Tidbit Archive
Travel Insurance Heading link
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Travel Insurance (9.3.24)
9.3.24
All faculty and students traveling internationally must enroll in international travel insurance using the applicable university-based travel and coverage website. It is the responsibility of each to ensure insurance enrollment for their travel.
Effective immediately, employees traveling internationally on system business will be required to provide documentation of insurance enrollment on their Chrome River expense report. This includes, but is not limited to, business trips, conferences, faculty exchanges, faculty-led study abroad programs, teaching, research, service, or sabbaticals.
Failure to enroll in international travel insurance may result in non-reimbursement of travel expenses. Please see below for more details and instructions.
All UIC students who travel outside the U.S. and its territories on UIC-related or authorized travel must:
- Enroll in the ITS travel roster.
- Obtain the University of Illinois System’s comprehensive insurance plan through Gallagher Insurance or an equivalent insurance approved by the UIC Study Abroad Office (The fee should be about $18. You can pay out of pocket and be reimbursed; this will not count against your departmental student travel award)
All faculty or staff traveling internationally on UIC-related business:
- Must enroll in the university’s ITS travel portal.
- Will receive the Gallagher comprehensive insurance at no additional cost.
For more information:
https://oge.uic.edu/international-travel-safety-enrollment/https://policies.uic.edu/uic-policy-library/global/international-travel-safety-policy/
Ride Share (9.10.24) Heading link
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Ride Sharing (9.10.24)
9.10.24
When using Uber as your shared ride service when traveling, UberX is allowable and if multiple employees are traveling together then UberXL is also an allowable option.
Please note that Uber Black or Uber Black SUV is not allowable.
Keep this in mind for other shared ride services; only utilize the most basic/economical option.
Amazon eCodes Heading link
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Amazon eCodes
9.17.24
For those of you take out program advances to pay participants, I would like to introduce you to Amazon eCodes; digital gift card codes to spend on Amazon. This is an option where eCodes can be purchased directly from your department account/CFOP, so no need for a program advance and having the funds deposited into your own bank account. This option pulls the costs from your CFOP and delivers the eCodes to your participants.
An eCode must be created in the name of the principal investigator or designee responsible for the payments related to the human subject study. This individual is the custodian of the funding source for the eCode account.
All eCodes should be issued directly to participants. Participants must have previously consented in writing to payment in the form of eCodes and be aware of the requirements for redeeming eCodes.
To obtain eCodes for human subject payments:
1.Complete and email the Amazon eCode Setup form (you can use the link to do this or contact Jennifer to complete on your behalf.
2.Instructions will then be emailed to the principal investigator or designee on how to issue eCodes.
Required documentation that must be retained by the unit initiating the study includes the IRB approval number, the name of participants, the amount of the payment, and the recipient’s signature.
Lodging Heading link
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Lodging
9.24.24
Lodging Brokers: These are Airbnb type lodging and have very strict limits on amounts that can reimbursed that became effective in 02/2024. You can only receive reimbursement for the allowable amount posted by the US General Services Administration at https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates.
For example, if you are staying at an Airbnb in Philadelphia, per this website the allowable maximum rate is $210. If your Airbnb is $300 night, you can only receive $210 per night back. Comparison rate of the hotel conference rate does not apply to lodging brokers
Hotels: Hotels are limited to $110 per night BUT you can receive full reimbursement for your hotel as long as you can show proof that the conference hotel was more expensive. For example, if the conference is at the Hyatt and charges $400 per night and you stay at the Hilton for $300 per night, then you must provide proof of the conference hotel rate to receive the $300 per night.