research student travel costs - vaccines, insurance. etc

[schu...@umn.edu]

Hello,

Does anyone know if the following expenses for research students going to certain countries can be covered either by sponsored or nonsponsored funds. 

• vaccines, such as yellow fever currently limited supply not available at Boyton
• masters or undergrads not on University insurance needing other vaccines 
• co-pays that prohibit students from purchasing travel medications, such as Malaria pills
• CISI travel insurance costs
• international cell phone cost $10 a day, when students are in rural areas and is a requirement of CISI travel registration 

Thanks

Noel

[Erin Flathmann]

Hi Noel,

Per policy, inoculations (vaccines, if required for intl travel) and CISI travel insurance are allowable (https://policy.umn.edu/finance/travel-appi).  If certain vaccines and/or Malaria pills are required by the state dept, I would likely approve for both faculty and students (as well as co-pays on the pills, if those are required).  I plan to send this question to the rest of the CoP website subcommittee to see if any one else has feedback on the cell phone costs.  

Does anyone else have feedback, if you have PIs or faculty who travel frequently?  

[Erin Flathmann]

Noel, here is another response from a CoP subcommittee member, as he remembered Carrie Meyer previously weighing in on the cell phone question.  Based on additional details for your specific case, you may find it is a special situation or not:

Carrie Meyer chimed in on a previous discussion board to provide some examples and additional information about special circumstances.

Special Situations:

1. Public Safety and Disaster Preparedness - Departments involved in public safety, disaster preparedness, or emergency response are encouraged to use departmental contracts when cellular equipment or communications are required (see #2 below).
2. Departmentally-Owned Contracts - Certain units may have special needs that justify departmental ownership of cell phones for temporary assignment to or rotation among employees. Examples of this situation include delivery drivers, on-call medical or technical personnel, security, Facilities Management personnel, and parking personnel. Departments may incur expenses for cell phones in these situations. Departmentally-owned cell phones are strictly for business use only and cannot be used for personal use.
3. Research - Where cell phone expenses are allowed and approved in conjunction with a specific grant, such expenses are allowable. All expenses must be charged to the grant in accordance with sponsor requirements and University policies governing sponsored projects.
4. Pagers - Some departments use pagers for their communication needs. Departments may cover modest cost for pagers.
5. International Expenses - Units may reimburse employees for incremental expenses incurred when international cell phone or data plan usage is required for official business, and the employee’s existing cell or data contract does not cover international calling. Units cannot reimburse employees when an employee's standard cell phone plan includes international communications.