MFIT Workshop Guidelines: From Registration to Travel Reimbursement

SECTION I. INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this document is to provide helpful information and tips for those planning to attend an MFIT Workshop. The guide provides workshop procedures and guidelines pertaining to registration, how to receive specific workshop details, how to make travel arrangements and how to request travel expense reimbursement. This guide includes the answers to the most frequently asked questions and common occurrences from past workshop seasons.

The workshop coordinators created this guide with the goal of providing one document which contains all the general information needed to learn about, and participate in, the MFIT Workshop.

Each workshop participant should understand their institution’s rules pertaining to travel arrangements and reimbursements. The workshop coordinators cannot override institution rules.

The workshop coordinators hope the information supplied in this document, coupled with the understanding of each participant’s institution procedures, will result in a stress-free planning and reimbursement process.

Please read the entire document!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE REGISTERING FOR THE MFIT WORKSHOP:

TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT AMOUNT

All acceptable travel expenses for the MFIT Workshop participants will be reimbursed with funds from a PPA 7721 grant. Be sure to read this entire section to learn how this process will work. Those that make plans early often get better options that are less expensive. Please make your plans as soon as you receive your Letter AI and choose options that are priced so others can benefit by attending these workshops too.

NPDN WORKSHOP POLICIES:

The NPDN Workshop Policies for PPCDL and MFIT Workshops document provides key rules and guidelines and covers the expectations related to workshop registration, attendance, requirements, and travel expense reimbursement. This policies document is available on the NPDN Portal Workshop page under the tab named for policies.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AFTER REGISTERING FOR A WORKSHOP:

How you will receive information. 

STEP 1: Request & response.

The workshop registration method is developed by the planning team with input from the NPDN Professional Development Committee and is reviewed annually for needed revisions and updates. An announcement for the opening of registration will be posted using common NPDN tools, such as the members listserv, the portal, and the newsletter. All workshop requests will be acknowledged with a successful submission screen. If you do not receive the successful screen, your request may not have been submitted and you should check your registration status with the workshop coordinators.

The planning team members may work with a designated review team to determine the placement of workshop participants. This may take several weeks to complete.

STEP 2: Invitation & acknowledgment- Letter I.

After the registration request deadline is reached and the applications are reviewed, those selected for a workshop will be contacted by the workshop coordinators with an invitation to attend the workshop, with our Letter I. The potential participant must respond within 3 days to confirm they are still interested in attending the training. If confirmation is not made within the 3-day period, the coordinators will assume that person is no longer interested in attending and move to the next person in line.

STEP 3: Planning details - Letter A.

Once the participants are confirmed, the coordinators will develop a planning letter that signals it is safe to make travel plans.

What is included in Letter A?

Letter A confirms the dates and times of the workshop, provides the hotel name and address, the lodging group code, lists best airports, ground transportation options, how lunches will be handled on workshop days and requests for volunteer drivers. It includes email addresses for instructors and participants so they can contact each other if needed.

Step 4: Pre-Workshop details – Letter B.

A few weeks before the workshop, Letter B will be sent to the workshop participants to provide them with details of attendance.

What is included in LETTER B?

Letter B contains on-site details for the upcoming workshop, confirms first day meeting time and place, who to contact if delays and cancellations occur, directions to the workshop site, identification requirements for entering the building, the dress code, and how to handle lunch, snacks, and coffee, who will be driving and an updated participant listing. 

WHO GETS REIMBURSED and HOW:

Cornell University will reimburse YOUR HOME INSTITUTION. The travel expenses of approved workshop participants are submitted as an Institution Travel Reimbursement Request Letter, an easy-to-follow template available at the NPDN Portal, MFIT Workshop page.

Participants must follow their home institution’s travel procedures and policies. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR REIMBURSEMENT TO YOUR INSTITUTION FIRST. When a participant submits their travel expense letter to the Cornell coordinators and their institution’s representatives at the same time, we often receive an email containing a corrected letter later, after the institution has reviewed the submission. The institution reviewers may find problems with the participants submitted materials that require a change. When this happens Cornell must cancel the request and re-submit the request again, causing a duplication of effort and a longer processing time to get the reimbursement back to the institution.

The sole use of the institutional letter streamlined the travel reimbursement process. Using the direct reimbursement of the institution allows participants to get reimbursed sooner through their home institution for items like earlier purchasing of airline tickets. Cornell could not offer this reimbursement prior to traveling due to the cooperative agreement terms with Cornell University. Therefore, to simplify the overall process, the institution reimbursement method was put in place. The participants must follow their home institution rules regardless of where the funds originate. All original receipts stay with the home institution.

To review…the reimbursement MUST go to the institution, NOT directly to the participant. The participants must follow their institution’s rules AND have the letter reviewed by their institution BEFORE submitting it to Cornell for processing.

See details regarding travel expense reimbursement in Section III.

SECTION II. PLANNING and TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

Each traveler is responsible for making their own travel arrangements and paying the charges for travel-related services up front. The traveler’s institution will be reimbursed after the completion of the trip.

WHEN TO MAKE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS:

DO NOT make travel arrangements until you have confirmed your placement by responding to the LETTER I and you receive the LETTER A. Letter A is the signal telling you it is OK to begin your travel planning. A minimum number of participants is required for each workshop. When the planning team members confirm they have the minimum number needed for the workshop, LETTER A is sent. It confirms the workshop will proceed as planned and provides the details needed to begin making travel arrangements.

DO NOT PLAN to leave before the completion of the workshop. If you attend an in-person workshop and hope to return home on the final day, do not book a return flight before 8:00pm, you will need at least 3 hours to comfortably get to the airport. The airports in this area are very busy around the clock, so plan for lengthy ground travel times and long lines at check-in and getting through security.

IDENTIFICATION

Workshop participants should bring at least one form of picture ID with them, as may be needed when signing-in at the PDC Building.

DESIGNATED HOTEL

The workshop coordinators will provide a group code and/or link and address for a designated hotel in Letter A. Be sure to use the group code supplied to receive the prearranged rate. Grouping participants at one hotel makes traveling to and from the workshop site easier for everyone.

We understand some participants may have family and friends residing near the workshop site and may prefer to stay with them. That is up to the participant and fine with the workshop coordinators. If a participant plans to stay at a different location other than the designated hotel, they should inform their fellow workshop participants and instructors, so they are aware and do not wait for them at the hotel.

When planning various hotel activities, be aware that some items are not reimbursable. They include:

• Hotel fitness room fees,
• Saunas and massages,
• Pet care, kenneling and hotel pet charges.

Those not given the rate indicated in Letter A need to contact the hotel and request a correction. If not fixed, contact Barb Riker, so she can try to correct the problem.

AIRLINE-FLIGHTs

There are no restrictions on airline companies and airports used or the amount you spend on airfare. However, selecting more inexpensive options allows more participants to attend the workshops. Please make flight plans quickly after being given the green light to do so. Those that make plans early often get better rates and better rates allow more people to attend the workshops.

Common airports used for the PPCDL Workshops:

• Baltimore/Maryland Airport-BWI
• Reagan National Airport-DCA
• Washington Dulles-IAD

Airline fees not reimbursable include:

• Upgrades,
• Airline clubs,
• Frequent flyer miles,
• Helicopter fees for airport transfer.

FLIGHT CHANGE FEES

If you need to change your flight due to an emergency, the change fee and difference in airfare is reimbursable. Please choose an option with a reasonable fee, the more funding available will allow others to participate in the workshops.

TRAVEL INSURANCE IS NOT COVERED

Any type of travel insurance is NOT a reimbursable expense through Cornell University.

Insurance not covered include:

• trip cancellation insurance,
• personal accident or property insurance,
• baggage insurance and non-compulsory health insurance.

If you prefer to purchase travel insurance for personal reasons, you will not be reimbursed for it, under any conditions. It is your choice but understand it is not a reimbursable expense.

GROUND TRANSPORTATION

It is the responsibility of the traveler to make arrangements for travel from the airport to the hotel and vice versa. Most common ground transportation services are reimbursable. Examples of reimbursable methods include taxi, rideshare, airport shuttle service, metro/subway/train, and shuttle bus.

RENTAL CAR

In hopes of keeping expenses down and minimizing the number of rental cars for each workshop, the workshop coordinators will request two volunteers willing to rent a car and drive fellow workshop participants to and from the meeting site each day. Often drivers also drive groups to dinner each night. However, there are numerous restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.

The workshop coordinators will request volunteer drivers in Letter A. The workshop coordinators encourage participants to reach out to each other to coordinate rides, meeting times, if a delay in their arrival occurs, etc. If interested in driving, please respond as soon as possible. Letter B will contain the volunteer driver’s information so participants can converse with each other about plans.

What happens if no one volunteers to be a driver? The group will need to find an alternative method of transportation to get to and from the workshop site each day. The participants will need to make alternate arrangements, such as reserving a taxi or Uber. Taxis and Ubers are allowable expenses.

Rental car details:

• Allowable expenses associated with rental cars include parking fees, fuel, and tolls.
• Items such as GPS, satellite radio, child car seats and other additions are not allowable expenses.
• Only TWO types of insurance are allowed. They are…
  • Collision (CDW)
  • Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)

NOTE: If the insurance code differs from those listed (CDW, LDW), it is NOT a reimbursable expense. If an attendant says their code is the same as CDW or LDW, IT IS NOT, and past drivers have been burned.

• Many past participants have shared with us that they were insured through a personal car insurance provider, a credit card company, or a university/employer-rental car company arrangement. Participants who volunteer to drive should look into these established insurances before renting a car.

USE OF A PERSONAL OR BUSINESS VEHICLE

Mileage expenses will be reimbursed for those traveling to the workshop using a personal or business vehicle and those using these vehicles to drive to the airport, train station or other transportation. The current mileage rate can be found at the GSA travel website, Per diem rates GSA

Personal vehicle details:

• If the workshop participant is using a personal vehicle at the workshop location, they should include the mileage driven while onsite, from hotel to workshop site and to restaurants for meals.
• Drivers submit the number of miles driven in the institution travel reimbursement request letter.
• Mileage reimbursement does not apply to rental cars.
• Fuel is not a reimbursable expense for personal/business vehicles; the per/mile rate covers fuel

NOTE: Mileage reimbursement does not apply to rental cars; the rental charge and gas are covered.

TOLLS AND PARKING

All tolls and parking fees are reimbursable expenses for rental cars and personal vehicles.

Instructions for parking at the workshop site will be included in Letter A or B. When possible, carpooling is strongly encouraged to minimize the number of cars taking parking spaces. The instructors indicated that parking at this facility is open with no pass needed.

MEALS-PER DIEM

All meals are covered using the workshop participants’ institution policies or the federal GSA per diem rate. Participants should ask their institution representative which rate applies to them when receiving a reimbursement from a source other than their home institution. In all cases received to date, the participant has been required to use their institution’s rates.

More details and examples of a typical trip’s per diem request are provided in Section III.

SECTION III. TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST SUBMISSION

All acceptable travel expenses for the MFIT Workshop participants will be reimbursed with funds from a PPA 7721 grant. Be sure to read this entire section to learn how this process will work.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE INSTITUTION REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST LETTER

Cornell University provides one type of reimbursement method, reimbursement that goes to the participant’s home institution. This was selected as the approved method for reimbursement because it simplifies the process. The workshop participants follow their home institution rules and guidelines and the reimbursement are provided to the institution in the form of a check or electronic deposit. Be sure to check with your institution to learn how this process will work for you, doing so will result in a smooth planning and reimbursement request process.

Be sure to follow these steps to submit the Institution Travel Reimbursement Request Letter. An easy-to-follow template is available on the NPDN Portal Workshop page. All the information listed below is on the template.

The request letter must be on the participant’s institution letterhead.

1. The request letter must contain the participant’s name, workshop name and dates attended,
2. Each expense should be listed with the type of expense and the amount of that charge, common categories include…
3. Lodging
4. Airfare
5. Rental car
6. Rental car fuel
7. Private or institution vehicle mileage
8. Tolls
9. Parking
10. Baggage Fees
11. To ensure the reimbursement goes to the correct recipients and contains the references needed, include the following in your letter.
12. Check should be made payable to: (name of institution-department)
13. Referencing: Travel Expense Reimbursement for (PARTICIPANT NAME)
14. For attending: MFIT Workshop, held on (DATE)
15. Send reimbursement check to: Check Recipient’s Name 

(University or Institution and Department)

Street Address
Any other needed address information
City, State, zip code

In the past, where the receipts go has been confusing. Use of the Institution Travel Reimbursement Request Letter makes it quite simple; the home institution retains all original receipts and copies are not needed with the request letter. You simply email the completed letter to the contacts listed at the end of this document.

MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT:

• To determine the reimbursement per mile current rate, go to the GSA travel website.
• Per diem rates GSA

MEALS-PER DIEM REIMBURSEMENT:

All meals are covered using your institution or the federal GSA per diem rate. Each institution’s business office or travel representative can provide which rate applies to you when receiving reimbursement of your travel expenses. In most cases, the traveler is required to follow their institution’s policies regarding per diem rates.

• The per diem meal allowance rate is either following the institutions policies or using the GSA rate.
• Meals are calculated according to the number of days traveled.
• The rate depends on the physical location of the hotel and the time of year.
• The per diem meal rate can be found on GSA website, Per Diem Rates for Maryland
• When calculating meals, the per diem rate is broken down into four parts:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Incidental Expenses

• If any meals are paid for by those organizing or hosting the workshop, refer to the GSA page for the amount that should be removed for that day.

An example of calculation of per diem for a workshop:

• The traveler attended a 2-day workshop in February of this year. The hotel used is frequently located in either Beltsville or Frederick, Maryland. The example used for the GSA per diem meal allowance is $68.00.
• The traveler arrived the evening before the workshop and returned the day after, resulting in a 4-day trip.
• The travel days are calculated at 75% of the daily rate or $51.00 for this example.
• The hotel provided some light breakfast options but not utilized by the traveler so per diem covered all meals.
• The GSA rates change frequently. Be sure to check them for the workshop location after attending the workshop.
• Day 1 (travel day) $68.00 x 0.75 = $51.00
• Day 2 (workshop day 1) $68.00 x 100% = $68.00
• Day 3 (workshop day 2) $68.00 x 100% = $68.00
• Day 4 (travel day) $68.00 x 0.75 = $51.00
• Total per diem reimbursed= $238.00

If you depart the evening of the last day of the workshop, Day 3’s per diem will be 75% of the allowable rate, or $51.00 in this example, because it is a travel day.

Note: Always check with your institution before submitting your travel reimbursement request through Cornell University. They may find items that need to be changed prior to submitting your request, which will avoid delays and re-submissions for corrections.

CONTACTS:

If you have ANY questions about any of these items, please contact the primary reimbursement coordinator, Barb Riker, or Karen Snover-Clift, before making your arrangements and/or submitting your travel reimbursement. This may avoid delays in the reimbursement process.

Primary Reimbursement Coordinator:

Barb Riker Karen Snover-Clift
Cornell University Cornell University
School of integrative Plant Sciences School of integrative Plant Sciences
Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe Biology Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe Biology
324 Plant Science Bldg. 324 Plant Science Bldg.
Ithaca, NY 14853 Ithaca, NY 14853
br347@cornell.edu kls13@cornell.edu
Cell: (607) 227-0397