional Resources

• Guest Travel Request Form
• Guest Expense Reimbursement Request Form