The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) Travel Funds and the University Professional Development Funds (UCONN) as part of the Contract Agreement with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) are available to support travel to domestic or international professional societies directly associated with a faculty member’s research.
OVPR travel funds are specifically for faculty who are “actively participating” in domestic or international meetings of professional societies.
AAUP travel funds are available for faculty, as members of the AAUP bargaining unit, who wish to attend a domestic or international meeting of a professional society or editorial board without the requirement of “active participation.” The AAUP fund also supports travel to attend short course, workshop or colloquium pertinent to research objectives that will enable faculty to learn a technique valuable for a specific research program as well as to enhance professional duties without the criteria of “active participation.”
OVPR and AAUP Travel Awards for “Active Participation”
AAUP Travel Awards for “Attending Only or Short-Course Workshop”
Fiscal Year Allocation (July 1 – June 30). The on-line request form for travel in the next fiscal year will be available mid-May of the preceding year:
- OVPR $750
- AAUP $1,250
- TOTAL $2,000
Qualifying award amounts for “active participation” will first be drawn on OVPR funds and any qualifying amounts exceeding $750 will then be drawn from AAUP funds. Awards for attending professional meetings or short course workshop will draw from on AAUP funds only.
- Purpose:
- OVPR: To support travel for faculty members who are “actively participating” in domestic or international meetings of professional societies. Active Participation: In conjunction with a conference, presentation of a research paper or poster session, chairmanship of a research session, discussant on a symposium panel, participant in a gallery opening, solo, choral, orchestral, musical, and dance performances. Travel may be domestic or international.
- AAUP : To support travel for AAUP bargaining unit members who wish to attend a domestic or international meeting of a professional society or editorial board without the requirement of “active participation.” The fund also supports travel to attend a short-course, workshop or colloquium pertinent to research objectives that will enable faculty to learn a technique valuable for a specific research program as well as to enhance professional duties.
- Eligibility:Faculty member of the AAUP bargaining unit and eligible individuals whose promotion and tenure are directly tied to research scholarship and, thus, to the presentation of that scholarship. Tenure-track faculty appointed as Visiting (or equivalent) while visa issues are being resolved are eligible for funding. Ineligible individuals for the OVPR portion of the funding include: Regular Visiting, Adjunct and Lecturers. Lecturers who are teaching two or more courses and have done so for each semester of the past two years qualify for AAUP funds.
Eligible Expenses
- Transportation
- Airfare – 50% (junior faculty are eligible for 100%). Junior faculty members must be within the first five years of appointment to the University, in a tenure-track position with a rank no higher than Assistant Professor.
- Bus/train fare – 100%.
- Car – use of personal care (one round trip only) will be reimbursed less the employee’s normal commute to work at the federal mileage rate (not exceeding reasonable air, bus, or train fare). That is, if mileage reimbursement calculates to $600.00 and comparable current airfare is $400, as per the 50% air guideline, $200 will be awarded). Car rental, parking, and limousine services are not eligible expenses.
- Mileage – only the difference between the mileage to the offsite destination (including an airport or a rail station) and the mileage of the employee’s normal commute to work is eligible for support.
- Shuttle/Secondary transportation – 100% taxi, train or bus station transfer to/from hotel/conference site. Requests exceeding $50 for domestic travel and $100 for foreign travel need justification and documentation.
- Registration fee – 100% (breakdown is required if registration fee includes meals and lodging).
- Meals and Lodging – $250 maximum per trip (junior faculty are eligible for 100%).
Travel awards are for reimbursement purposes only. They are not designed to be used for making travel arrangements.
Applications for retroactive trips will not be processed. NO EXCEPTIONS.
The overall award amount cannot be increased once the trip is complete. To make adjustments to the award letter prior to travel, forward the original award letter to Larisa.Zagorski@uconn.edu noting changes to be made.
In order to facilitate timely processing of travel awards and the orderly closing of the fiscal year by the appropriate offices of the University, we will adhere to fiscal year deadlines.
