Traveling

• Airfare: Costs must represent the basic least expensive available unrestricted accommodations class unless those would unduly prolong the trip, require travel at unreasonable hours, increase the routing, or add costs that offset the airfare savings. For federal awards or when the sponsor requires it, ensure the carrier being used for international travel is in accordance Fly America Act. 

• Lodging: Lodging may be charged to a project if an overnight stay is necessary to complete the purpose of the trip and it directly supports the project.
• Meals: Meals for the traveler may be charged to a project only while in travel status and must follow NIU travel standards.
• Travel Visas:

Uniform Guidance section 200.463 describes when visa costs are allowable on federal awards as a recruitment cost:
Short-term, travel visa costs (as opposed to longer-term, immigration visas) are generally allowable expenses that may be proposed as a direct cost. Since short-term visas are issued for a specific period and purpose, they can be clearly identified as directly connected to work performed on a Federal award. For these costs to be directly charged to a Federal award, they must:
(1) Be critical and necessary for the conduct of the project;
(2) Be allowable under the applicable cost principles.

• Basic visa application and required fees, such as anti-fraud fees, are allowable direct costs provided they meet the definition above. 
• Premium processing fees, dependent form fees, or NIU internal processing fees are NOT allowable as direct charges to a federal award.
• Only initial visa costs are allowable as part of recruitment.

To comply with Uniform Guidance,  if the employee resigns within 12 months of recruitment, for reasons within their control, the associated relocation costs, including any visa costs, must be removed from the Federal award.

• Non-Employee Travel Expenses: If a non-university employee is essential to the project and requires travel to perform a direct service to the project, those travel expenses are allowable consistent with NIU policy and are paid via a Check Request. SPA may require the following documentation as part of the travel review.
  • The purpose of the travel,
  • What role this non-employee plays on the project,
  • How the travel directly benefits the project,
  • Whether or not it has been pre-approved by the sponsor.

Uniform Guidance identifies specific instances when travel expenses are unallowable.

• Business-Class or First-Class Airfare: This is unallowable except for travelers whose medical needs require these accommodations. These situations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and the traveler must provide a doctor’s statement explaining the medical need for this exception. In certain cases, sponsor pre-approval may be required. Contact your Grants and Contracts Associate to discuss these situations.
• Travel Costs for Dependents: These expenses are unallowable unless the travel is for six months or more and with prior sponsor approval.
• Temporary Dependent Care: Federal standards allow these costs only when provided for all qualified employees of the university. NIU does not have such a policy, therefore these costs are unallowable costs to a project.
• Passport Fees: Because passports are active for 10 years and their use benefits multiple activities, including business and personal, as well as unknown future activities it is difficult to identify these costs to a single project with a high degree of accuracy, therefore these costs are unallowable to a project.  
• Fees to Expedite Visa Processing: Fees to fast-track visa processing are not allowed without prior sponsor approval.