HR and Finance

Please reach out to the Neuro coordinator at neuro_coordinator@hms.harvard.edu to complete all necessary Onboarding forms. The neuro coordinator can let you know what types of forms are necessary. Additionally, all paid employees must complete a form I-9 to be legally eligible for employment. The Neuro coordinator will provide the instructions necessary to do so, and you can refer to Page #3 of the I-9 form for a list of acceptable documents to bring to your I-9 appointment. New hires and hiring managers should reach out to the neuro coordinator with any questions about the onboarding process.

Note that all full time Research Assistants are onboarded through central HR.

If you are not a US citizen or permanent resident, you must register with the Harvard International Office within one week of the date you entered the country. The HIO is in Cambridge, at 1350 Mass Ave., Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center, 864 (formerly Holyoke Center).  You can contact the HIO here.

All individuals on Harvard payroll will need a Social Security Number. To obtain a SSN for the first time, you’ll need to submit an application to the SSA.gov. Applying online is the fastest way to obtain a Social Security card. Answer a few questions to see if you can complete your request online, or if you need to finish part or all of your request in-person. Either way, you’ll receive your Social Security card in the mail within 14 days after your application is completed.

 

After receiving your permanent SSN, please:

1. Appointee should contact Central Payroll directly:
   1. Send a general email to ufs_crt@harvard.edu notifying them that you have your Social Security card 
   2. Wait for UFS to respond with a specific email address to send the copy of your SSN card to. Please also note your HUID # with the copy of your SSN card.

 

*Nonresident aliens should also update their GLACIER record and upload updated documents containing their SSN in order to have a tax review of adjustments to their tax withholding.

 

2. Central Payroll will update the personal information in PeopleSoft with the permanent SSN.

 

After completing onboarding forms, you will be able to obtain your Harvard ID.   With your HUID number, you now must complete lab safety training by logging into the Harvard Training Portal.  Be sure to SAVE YOUR TRAINING CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION.  Once training is complete, bring your ID application and training certificate to the Longwood ID Office – located at the School of Public Health, Kresge Bldg. Room 103 A (617-432-0389).  Your HUID will allow you to use the M2 shuttles, access Quad buildings and online digital library. Depending on your appointment type, your HUID will allow you to use the M2 shuttles, access Quad buildings and online digital library.

Please contact neuro_coordinator@hms.harvard.edu to be added to the Neurobiology E-Mailing Lists. These are used to disseminate important information concerning the department. You will need to provide your HMS e-mail address and host lab.

 

There is a large copier across from GB422. Copy codes are available for each lab, and can be requested from your PI/lab manager, or by contacting Neuro_ops@hms.harvard.edu

 

If you need desktop support, contact the IT Help Desk (617-432-2000.) Neuro desktop support is provided by Tony Luong (Tony_luong@hms.harvard.edu)
(You will need your permanent Harvard ID for the following steps.)
Use HarvardKey to manage and activate your HMS account.  Acquire your HMS account to access services across the school. During sign-up, you will also set up two factor authentication.

To connect to the HMS Department File Server, so that you may save and retrieve files on the network, request help from West Quad Computing Group (617-432-5694.)

​Harvie is Harvard's Intranet for Employees. You'll need your id and password before accessing this site. It includes information on Benefits Perks, Working at Harvard, Learning at Harvard, Work/Life Balance, Employment Policies & Contracts, access to financial applications, human resources (HR), and more; you may call the Longwood HR office at 617-432-2039.

The Harvard Parking Office has maps of the Longwood area in pdf format.

The HMS Postdoc Office -The HMS/HSDM Office for Postdoctoral Fellows works to enhance the development and experience of the postdoctoral community.

There are other Community groups available to members of the Neurobiology community, described on our community page. 

 

Submission of all proposals submitted to non-Harvard organizations, including federal, non-profit, and industry organizations, must have prior approval before submission to the sponsor.  The HMS Office of Research Administration (ORA) has final approval for submission. It is critical to inform your grant manager as early as possible of your intent to submit a proposal to ensure enough time for planning.

To ensure that all sponsored submissions receive institutional review and authorization, all application materials proposals must be received by ORA at least five (5) full business days prior to the sponsor’s due date. Please see the HMS Sponsored Submission Deadline Policy for more on this policy.

To assist grant-seekers, Neuro department grant managers will work with all department researchers to review funding opportunities, complete application materials, and submit the materials to ORA. The grant manager will work with you on a timeline for submission, including setting an internal Neuro deadline for the required departmental review of the application deadline. This deadline is typically set five (5) business days prior to the ORA deadline to ensure application completeness.

All proposals must be routed in Harvard’s Grants Management Application Suite (GMAS) for departmental and institutional approval. All Principal Investigators must electronically sign their GMAS proposal request to attest to the completeness of application materials and key project information. When trainees submit applications, their mentors must also sign-off on the proposal in GMAS.

In order to meet ORA’s policy, the overall proposal planning process will have to begin earlier:

Neurobiology Guidelines for sponsored proposal submissions:

1. 6-months (or more) prior to sponsor due date - please communicate with your lab’s Grant Manager on your plans to submit a sponsored proposal (i.e. grant, fellowship, subcontract, etc.)
2. 2-months prior to sponsor due date – begin to work with your lab’s Grant Manager on pulling together the components of your proposal
3. 10-business days prior to sponsor due date – ALL required elements of your proposal should be complete(*) and in the hands of the Grant Manager for Department Chair review & approval

3. 1. *DRAFT science sections: 10-business days prior to due date
   2. *FINAL science sections: 2-business days prior to due date

Following these guidelines will allow for us to submit proposals of the highest quality by performing  a thorough review for compliance with Harvard and sponsor requirements, editing, and correction of errors or omissions.

We appreciate your understanding and for supporting our efforts to provide comprehensive, substantive and productive assistance to all Neurobiology PIs when submitting proposals for external funding.

Grant managers will work with grant seekers on all submissions to external and internal sponsors. Neuro grant managers take an individualized approach to support each proposal, tailored to the needs of the Principal Investigator. Key services provided include:

·        Review of funding opportunity announcement (NOFO, RFA, RFQ, etc)

·        Coordinating with HMS Office of Research Administration

·        Creation of application checklist

·        Establishment of submission timeline to meet Neuro and HMS Office of Research Administration deadlines.

·        Drafting of budgets and budget justification outlines

·        Coordinating materials with co-PIs, collaborators and subrecipient institutions

·        Completion of standard application forms (ASSIST, Research.gov, Grants.gov forms, etc) and upload of attachments.

·        Early review of application materials for compliance with Harvard and sponsor requirements

 

General Application Resources:

·        NIH Biographical Sketch: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm

·        Other Support and Disclosures guidance (including templates): https://research.harvard.edu/faculty-disclosure-guidance/

·        Data Management Plan: https://countway.harvard.edu/services/publishing-data-services/countway-data-management-plan-review-service

·        Budget Justification template

·        Facilities & Other Resource template

·        Equipment template 

NIH Resources:

·        Application Guides: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide.html

·        Standard Due Dates: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/due-dates-and-submission-policies/due-dates.htm

o   Check the funding opportunity to confirm application due date

·        Data Management and Sharing Policy: https://sharing.nih.gov/data-management-and-sharing-policy

·        Policies and Compliance: https://grants.nih.gov/policy/index.htm

·        Historical NIH success rates: https://report.nih.gov/funding/nih-budget-and-spending-data-past-fiscal-years/success-rates

 

NSF Resources:

·        Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG): https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=papp

·        Overview: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/getting-started

·        Due Dates: See funding opportunities for deadlines.

Federal opportunities:

Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants

NIH Funding: https://grants.nih.gov/funding/searchguide/index.html#/

NSF Funding: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities

SAM.gov: https://sam.gov/content/opportunities (for Federal Govt Contracts)

Non-profit/foundation opportunities:

PIVOT: https://pivot.proquest.com/

Limited Submissions: https://hms.harvard.edu/departments/office-academic-clinical-affairshms-foundation-funds/current-nomination-opportunities

 

SPIN InfoEd Search

Searchable database of federal and private funding opportunities in all fields. Click HERE to access this resource, free to all with Harvard Key.

Early-career researchers/junior faculty:

Sponsor	Funding Range	Sponsor Deadline	Notes
NIH Director's Early Independence Award (DP5)	Awards up to $250K in direct costs per year for up to five years.	Please see the most recent RFA	DP5 program supports exceptional investigators who wish to pursue independent research directly after completion of their terminal doctoral degree.
American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grants	$165K direct cost per year up to 4 years	April 1, October 15	Provides support to investigators who are within the first 10 years of an initial independent research career or full-time faculty appointment
Rita Allen Foundation Scholars	$110,000 per year for up to five years	Please refer to sponsor website	The Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program funds basic biomedical research in the fields of cancer, immunology and neuroscience. Limited to one nomination per institution.
McKnight Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award	$100,000 per year for three years	LOI: December Full proposal: May	The McKnight Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award (NBD Award) assists scientists working to apply the knowledge achieved through basic research to human brain disorders, and who demonstrate a commitment to equitable and inclusive lab environments.
McKnight Scholars Awards	$75,000 per year for three years	January	The intent of the program is to foster the commitment by these scientists to research careers that will have an important impact on the study of the brain. The program seeks to support scientists committed to mentoring neuroscientists from underrepresented groups at all levels of training.
Searle Scholars Program	$300K for a three-year period	February 1	Applicants should hold an independent investigator position at the assistant professor level. The appointment must be their first tenure-track position.
Sloan Research Fellowships	$75,000 up to 2 years	2024 applications are due 9/15/2023.	Candidates must hold a tenure track or equivalent position at a degree-granting institution in the US or Canada. Please refer to sponsor website for more detailed eligibility criteria.
Smith Family Awards Program in Excellence in Biomedical Research	$400K for 3 years, inclusive 5% IDC. Eligible institutions may submit up to 2 applications per funding round.	2024 initial proposal due 6/20/23	Program supports new faculty who are within 3.5 years of their first independent faculty appointment by the start of funding on April 1.

 

Postdocs:

Sponsor	Funding Range	Sponsor Deadline	Notes
NIH NRSA Individual Fellowships (F series, all)	Depending on training experience. See the NIH NRSA stipend guideline.	April 8, August 8, December 5	Funding period is for 3 years.
NIH Research Career Development awards (K series,new)	Varies per institute/center.	February 12, June 12, October 12	Funding period is up to 5 years. Requires a minimum of 75% effort to conduct research.
American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship	$66K - $70K progressively per year, plus $4K yearly fellowship allowance	April 1, October 15	Funding period is up to 3 years.
American Heart Society	Annual stipend matches NIH sliding scale.	Please refer to sponsor website	In addition to stipend, AHS also provides $12,200/yr for health insurance, and $3K/yr for project support.
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)	Annual stipend is updated yearly. Refer to the sponsor website.	Please refer to the sponsor website	Supports postdoctoral and clinical research fellows working at an academic, medical or research institution with less than 5 years of postdoctoral training at the start of the grant term.
The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships	$70K CAD per year for up to 2 years	Mid to late September. Please refer to sponsor website.	Please visit the following website for eligibility window for degree completion: http://banting.fellowships-bourses.gc.ca/en/app-dem_elig-adm.html
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Postdoctoral Enrichment Program (PDEP)	$60K over three years to support enrichment activities. Salary or indirect expenses are not supported by this fund	Please refer to sponsor website	PDEP supports the career development activities for underrepresented minority postdoc fellows as a supplement for the training of postdocs whose research activities are already supported.
Cancer Research Institute Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship to promote racial diversity	Up to $228K over 3 years to support salary, plus $5K/yr allowance to host institution to defray relevant costs.	March 1, September 1	Applicants with 5 or more years of relevant postdoctoral experience are not eligible
Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellowship	Two-year grants ranging from $194,100 to $215K over 2 years, inclusive of a $25,000 expense allowance	Typically January or February each year. Please refer to sponsor website.	Candidates should have at least 3 years, but no more than 6 years of postdoctoral experience at the time of submission.
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation	From $70K to $76K per year up to 4 years, plus $2k/yr research allowance and $1K dependent child allowance when applicable.	On or about March 15th, August 15th. Please refer to sponsor website.	Basic and physician-scientists must have received their degrees no more than one year prior to the application deadline.
EMBO Long-term fellowship	Stipend amount variable, support up to 2 years, plus dependent and child care allowance.	No specific application deadline.	Applications should be submitted prior to two annual evaluation deadlines - second Friday of February and second Friday of August. For eligibility, please visit  http://www.embo.org/funding-awards/fellowships/long-term-fellowships#eligibility.
HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program	Up to 4 years of postdoc training support with a starting salary of $70K, followed by a non-renewable grant of $270K annually for up to 4 years of the faculty phase.	Please refer to sponsor website.	Supports postdoc fellows from underrepresented groups and early in their training period. Applicants should have no more than 18 months of postdoctoral training at the time of the application due date. Please refer to sponsor website for more detailed eligibility criteria.
The Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Research Fellowship	$68K - $72K progressively per year, plus $1,500 yearly research allowance	June. Refer to the sponsor website for exact deadline	Eligible candidates would have no more than one year of postdoctoral research experience at the time of the deadline for submitting the application, and who have received a PhD (or D.Phil. or equivalent) degree no more than two years before the deadline.
Human Frontier Science Program Postdoctoral Long-Term Fellowship (LTF)	Stipend support up to three years.	August or September of each year. Please refer to sponsor website.	Funding priority on innovative, high risk research that represents a significant departure from the candidate’s past research.
Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research	$216K over three years, plus $2k/yr research allowance to sponsoring lab and $1K for each dependent child.	February 1. Please refer to sponsor website	Applicants should not have more than one year of postdoctoral experience at the time of application.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Fellowship	$70K per year for up to 3 years	Please refer to sponsor website.	Should have less than two years of postdoc research training experience as of January of the application year
Life Sciences Research Foundation Fellowship	$198K for three years (stipend), plus $11K/yr research allowance	October 1	Individuals who held PhD/MD degree(s) for more than 5 years at the time of application are not eligible.
Muscular Dystrophy Association Development Grants	$70K per year for up to 3 years.	Refer to sponsor website	Development grants are awarded to senior postdoc researchers on the brink of becoming independent PI. Must have a minimum of 18 months of post-degree research training but no more than 7 years from receiving their most recent advanced degree.
National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship	$45K CAD per year for 2 years	Mid-October. Refer to sponsor website	Candidate must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada as of the application deadline date, and hold a doctorate in one of the fields of research that NSERC supports. Please see the sponsor website for additional eligibility criteria
National Science Foundation Postdoctoral fellowship in Biology	Please refer to sponsor RFA	First Tuesday in November. Please refer to sponsor website.	US Citizens or Permanent Residents only. All payments are paid directly to the fellow.

B2P is Harvard’s procurement portal to request Purchase Orders (PO), pay invoices, request to add new vendors or update existing vendor information. Contact the Neuro Finance Office/your Grant Manager for questions.

There are two types of Purchase Orders:

·        POs generated via “Punchouts” from select vendors who provide Harvard access to create a shopping cart from their online catalog via the B2P system.

·        Non-Catalog POs are manually created requisitions to generate a Harvard PO number. In order to create a Non-Catalog PO, the vendor must a) be completely registered as a Harvard vendor and b) provide a quote to use as backup in the requisition request.

Receipt of goods and services:

·        It is good practice to document receipt of goods and services in B2P for all items received.

·        It is required to create a “Receipt” in B2P for all goods/services with a PO value more than $2,500. Invoices will not be paid until the Receipt is created.

Invoices:

·        Invoices against Harvard-issued POs should be forwarded to AP_Invoices@harvard.edu for processing.

·        Invoices not associated with Harvard-issued POs must be processed in B2P via a “Payment Request.” Invoices must be attached in B2P.

Access to B2P

After completing required the training(s) contact your Grant Manager/the Finance Office to initiate the access request.

·        Getting Started with Buy-to-Pay (NOT REQUIRED): https://trainingportal.harvard.edu/Saba/Web_spf/NA1PRD0068/app/me/learningeventdetail/cours000000000019501?regId=regdw000000000734468&returnurl=catalog%2Fsearch%3FsearchText%3DB2P

·        Buy-to-Pay Shopper Essentials (REQUIRED for those creating Shopping Carts): https://trainingportal.harvard.edu/Saba/Web_spf/NA1PRD0068/app/me/learningeventdetail/cours000000000019502?regId=regdw000000000833570&returnurl=catalog%2Fsearch%3FsearchText%3DB2P

·        Buy-to-Pay Requestor Essentials (REQUIRED for those placing orders and submitting them for Harvard approval): https://trainingportal.harvard.edu/Saba/Web_spf/NA1PRD0068/app/me/learningeventdetail/cours000000000019503?regId=regdw000000000869520&returnurl=catalog%2Fsearch%3FsearchText%3DB2P

Links:

B2P Support: https://b2p.procurement.harvard.edu/buy-pay-project

Quick Start Guides: https://b2p.procurement.harvard.edu/eprocurement-ap 

 

In the rare circumstances a vendor cannot accept a Purchase Order, a PCard may be used to complete smaller transactions. PCard Holders are responsible for all charges made on their card, including reporting and resolving fraudulent charges. PCard users MUST maintain receipts and submit monthly PCard reports via Concur for approval.

Link to Concur: https://key-idp.iam.harvard.edu/idp/profile/SAML2/Unsolicited/SSO?providerId=https://us.api.concursolutions.com/saml2

Policy: https://policies.fad.harvard.edu/pages/purchasing-card

Required Training for PCard users and delegates: https://trainingportal.harvard.edu/Saba/Web_spf/NA1PRD0068/app/me/learningeventdetail/cours000000000028703;spf-url=common%2Fledetail%2Fcours000000000028703  

Allowable, Restricted, and Prohibited Purchases (from Section V of the Purchasing Card Policy)

1.      Allowable expenses: PCards are generally used for low-dollar, high-volume, non-travel business expenses that can’t be purchased via HCOM. PCard can be used for Harvard business-related retail point-of sale purchases at campus restaurants where payment by 33-digit code is unavailable. Individual schools may have more restrictive PCard policies; check with your tub finance office for more information.

 

2.      Allowable with restrictions:

A. Gasoline for Harvard-owned vehicles only

B. Purchases made with Paypal, but must include name of ultimate seller/vendor in the business purpose

C.  The following travel and entertainment expenses are allowable (within the guidelines of the Travel & Reimbursement Policy) but the preferred method of payment is the corporate card:

a.  Taxis (including UBER) 

b.  Sedan Services and UBER Black

c.  Conference fees

d.  Business meals and allowable entertainment in the Boston/Cambridge area only

 

3.      Prohibited Purchases:

A. Personal purchases of any kind

B. Split transactions to circumvent the single transaction limit

C.  Gift cards/gift certificates of any amount

D. Gifts for employees or students equal to or greater than $75

E.  Travel and Entertainment:

a.  Airline tickets

b.  Travel agency charges

c.  Hotel stays

d.  Gasoline for vehicles not owned by Harvard

e.  Theater tickets for entertainment purposes (tickets for academic/teaching purposes are allowed on the Pcard)

f.   Airline club fees or airline memberships

g.  Railroad tickets

h.  Bus tickets

i.   Cruise ship tickets

j.   Rental cars, including Zip Car

k.  Cash advances

l. Travelers checks

m. Prescription drugs and controlled substances

n.   Hazardous materials

If you have any questions regarding these restrictions, or the appropriate use of the Purchasing Card, please contact your local PCard administrator or email Card Services at pcard@harvard.edu.

The University, as a nonprofit educational institution, is exempt from Massachusetts sales and use tax and from sales and use tax in many other states and from federal excise tax. Since sales taxes are generally imposed only when goods are bought and consumed in the same state, sales tax does not apply when goods are ordered from an out-of-state firm and shipped to Harvard.

Harvard’s tax exempt certificate may only be used for legitimate Harvard business purposes. The tax exempt certificate cannot be used for personal purchases or purchases for students groups which may have their own Tax ID number. Using the tax exempt number for non-Harvard business can jeopardize the University’s tax exempt status. In addition, inappropriate use may also be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

 See Tax Exemption Guidance for Purchases and Travel for more information and responsibilities (https://internal.procurement.harvard.edu/summary-information)

 Tax forms: https://internal.procurement.harvard.edu/tax-forms

Faculty, postdocs, graduate students, staff and visitors may be eligible for reimbursement for goods/services or travel expenses incurred for Harvard business purposes.

To be eligible for reimbursement, the expenses must be allowable under the Business Expense Reimbursement Policy (https://policies.fad.harvard.edu/pages/business_expense_reimbursements) and/or the Travel Policy (https://policies.fad.harvard.edu/pages/travel-0)

All Policies related to Travel and Reimbursement: https://policies.fad.harvard.edu/policy-type/travel-and-reimbursements

 

Faculty, staff and non-stipendee postdocs must submit an expense report in Concur. The employee must itemize each expense in an “Expense Report” and provide receipts, folios and other backup as needed to substantiate an incurred cost. Expense Reports are submitted the Neuro Finance Office for local approval.

Key dates for tax implications (from Business Expense Reimbursements Policy):

If UFS receives receipt report in:	Result:
0-90 days after transaction date (preferably within 60; expenses on the Corporate Card should be paid by statement due date)	Reimbursement without tax implications to reimbursee
91-182 days after transaction date	Reimbursement will be treated as income to the employee and must be processed via Payroll. Reimbursement will be processed as additional pay and taxes will be withheld; departments must include an Additional Pay for with reimbursement request. Payments may NOT be grossed up.
183+ days after transaction date	Expenses will NOT be reimbursed with University funds.

 

Link to Concur: https://key-idp.iam.harvard.edu/idp/profile/SAML2/Unsolicited/SSO?providerId=https://us.api.concursolutions.com/saml2

 

Graduate students, stipendee postdocs and other nonemployees, such as invited speakers, must complete a Nonemployee Reimbursement Form, attached all receipts and documentation and submit the packet to the Neuro Finance Office at “Neuro-Reimbursements AT hms.harvard.edu”.

Graduate students and postdocs are encouraged to discuss the reimbursement process with their Grant Manager/Finance Office prior to making travel arrangements

Link to Nonemployee Reimbursement Form: https://travel.harvard.edu/files/procurement-travel/files/nonemployee_reimbursement_form_digital_signature_v1.pdf?m=1617208983

 

Prior to making travel arrangements on Harvard Business, including traveling to a conference or meeting, Neuro travelers are encouraged to discuss their upcoming trips with their Grant Managers/Finance Office to ensure compliance with Harvard and Federal requirements.

Please consult the Harvard Travel Policy and Appendices for detailed information on:

·        Air Travel

·        Ground Travel

·        Lodging

·        Meals and Incidentals

·        Combined Business and Personal Travel

·        Spouse/Family Member Travel

·        Travel Expenses Charged to Federal Awards or Cost Share Funds

Harvard Travel Policy: https://policies.fad.harvard.edu/pages/travel-0

Resources:

·        Harvard Travel Services: https://travel.harvard.edu/booking-your-travel

·        Egencia Online Booking: https://travel.harvard.edu/online-booking-tool

Travel must be directly related to the purpose of the Federal Award(s) in order to be charged to Federal sponsored project or cost-share account strings.

The information provided below is not intended to be an exhaustive overview of the special requirements. Consult the Neuro Finance Office and Appendix G for detailed information about “Requirements for Travel Expenses Charged to Federal Awards or Cost-Share Funds” (https://hu.sharepoint.com/sites/FAD/Web/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FFAD%2FWeb%2FPolicy%2FTravel%20Policy%2FTravel%20Policy%20Appendix%20G%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FFAD%2FWeb%2FPolicy%2FTravel%20Policy&p=true&ga=1).

Airfare

Lowest Economy Fare Class: Federal regulations (2 CFR §200.475.e(1)) require travelers to incur the lowest possible expense to the federal award; in most circumstances, this is a non-refundable (restricted) economy class airfare.

Harvard defines lowest economy class airfare (sometimes called coach, standard economy fare class or base airfare) to include a reserved seat, one personal item, one carry-on bag, and one checked bag.

Fly America Act: All air travel on federal awards must comply with the Fly America Act and use U.S. Flag Carriers even when a less costly foreign flag carrier is available, unless the flight meets the circumstances and exceptions described in the Harvard University Fly America Travel Reimbursement Exception Form (https://osp.finance.harvard.edu/files/fly_america_travel_reimbursement_exception_form_march_2020.pdf) .

 

Lodging

Travelers are expected to stay in standard, single-occupancy rooms where available; room upgrade fees are not reimbursable. Travelers may stay at a conference hotel using a conference rate when appropriate.

 

Meals

Individual Meals during travel: Travelers will be reimbursed for reasonable individual meal expenses while on University business.

Business Meals during travel: In order to charge a business meal on a federal award, an itemized receipt should be presented even if the total amount of the bill is less than $75.

Alcohol is never allowed to be charged to a Federal/Cost Share Award, but may be reimbursed via Harvard funds.

 

Prior to traveling internationally, Harvard employees are required to register their trip with International SOS (https://www.globalsupport.harvard.edu/travel/register-travel). Failure to register may result in the rejection of a reimbursement request.

Travel Registration FAQs: https://www.globalsupport.harvard.edu/travel/register-travel/travel-registration-faqs.

For planned international travel on Federal Awards, please consult your Grant Manager/Finance Office and Appendix G of the Travel Policy (https://policies.fad.harvard.edu/pages/travel-0) prior to making arrangements.