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The Center for Bright Beams, A National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center

Travel

Travel Authorization, Representing CBB While Traveling, and Travel Reimbursement

What you need to know:

The Center for Bright Beams funds $1,500 per student for conference travel to present CBB-related research. Reimbursement requests are submitted to your home institution. When traveling to present your CBB-funded research you are proudly representing The Center for Bright Beams is a Science and Technology Center funded by the National Science Foundation and as such, we must abide by all federal travel guidelines.

Requirements / Guidelines for Travel:

  • Gain approval from your supervisor.
  • Present CBB research and acknowledge CBB support by following the standards set in the CBB Style Guide.
  • Agree to upload your presentation to our Conference Presentations archive, so that we can capture them in our annual report to the NSF. If available, provide a link to the conference proceedings.
  • Travelers from CLASSE must also complete a Trip Record found here.
  • Room-sharing is expected of all graduate students
  • Economy transportation options must be used, which may require arriving and departing larger regional airports such as SYR for Cornell travelers.
  • An agenda from the conference that shows the date and includes information on meals provided is required for reimbursement.

Disallowed expenses:

  • Upgrades to flights, rides, hotels such as upgrading flights to business or first class, Uber LUX instead of Uber economy, car rentals and hotel booking must at be at lowest rate available.
  • Trip insurance is not reimbursable.

Per diem policy:

  • Verify GSA Per Diem rates on days that you travel and the location traveled to. GSA Per Diem Rates
  • You must deduct the per diem for any meals provided during your stay, including breakfast provided by hotels and venues.
  • We ask that reasonable reimbursements be requested, which can easily be 50% of the government per diem limit. By only requesting reimbursement for your actual expenses we can fund more trips.
  • Examples of per diem policy.

Special Travel Situations:

  • Additional Days of Travel:  Are you adding extra days to the beginning or end of your trip? If so, you must have a quote for the business travel days only. This quote must be from the same day that the flight was booked. It can be a screen shot showing the cost of the flight that arrives at the destination the day before the conference or meeting, and departs on the day after the meeting. You will be reimbursed the lower of the two costs.
  • Not booking round-trip airfare. Departing and returning to different locations: If you depart from one location and will return to a different location you must obtain a quote that shows departure and arrival to the same location. You will be reimbursed the lower of the two costs.

If you have questions ASK!

Reimbursement Procedures: There are different reimbursement procedures depending upon department and/or whether one is external to Cornell. Best practice is to submit for reimbursement within two weeks of travel.

CLASSE CBB Travelers:

Cornell (non-CLASSE) CBB Travelers:

Non-Cornell Travelers:

  • Travelers will complete the Travel Reimbursement procedures in place at your home university.

Reimbursement for Annual Meeting or NSF site visit travel will be reimbursed through General CBB funds and non-Cornell travelers will download and complete the Travel Reimbursement Form. Submit the completed form to Joan Curtiss, jcc25@cornell.edu and Becky Reynolds, bsr58@cornell.edu.