Travel Support Information

Contact Information

Nicholas Pesarcik, CAS Business Manager, nap622@lehigh.edu

General Information

The College of Arts & Sciences is pleased to support research by providing travel funds to enable faculty and graduate students to present papers, posters, serve as discussant, or chair a panel at regional, national, or international conferences. In general, funding is provided when the faculty member or graduate student is presenting a paper or poster. Support is not given to attend a meeting or underwrite research-related travel. 
  • Open to Assistant, Associate, Full Professors, POPs, TAPs, and Graduate Students
  • Must be presenting or have an invited role at conference  
  • For faculty, up to $1,500.00 over the fiscal year (July 1 - June 30), which can be applied to more than one trip, if funds are available
  • For graduate students, up to $750.00 over the fiscal year (July 1 - June 30), which can be applied to more than one trip, if funds are available
  • Funds are issued on a first come, first serve basis
  • Must submit request at least 30 days in advance 

Because the college’s travel budget is limited, support must be secured at least one month prior to attending the conference/seminar. We do not support or fund any travel requests after the trip has been taken.  

Travel Grant Submission Guidelines

To request funds for travel, please complete the following:

  • Please submit a Travel Support Request Form for each trip - contact your department coordinator/business manager, who will send you either the Faculty Form or the Graduate Form in DocuSign.
  • In DocuSign, you will need to:
    • attach copies of pertinent travel information (e.g. confirmation of paper acceptance, invitation to chair a panel, seminar schedule for presentation, etc.)
    • List faculty funding source (i.e. research grant, startup, or discretionary index), if any. The department chair, working with the coordinator/business manager, can indicate funding from available departmental indexes.
    • For Assistant, Associate, POP or TAP faculty, select if you would like the travel to be nominated from Provost travel funds. More information on Provost travel funding can be found below.
    • DocuSign will automatically route the request form to the Dean's Office and the Provost, if applicable, for review. 

We recommend that you submit your Travel Support Request Form(s) as soon as you know your travel plans. Once DocuSign has collected the necessary signatures, you will receive an email notification saying the request has been completed. If your plans change, please notify the Dean's Office as soon as possible, so that we may assist other faculty members with requests for funds.

Reimbursement Procedures

All reimbursable expenses should be initially charged to your discretionary index (or other index as determined with your department), including out-of-pocket reimbursement.  Upon completion of your trip, submit a copy of your paid expenses, and if applicable, OneCard statement, and a spreadsheet detailing expenses to be considered to Nicholas Pesarcik (nap622), CAS Dean’s Office. Please indicate the index number that was originally charged for your expenses. The funds will be transferred to this index. Reimbursements should be settled within 90 days of returning from your trip; otherwise, your funds will be cancelled and awarded to other waiting applicants.  

Reimbursable Expenses

  • Air travel - Submit original airline passenger receipt or boarding pass indicating destination, class of travel and proof of payment.
  • Registration fees - Attach a copy of your conference registration form along with a conference program, agenda and proof of payment. 
  • Transportation - Personal auto - reimbursement provided using published federal rate (see Controller's Office website for current rate); auto rental, bus, taxi, parking, tolls, etc. - submit original auto rental agreement and associated gasoline receipts.
  • Hotel* - Daily charges for room and related taxes - submit itemized hotel bill indicating payment.
  • Meals* - Meal expense must be listed separately for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Expenses related to alcoholic beverages or business entertainment are not reimbursable through this grant.  According to the Lehigh University Travel and Business Expense Policy, all receipts of $75 or more must be itemized. 
  • Other - Necessary telephone calls; fax charges; expenses associated with baggage handling, storage and tips; laundry and dry cleaning expenses when traveling for periods greater than five days.

* Per diem rates established by U.S. General Services Administration or Department of State for domestic travel or international travel is also permissible.

Non-reimbursable expenses

Alcoholic beverages while traveling; auto rental insurance charges; fines for traffic or parking violations; first class or business class airfare; hotel amenities such as exercise facilities and movies; luxury limousine service; optional conference events (e.g., tours, golf, outings, etc.); personal expenses while traveling on University business; theft, loss or damage of personal property. For more information about reimbursable/non-reimbursable expenses, please review the Lehigh University Travel and Business Expense Policy here

Are there other travel funds available at Lehigh?

The Provost’s Office also awards travel funds through the Eugene Mercy, Jr. President/Provost Fund for Faculty Development as well as the Lehigh Global Initiatives Endowment Fund. This is open to Assistant and Associate Professors, Teaching Assistant Professors, and Professors of Practice. Every 12 months, an eligible faculty member can apply for one travel grant (one trip), either domestic or international, but not one of each. For domestic travel, the Provost’s travel grant will cover up to 50% of the cost. For international travel, the Provost’s travel grant will cover up to 67% of the cost.   

To be considered for a Provost travel award, please contact your department coordinator/business manager who will send you the Faculty Form in DocuSign. Mark where indicated that the travel should be nominated for Provost travel funding. If approved for Provost funding by your Department Chair and the Provost Office, you will be notified via an award letter with further instructions on reimbursement. Travel that is funded through Provost funds is still eligible for College funding. Click here to review the Provost’s Office Travel Policy.  

If the Provost offers funding, each faculty member can still request college funds if they plan to attend more than one conference in the fiscal year. Again, this is available on a first come, first serve basis.

For further questions, please contact Nicholas Pesarcik, at nap622@lehigh.edu or 8-3584.