The Travel and Professional Development Reimbursement Fund for Research Associates covers expenses related to travel and professional development activities.
*Please note*
The current funding cycle runs from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2014, for all expenses incurred during this period. The maximum reimbursement issued per Research Associate is $2,000.
The updated guidelines below will apply to all applications, effective immediately. Please click here for the new application procedure.
Administrative Guidelines
All Research Associates and Research Associate IIs (RAs) in paid positions at both UBC Vancouver and Okanagan campuses are eligible to apply. Each RA is entitled to reimbursement of up to $2,000 for the period between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2014.
Expenses must be related to professional development activities that enhance the knowledge, performance or career progression of a Research Associate's work at the University. It may not be used for any other purpose.
Eligible expenses may include:
- Travel and associated expenses related to conferences, workshops, seminars, symposia, and other similar professional activities (travel expenses are as per UBC travel policy 83);
- Registration fees and other expenses for meetings of professional organizations, conferences, workshops, seminars, symposia and other similar professional activities;
- Membership fees for professional organizations; or
- Course fees and books.*
*Books are the only goods reimbursable under this program. This program is mainly intended for travel and professional development activities.
Ineligible expenses include, but are not limited to:
- Non-professional development travel (i.e. personal travel);
- Non-professional development fees for registration, membership or courses (i.e. for recreational or personal interest purposes);
- Subscriptions for communicative devices (e.g. mobile devices, tablets, etc.), internet access fees;
- Courier fees; or
- Significant fixed assets such as laptops, computers, digital cameras etc.
No claim is allowed before the expense is incurred - please submit only after expense has occurred. This program is not intended to substitute for funds currently spent on development of Research Associates.
How to Apply
Instructions for applying are provided on the application form. Applications will only be accepted in April and October of each year. Applications received between April 1-30 will be processed in May, while those received between October 1-31 will be processed in November.
All applicants will now need to get reimbursed through their department first. Upon approval and reimbursement from your department, please submit an application form along with copies of all supporting receipts and documents (TR and Q requisitions) to the VPRI Office. By providing your departmental speed chart, we will then reimburse your department through the issue of a Journal Voucher (JV).
Funds will be reimbursed directly to the departmental speed chart via UBC Financial Services subsequent to the submission of the completed application form and supporting receipts.
Where there is a disagreement with respect to the eligibility of an expense, the matter shall be referred to the Vice President Research & International or a designate who is empowered to decide upon the eligibility of the claimed in his or her absolute discretion. This decision shall be final and binding on all parties and there shall be no further appeal.
Please contact the VP Research & International Office at (604) 822-3090 with any questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to include with the application form?
As noted above, the new procedure requires you to be reimbursed by your department first. Fill out the application form, including your department’s speed chart and get it signed by your department head or supervisor. Please attach copies of all receipts and requisitions that indicate your name, payment description, payment amount and form of payment. Credit card statements are not acceptable as receipts. Copies of conference registration, boarding passes and/or official itinerary, electronic ticket or receipt from the airline are also required as proof of travel.
How do I know whether my application has been accepted and when can I expect payment?
If you are an RA and have filled out the application form properly with all receipts attached, and the expenses you are claiming for are all eligible, the application should be accepted without any problems. If there is a problem with your application, our office will contact you to try our best to resolve it.
As funds are being deposited directly to your department via JV, you will not receive notification when payment is processed. It will show up as a credit on your department’s general ledger automatically. The VPRI Office may assist in tracking the status of the payment, but only your department’s finance administrator has access to the general ledger. This process usually takes around 3 to 4 weeks.
May I apply to this program more than once?
Yes, you may apply to this program as many times as you like up to the maximum of $2,000 during the current 2-year period (April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2014).
The program is renewed every period. This means you are eligible to access the funding again even if you have applied during the previous period.
May I carry forward the amount I did not use up from the previous period?
No, you may not carry forward any leftover amount you did not use up in the previous period. The program is renewed every period, so Research Associates may only use up to $2,000 during April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2014.
What do I do with expenses in foreign currencies?
Your department should have converted any foreign currencies into Canadian dollars when processing your application. Therefore, fill in your application form and include copies of all receipts and requisitions (TR or Q requisitions) that should already show these conversions.
Will this program continue past March 2014?
This program is dependent on provincial funding. At this point, it is not known whether the program will continue past the March 31, 2014. Future changes to the program will be communicated when known.
May I combine personal travel with professional travel?
The program’s travel policy conforms with UBC’s travel policy #83, excerpted here:
6.2. Combining University Travel With Personal Travel
6.2.1. Travellers may combine university travel and personal travel with the approval of their administrative head of unit. Prior to travellers scheduling indirect routes (interrupting business portions of a trip for personal travel or vice versa), the administrative head and the traveller must agree on a fair allocation of expenses for the trip. In no event will the university’s portion of expenses exceed what would have been charged had the personal travel interruption not occurred.
