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Information for Current Fellows

Travel

Important NASA Postdoctoral Program Guidelines

ALL travel must be approved by ORAU BEFORE it occurs.  A completed and approved Travel Authorization Request (TAR) form should be submitted to ORAU at least two weeks in advance of domestic travel and three weeks for foreign travel; therefore, please allow plenty of time for the approval process at your facility. 

ORAU will send an “approval” e-mail to you when the TAR has been approved.  You are not authorized to travel unless you have received an “approval” e-mail from ORAU. 

Pre-approval is required to:

  • Determine if you have adequate funds in your travel budget to cover the estimated cost of the trip
  • Avoid possible liability issues
  • Prevent problems with unallowable costs
  • Adhere to federal auditing requirements

Steps to Follow

  1. Complete a Travel Authorization Request (TAR) form at www.orau.org/travel. Include all of the following on the TAR:
    • Each destination that will be visited and the date(s) of the visit; unapproved side trips that are not included on the TAR are not authorized.
    • Personal travel* dates and destinations (when combined with research-related travel) should be included on the TAR.
    • Estimated costs for all expenses that may be incurred, including:
      • Airfare* and/or personal vehicle mileage
      • Ground transportation (taxis, subways, buses, etc.)
      • Rental cars*
      • Lodging*
      • Per diem*
      • Registration fees*
      • Miscellaneous expenses (costs must be itemized)
      • Travel advance*, if required
      • Appropriate comments, when possible, to help us understand the travel plans
  2. Obtain approval signatures of your advisor and the NPP Center Representative.
  3. The NPP Center Representative will submit the approved TAR by fax or e-mail attachment to Carole Byars or Janeen Pointer at ORAU.

NOTE: All foreign national Fellows who plan to leave the U.S. for ANY reason after your initial entry in J-1 status must contact Marlene Mayton at Marlene.Mayton@orau.org, in advance of your trip, if you are to return to the U.S. under ORAU sponsorship.

*Important Points to Remember:

Airfare: ORAU prefers to purchase your airline ticket. If you purchase the ticket, however, you should include the cost of the ticket on the TAR. If you purchase a ticket for foreign travel, you MUST use a U.S. flagship carrier, when available, in order to be reimbursed. Tickets issued for non-U.S. carriers will NOT be reimbursed. If you are not sure if a U.S. flagship carrier is available for all legs of your foreign travel, please contact us BEFORE you purchase a ticket.

Note: If ORAU is purchasing airfare for you, you must reply to the ORAU Travel Office with your approval of the tentative itinerary before an electronic ticket can be purchased. Any delay in the approval of the itinerary may cause an increase in the actual airfare at the time the ticket is purchased (airfares tend to change daily and sometimes even several times a day).

Personal Travel: When personal travel is combined with research-related travel, a cost comparison must be done on the airfare to determine if the addition of personal travel increases the cost. The traveler will be responsible for any increase in airfare or other expenses due to the addition of personal travel. If ORAU does not purchase the ticket, we must have a copy of your ticket (or the flight numbers and times) in order to do a cost comparison. You will be informed if the addition of your personal travel increases the cost of the trip and the amount for which you will be responsible. Any increase in airfare will be deducted on the Travel Expense Statement (TES).

Personal travel that is not combined with research-related travel must be approved in advance by your advisor and NPP Center Representative. ORAU must be notified by the NPP Center Representative of your approved personal travel in order for your stipend to continue during your personal travel dates. A TAR form is not required for personal travel, since no reimbursement of expenses will be made by ORAU.

Rental Car: Optional insurance coverages that are not included in the rental car rate (PAI, LDW, CDW, etc.) are NOT reimbursable. Rental cars are not usually justified when taxis, subways, buses, and other ground transportation are available, or when you lodge at a conference hotel. You must provide a justification for the approval of a rental car.

Lodging: Government rates must be used when available. If your lodging will exceed the government ceiling, you must provide a justification on the TAR.

Per Diem: Per diem rates are based on the lodging locations. Three-fourths of the per diem rate is paid for the first and last days of travel, and the full amount is paid for all other days. You may choose to request reimbursement for less than the full per diem allowed. A link to the U.S. General Services Administration Web site that contains government per diem rates for lodging and meals, as well as travel advisories, can be found at www.orau.org/travel.

Registration Fees: ORAU can pay a registration fee for you, or you can pay the fee and request reimbursement by providing an original receipt after the travel. In order for ORAU to pay a fee, we need a completed registration form with your TAR. For all travel to conferences, we must have a copy of the conference information that provides the conference name, location, dates, objective, agenda, and any meals provided.

Travel Advance: ORAU can advance only the allowed per diem for the destinations and dates of travel. On occasion, we can authorize an advance to cover a registration fee that was paid prior to the travel. We cannot advance airfare, hotel, rental car, or other costs.

After Travel is Completed

ORAU Travel Guidelines require that a completed and signed Travel Expense Statement (TES) and original receipts be submitted within five (5) days of the completion of your travel. The TES form can be found at www.orau.org/travel. Submit the completed and signed form and original receipts to:

NASA Postdoctoral Program
Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Attn: [insert contact's name - see below]
P.O. Box 117, MS 36
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0117

ORAU Travel Contacts

For ARC, DFRC, GRC, GSFC:

Janeen Pointer
Phone: 865-574-3172
Fax: 865-241-7559
E-mail: Janeen.Pointer@orau.org

For JPL, JSC, KSC, LaRC, MSFC, NAI, SSC:

Carole Byars
Phone: 865-576-9136
Fax: 865-241-7559
E-mail: Carole.Byars@orau.org

Please notify your travel contact if you have questions about the TAR, TES, or travel guidelines.