School Policy on Staff Travel to Conferences

• School Travel Application Form — to be used for all travel (domestic and international)
• T4 Application for Travel Advance / Per Diem Allowance — to be used only when claiming a per diem allowance or obtaining funds in advance of travel
• Application for Faculty of Engineering International Travel Contribution — to be used when applying for Faculty of Engineering support

The following policies will apply for the remainder of 2009.

1. Overseas Travel

The School will provide a contribution to travel costs of $1,500 where a peer-reviewed research paper is being delivered at an international conference, with a limit of one trip per year per staff member.

2. Domestic Travel (within Australia or New Zealand)

The School will provide financial support to meet part of the total of the following costs associated with approved attendance at a conference held in Australia or New Zealand:

• return travel (up to the cost of an economy air fare)
• taxi fares associated with the forward and return journey
• conference registration fee
• accommodation and meals up to a maximum of $100 per day

The rate of financial support provided by the School will be 75% for presentation of a peer-reviewed research paper and 50% where only conference attendance applies. There will be a maximum limit of $1,000 for domestic travel.

Provision of financial support will be limited to one trip per year per staff member.

3. Travel Support for New Members of Staff

To support establishment of national/international research contacts, the School will provide financial support in addition to its normal travel supplementation at the discretion of the Head of School on a case by case basis for new members of staff. The definition of "new" is a member of staff with less than two years service at UNSW.

4. General

A School Travel Application Form must be submitted to the Administrative Officer prior to departure together with a full itinerary, statement of costs from the travel agent, a copy of the on-line application for conference leave as well as a copy of the abstract of the peer-reviewed research paper and evidence that the research paper has been peer-reviewed. Travel applications submitted after 12 noon on the day air fares are due for payment will not be processed.

Members of staff who apply for conference leave during session times, examination periods or during course results submission periods will need to submit a written statement on the School Travel Application Form specifying the coverage of lecture and tutorials and/or arrangements for the submission of examinations and results while absent from UNSW.

All air fares must only be booked through UNSW approved travel agents. Invoices/statement of costs will only be accepted from the UNSW approved travel agents listed below:

In all cases of travel supported by the School, arrangements must comply with the UNSW travel policies and procedures which can be found at www.policy.unsw.edu.au/procedure/Travel.pdf.

It is strongly recommended that members of staff undertaking international travel first check current travel restrictions on the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade web page prior to their departure (www.smartraveller.gov.au).

Members of staff are reminded that travel to any location for which there is a warning from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade must be first approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).

5. Faculty of Engineering Support

The Faculty of Engineering will make available an international travel contribution up to a maximum of $1,500 for academic staff who are travelling overseas to present a research paper at an international conference.

The amount of the contribution (up to $1,500) will be determined by the Dean based on several factors including the standing of the conference, the applicant's research performance over the past two years and the support from the Head of School.

An application form must be submitted for approval by the Dean prior to departure. Applications can be downloaded (in pdf) from Application for Faculty of Engineering International Travel Contribution. Initially, total travel will be charged to a School account and the Faculty contribution paid into that account.

Academic staff may only apply for one Faculty international travel contribution per year. The contribution is not available for travel while undertaking SSP.

August 2009