Post project conference charges

[Jill Bezecny]

We have a question regarding spending on an NSF grant. We're going to be sending two students to a conference on this grant, but the conference takes place in October which is after the grant will have ended. 

1. We can book flights and registration before the grant ends, but I'm not sure it's appropriate, if the conference is after the end of the project. 

2. Can we reimburse the students for their hotel rooms, when they return from the conference. 

[Erin Flathmann]

Because the event itself is after the end of the grant, I would disallow charging it to the grant.  Even if certain expenses are paid for before the grant ends, the actual conference dates are after grant end dates so those charges would not be allowed.  If it's possible a No Cost Extension can be pursued, that would be optimal.

I've only deviated from this in one case with sponsor approval, that I recall.  It may have been a publication charge or website cost that was pertinent to the grant accomplishments (and for some reason couldn't be charged within the grant dates). 

[Heather Steen]

I agree with Erin. I know my teammates and I have discussed that it sometimes feels strange that we can charge publications cost to a grant after the end date, but can't charge travel when the travel is also for dissemination of results.  But we also don't charge expenses to a grant for any travel activity after the end date, even if the expenses could be paid during the project period.

[Hlitawci Xiong]

I agree with both Erin and Heather. I would not allow travel expenses unless there is sponsor approval. Per the Direct Cost Allowability Grid, only publication cost is an allowable charge up to 60 days after the project end date. 

[Jill Bezecny]

Further information from the PI:

The paper will be published in the conference proceedings, but only if the author attends the conference to present the paper. Otherwise, the paper won't be published, which they state here. So the problem we have is that the paper was submitted and accepted for publication well before the end of the grant, but needs to be presented at the conference on October 26 in order to be published. This is the most common way that we publish our research, it's just the first time where the conference date has been after the end of the grant. 

My initial take on this is that the conference registration can be paid for, but not the travel costs.