Travel Fund Request Form

To maximize our travel budget for The University Seminars community and promote involvement of local scholars, we're capping traveling guest speakers at four per academic year, per seminar group.

Priority will be given to travel fund requests with four or fewer traveling speakers submitted by June 30, 2024. Please await University Seminars approval before inviting any traveling guest speakers.

If you need more than four traveling speakers for the academic year, additional information will be requested towards the end of this form.

Travel Request is for*

Full Academic Year = September - May.

Seminar Number and Name*

Seminar List: https://universityseminars.columbia.edu/seminars/

Guest Speakers Who Require Travel Funds*

	Full Name	Guest Email	Institutional Affiliation & Departure City (if known)	Seminar Meeting Date (MM/DD/YYYY)
Guest Speaker #1
Guest Speaker #2
Guest Speaker #3
Guest Speaker #4

Additional Note:

The University Seminars will not assume the cost or reimburse the cost of lodging, local transportation, meals or other costs for more than the minimum days necessary for seminar business travel. Make sure to let your guest speakers know that The University Seminars does not cover out of pocket expenses or provide per diems.

Do ANY of the guest speakers require airfare?*

YesNo

List Airfare Requests for Guest Spoeaker(s)

	Traveler Last Name	Domestic One Way	Domestic Roundtrip	International One-Way	International Roundtrip
1.
2.
3.
4.

Check one type of airfare per speaker. Only list speakers that require airfare.

Airfare costs above are based on the average cost for airfare:

$300 - One-Way Domestic
$600 - Roundtrip Domestic
$850 - One-Way International
$1700 - Round-trip International

*Please note these figures are estimates and may change depending on timing and traveler's requirements.

A sum total of airfares selected above is automatically calculated in the "Total Airfare" field below.

Total Airfare ($)

Calculated Field

Do ANY of the guest speakers require Amtrak tickets?*

YesNo

Amtrak Tickets Requested for Guest Speakers

	Traveler Last Name	Short Distance One-Way	Short Distance Roundtrip	Long Distance One-Way	Long Distance Roundtrip
1.
2.
3.
4.

Check one type of rail fare per speaker. Only list speakers that require Amtrak.

Amtrak costs above are based on the average cost by distance:

Short Distance (e.g. Upstate NY, Pennsylvania, etc.)
- $50 One-Way
- $100 Roundtrip
Long Distance (e.g. Boston, Washington, DC, Baltimore, etc.)
- $150 One-Way
- $300 Roundtrip

Please note these figures are estimates. A sum total of Amtrak fares selected are automatically calculated in the "Total Amtrak Fares" field below.

Total Amtrak Fares ($)

Calculated Field

Do ANY of the guest speakers require other ground transportation?*

YesNo

Please describe other ground transportation needed. This includes personal vehicle mileage, local train or bus transportation (e.g. NJTransit, Academy, MetroNorth, MTA, etc.). Note the guest speaker's last name and their transporation needs below.

Guest speakers asking for other ground transportation may be required to create a vendor profile with Columbia University via PaymentWorks and submit a reimbursement form. Proof of payments will need to be uploaded in the reimbursemnt form. This process can take 6 - 12 weeks to complete.

Other Ground Transportation

Estimated Transportation Needed ($)

Type in an estimated whole dollar amount.

Estimate a total dollar amount for other ground trasnporation.

Avg. One-Way Cab Fare from Upper West Side location to campus = $15 - $20

Avg. One-Way Car Service cost from a NYC Airport = $110 - $140 (one-way)

Uber Lookup Rates: https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate/

2024 Personal Mileage Rates: 65.5 cents/mile

Cabs, local transport, and UBER (or other ride shares) require the guest speaker to request a reimbursement. Please note international travelers will need proper visas to receive reimbursements for some expenses.

Do ANY of the guest speakers require a one or two-night hotel?*

YesNo

List of Hotel/Lodging Nights Needed

	Traveler Last Name	1 Night	2 Nights
1.
2.
3.
4.

Check one type of type of hotel stay per speaker. Only list speakers that require a hotel stay.

Columbia University Hotel Rate Threshold is $350/night (excluding tax):

One night: Domestic Traveler - (flight time less than 6 hours)
One to two nights: West-Coast Domestic Traveler and International Traveler (flight time over 6 hours)
Three nights stays require a business expense jusitication.

Guests who want to extend their stay in New York City for personal reasons must arrange their own accommodations separately.

Total Hotel/Lodging Requested (1 to 2-Night Stays)($)

Calculated Field

Do ANY of the guest speakers require a three-night stay?*

YesNo

List of Guest Speakers Who Require 3-Nights and Justification

	Traveler Last Name	Justification	3 Nights
1.
2.

Total Hotel Requested (3-Night Stay @ $350/night) ($)

Total Hotel (Hidden Field Used for Grand Total Calculationn)

Hidden field

The Grand Total Requested is a sum total of your selected travel requests (airfare, Amtrak, Hotel/Lodging, and Other Addtional Ground Transportation).

The University Seminars will review your form and send a follow up email to chairs in July or early - August. Chairs should wait for University Seminars appoval before inviting guest speakers.

Final Airfare ($)

Calculated Field

Final Amtrak ($)

Calculated Field

Final Ground Transportation ($)

Calculated Field

Final Hotels ($)

Calculated Field

Grant Total Travel Funds Requested ($)

Calculated Field

Do you wish to invite more than four guest speakers this academic year?*

YesNo

Special Note

After first round travel funding approvals are granted, a fund assessment will take place during the summer months. Chairs with noted extra guest speaker requests (over 4 guest speakers per academic year) will be notified via email of funding availability in late August or early September.

Additional Guest Speakers and Justification

Include guest speakers names, possible meeting dates, and justification for additional funding.

Do you have other funding sources (CU department or outside institutional support, etc.) or a gift account you wish to use for the additional guest speakers?

YesNo

If the seminar has a gift account or other source of funding, list your funding in the "Additional Funding Source" field. Include an explanation and amounts you will receive or use. We will review your request and send an email with followup questions.

Contact Gesenia Alvarez (ga2030@columbia.edu), if you are unsure of the status of your gift account or to request a current balance.

Additional Source of Travel Funding

If the seminar has a gift account or other source of funding, list it here. Provide a contact name, email, and institution/department name. If receiving funding from multiple sources, provide an itemized listing of dollar amounts. Type total amount in the Additional Funding Amount ($) below.

Additional Funding Amount ($)

Type in the additional funding amount you expect or will use from your gift account.

Chair Name*

First NameLast Name

Chair Email*

example@example.com

Rapporteur Name

Chair Signature*

Date Signed

Date

Please verify that you are human*

Travel Fund Request Form

Seminar Details

Airfare Requests

Amtrak Travel Requests

Other Ground Transportation Requests

Hotel/Lodging Requests

Grand Total of Travel Funds Requested ($)

Additional Guest Speakers (more than four)

Other Funding Sources

Chair Acknowledgement Section