What information do you need to get started?
Getting Started
CARAT has prepared this FAQ to assist PIs and others traveling as part of their grant-supported work. The UMBC Travel System is available to all UMBC Faculty and Staff. Refer to the UMBC Travel Guide for required supporting documentation and other helpful tips. We also recommend this excellent walkthrough by Gayle Chapman, Assistant Controller in Financial Services for creating a simple pre-approval.
All in-state overnight and/or out-of-state travel should be pre-approved in the UMBC travel system. Pre-approval streamlines the post-travel reimbursement process. Please inform your Grant Manager about applicable travel before submitting pre-approval to ensure the availability of sponsored funds for your travel. We recommend communicating with your Grant Manager at least one month prior to travel whenever possible.
How do I arrange a flight?
UMBC has contracts with several travel agencies for making travel arrangements. Please contact one of them for flights and let them know you are from UMBC. A quote will be sent to you and will need to be attached to the pre-approval. The flight will be booked once the pre- approval has been approved and signed in DocuSign.
All flights on award funds should be non-refundable.
How do I arrange international travel?
International travel involves extra steps prior to pre-approval submission. Refer to the UMBC International Travel Guide for required supporting documentation and other helpful tips. International travel also requires Grant Manager approval prior to submission of a pre-approval to ensure the availability of funds.
What can CARAT Pay for after Pre-approval?
Please use our RT Ticket System to request use of a P-card for conference registration fees or credit card authorization of a hotel stay.
Hotel credit card authorization will only cover the room, and parking, and related non-Maryland state taxes. The credit card cannot be used for food, alcohol, amenities, etc.
Per Uniform Guidance, we cannot pay for organization membership fees with award funds.
What if I Travel Without Pre-approval?
Travel without pre-approval may not be reimbursed. Your reimbursement request will need a memo explaining why a pre-approval was not submitted.
Business Services has the authority to determine that a trip may not be reimbursed.
Reimbursement related to Travel
Before you submit your reimbursement, you confirm:
Are you in PAW? (The UMBC outward facing finance portal) If yes, fantastic. If not, you will need be loaded as a entity in PAW.
- Get a W-9 here, and save it.
- Use the travel system to send you the W9 request form. The DocuSign will arrive as an email and will be from the Procurement office. You may need to check your spam folder!
- Fill out the DocuSign and attach the signed W-9
Do you have receipts for anything you paid for yourself?
Please be sure to include all receipts for travel expenses. They must include the last 4 digits of your card number to indicate it is your card being used, and must be in pdf format and vertically aligned to be accepted by Business Services.
You will not need receipts / reimbursed for anything UMBC has already paid for such as flights via Globetrotters, conference registrations on a P-card, etc.
Can I be reimbursed for my driving mileage?
If you are driving to another location in your own car, you can be reimbursed. In order to be reimbursed for mileage to/from a location will require a map (google Maps for ex.), mileage to/ from the location. All maps used by UMBC employees as documentation related to mileage reimbursement must start at UMBC if it is a regular work day. The current mileage rate is already loaded into the Travel System.
What about parking and tolls?
You can be reimbursed for parking and tolls. If the combined total is under $10, you do not need to provide receipts. If it is over $10, you must provide receipts for all parking and tolls. Please note that for airport parking, UMBC will only reimburse at the rate of the long term lot. The rate at BWI is found here.
Are we reimbursed for food?
Yes, you can be reimbursed for meals through either per diem or the exact dollar amounts. Please make sure to apply the same method to the entire trip.
If you are traveling to a high cost city, that city may be available in the dropdown menu. If not, please use the USM rate option.
If you would like to be reimbursed by the exact amount paid for your meal you will need the meal receipts, along with documentation to confirm the purchase. If you are paying for a group meal, you will also need to provide a list of the people who attended the event and their affiliations.
If your conference includes an event with a provided meal, that meal will not be included in your per diem reimbursement. The conference schedule will provide that information. Possible exceptions for dietary restrictions / accommodations are provided.
Please reach out to your grant manager for additional information on this topic.
FYI
*The travel system does not work in Safari.
Things that aren’t directly reimbursable
- Sales tax in the state of Maryland
- Gas receipts