Travel at UCSF

General Standard

Demonstrate good stewardship of University resources; spending decisions will not be extravagant or lavish. Travel only when necessary. Travelers on official business shall observe normally accepted standards of propriety in the type and manner of expenses they incur. Traveler must follow UC travel policy.

Transportation

Transportation expenses are reimbursed based on the most economical mode of transportation and the most commonly traveled route consistent with the authorized purpose of the trip. 

Subsistence (Lodging, Meals and Incidental Expenses/M&IE)

Lodging, meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) must be ordinary and necessary to accomplish the official business purpose of the trip. Allowable expenses for lodging, meals and incidental expenses depend on duration and location of travel. Refer to UC Policy G-28, Travel Regulations Appendix B for lodging and M&IE reimbursement caps. 

Expenses incurred in the vicinity of an employee’s headquarters (work location) or residence are not reimbursed. A traveler must be at least 40 miles from their headquarter location or home, whichever is closer, to be reimbursed for an overnight stay.

Insurance

The traveler is responsible for registering their trip to ensure proper coverage, read more about Business Travel Insurance guidelines from UCSF Risk Management. 

Special situations

UC Policy G-28 covers special travel situations including visiting academic appointees, sabbatical leave, students, postdocs and other non-degree candidates, and non-university travelers such as prospective employees, independent contractors and consultants, guests, and spouse or domestic partner. Review the policy to understand your particular situation, including what's reimbursable.

Change or Cancel Trip

In the event of a canceled trip, the traveler is responsible for canceling any reservations in compliance with the cancelation terms established by the hotel, airline, etc.

Travel reservations can be changed or canceled via a travel agent or online in Connexxus. The agent can determine if the ticket had a refundable fare and process the refund or determine if a credit can be issued for future use by the traveler. Fees may apply. Note: The traveler should not expect to be reimbursed for additional costs (e.g., penalty fee, fare increase), unless there was a valid business reason to change or cancel the trip; you should not expect the University to pay for changes made for personal reasons.

The traveler must return immediately any cash advance or unused University resources (e.g., unused prepaid airline tickets) received for the trip.

Reimbursement Claims

The traveler or traveler's delegate must submit an expense report of actual travel expenses in a responsible and ethical manner in accordance with the regulations of UC Policy G-28 and certify the travel expense report. A properly completed and approved travel expense claim must be submitted to account for all travel advances and expenses on official University travel, even if no reimbursement is due to the traveler. Travelers will be reimbursed only for expenses approved by an authorized approver.

Federally-Funded Travel: Fly America Act & Open Skies Agreements

Under the Fly America Act, only U.S. air carriers shall be used for all travel reimbursed from federal grants and contracts, including NIH Grants. However, there are exceptions, including Open Skies Agreements, which allow federally funded transportation services for travel and cargo movements on foreign air carriers under certain circumstances.

Insurance Coverage - Register Your Trip

Insurance of Travelers: All University travelers, including employees, medical residents, students, and fellows, are covered 24 hours a day, worldwide, against accidental death or dismemberment while on official University business trips. The coverage is provided at no cost to UC authorized travelers.

All travel booked using BCD Travel or UC Travel Center on Connexxus is automatically registered in UC’s Business Travel Insurance. Read more at Connexxus > About > Safety/Insurance.

For full details on insurance, visit UCSF Risk Management and Insurance Services.

For reimbursement claims, it is the department’s responsibility to report the guest’s actual travel expenses within 45 days of the end of the trip.

Connexxus Frequently Asked Questions