When members of the department have to travel off-campus for academic or administrative purposes (e.g., attending conferences, conducting field research, etc.), their travel expenses may be eligible for reimbursement, in accordance with MUN’s Travel Policy and the Schedule of Reimbursable Expenses. The page serves as a general guide to the procedures and documents required as you prepare to travel, and after you return. For more detailed information, please refer to the policies linked above or contact Alicia Sizov

Travel Documents 

• Travel Request Form (required, minimum one week before travel): Anytime you plan to travel off-campus for university purposes (i.e., attending conferences, field research, etc.) you should submit a TRAVEL REQUEST FORM with details of your trip and estimated expenses at least one week before you leave. This form serves as both an acknowledgement of your absence from campus, and to facilitate reimbursement of eligible travel expenses after the trip is over. Your supervisor must provide their written approval and funding information on the form before it is submitted to Alicia Sizov in the Earth Sciences office.  

• Travel Advance Form (optional, minimum two weeks before travel) If you wish to receive an advanced reimbursement to offset your upfront travel costs, you may submit a TRAVEL ADVANCE REQUEST FORM along with your Travel Request, at least two weeks before you leave. The Travel Advance must include your supervisor’s written approval and funding information, as well as supporting documents for your anticipated expenses (e.g., flight itinerary, conference registration, etc.).   

• Travel Claim Form (required, maximum ten days after travel) Once you return from your trip, you must fill out and sign the Travel Claim form, in which you list all your travel expenses eligible for reimbursement (including any expenses that were part of your travel advance, if you had one). You must also provide supporting documents showing payment details for each of your expenses, as well as your supervisor’s written approval and funding information on the claim form. Your travel claims and support documents should be submitted to Alicia Sizov in the Earth Sciences office within ten days of your return. The electronic travel claim form is available in Excel format and can be downloaded directly from the Financial and Administrative Services page. 

 Other Considerations 

• Graduate Travel Funding Assistance (special circumstance, minimum four weeks before travel): If you have been accepted to present at a conference, you may be eligible to seek funding assistance from the Faculty of Science, School of Grad Studies, Grad Student Union, and/or TAUMUN. Master’s students are eligible for one funding grant during their program, while Ph.D. students are eligible for up to two grants (no more than one per fiscal year).

• Travel funding assistance is not guaranteed but depends on the availability of funds and timely submission of completed travel documents. To apply for funding assistance, you should fill out the Grad Student Request for Travel Assistance instead of a regular Travel Request form, with estimates of your travel expenses. Your supervisor must provide their written approval and funding information on the form, but they will only be responsible for the remainder after the other funding sources are taken into account. 

• Submit the form, along with a copy of your abstract and proof of your acceptance to present at the conference, to Alicia Sizov in the Earth Sciences office at least four weeks before your trip to allow adequate processing time. If you wish to apply for advanced reimbursement to offset your upfront travel costs, you may also submit a completed Travel Advance form as per the instructions above.  

• Meals and Incidentals: When it comes to reimbursement of meals and incidental expenses (e.g., tips or gratuities), there are two options outlined in MUN’s Travel Policy: the per diem (daily) allowance or individual receipts. Students should consult with their supervisors to determine which option will be most cost-effective: 

• Per diem: If you choose the per diem (daily) allowance for meals and/or incidentals during your trip, you may claim up to $60 CAD per day (plus $5 CAD per day for incidentals, if your trip is longer than two consecutive nights). If claiming per diem, you do not need to provide meal receipts. Different rates apply for individual meals within Canada, the USA, and other international destinations, so please consult the Schedule of Reimbursable Expenses for a full breakdown. Note that for travel outside Canada, per diem rates are calculated in USD $ and converted to CAD $ based on the average Bank of Canada exchange rates for the dates of your trip.  

• Receipts: If you choose to submit receipts, you must list all individual meal expenses on your Travel Claim and provide receipts for each one.  

Shared Expenses 

• If you are travelling with a group, it may be easier or more cost-effective to share certain expenses (e.g., sharing a hotel, or booking flight tickets together). If you wish to divide an expense between two or more people, each person involved must provide a written statement confirming the details of the arrangement and how much of the total expense they intend to claim for reimbursement. These statements should be submitted to Alicia Sizov in the Earth Sciences office before you travel, along with your Travel Request and any other pre-travel documents you may have.  

• If you intend to claim 100% of the expense on behalf of someone else (e.g. you paid for an Airbnb that you’ll be sharing with another MUN person), both you and the other person should submit a written statement confirming the details of the arrangement and that you will be claiming 100% of the expense. The other person’s statement should specify that they will not be claiming any portion of the expense themselves. These statements should be submitted to Alicia Sizov in the Earth Sciences office before you travel, along with your Travel Request and any other pre-travel documents you may have. 

• Per diem and incidental expenses cannot be claimed on behalf of another person. You may only claim per diem and incidental expenses for yourself on your own travel claim.  

Planning your trip 

• Flights: When booking flights, you should choose the most cost-effective option available. If you book flights at a fare higher than Air Canada’s Economy Flex (or equivalent), you will only be reimbursed for the value of a comparable flight at a lower fare.    

• Personal travel: If any portion of your trip should not be considered official university business (e.g. if you arrive more than one day early for a conference or extend your stay more than one day after its end), that portion will instead be considered personal travel. Any expenses you incur during personal travel will not be eligible for reimbursement. If your trip includes personal travel, you should also submit a sample itinerary showing the cost of a comparable trip without personal travel – your reimbursement will be based on whichever costs less.    

• Travel insurance: As per MUN’s Travel Policy, expenses for travel insurance are not eligible for reimbursement, except insurance against forfeiture of ticket cost because of trip cancellation. 

If you have specific questions or need help preparing your travel documents, please contact alicia.sizov@mun.ca in the Earth Sciences office.