The expenditure of travel funds from both sponsored program funds as well as RF funds is governed by the Research Foundation for State University of New York Travel Guidelines.
The use of travel funds generally must be authorized by the sponsor. Prior to processing, the Sponsored Program Operations (SPO) office reviews the travel payment request to insure compliance with sponsor regulations and RF travel policy, as well as to determine the availability of funds. It is advisable to check with the SPO Grants Management Office before committing funds for travel purposes.
Per diem and lodging rates for selected cities across the US, as well as mileage reimbursement rates, and breakouts for breakfast and dinner change periodically. Updated rate schedules are available at the General Services Administration (GSA) website at www.gsa.gov or you may obtain the current rates from the SPO Accounts Payable / Purchasing Office.
IRS rules require employees to submit travel expenses for reimbursement within a reasonable period of time after expenses have been incurred or the reimbursement is deemed "unsubstantiated," taxable, and reportable to the employee on a W-2 and Tax statement. The RF requires that each campus establish procedures in accordance with RF policies for timely submission of expenses, monitor travel, and communicate with employees to ensure that travel is accounted for on a timely basis.
Buffalo State has determined 90-days to be a reasonable period of time for travel reimbursement requests/documentation to be submitted. Requests submitted after a 90-day period will be considered taxable unless extenuating circumstances existed that resulted in the delayed submission. In unique situations where extenuating circumstances resulted in the late submission of a travel expense voucher, a request for a waiver of the 90-day rule along with the justification may be submitted to the PI for approval. If approved by the PI, the Associate Vice President for Sponsored Program Operations must also review and approve or reject the request.
A Foreign Travel Disclosure Form must be completed and submitted to the Sponsored Programs Operations Office prior to any foreign travel.
Rules governing export controls may require federal agency prior approval or restrict travel to certain locations. Click here to review current travel warnings. Travel to a country appearing on the warning list requires prior approval of the Campus Operations Manager and Campus President. Failure to comply may result in penalties, including fines and imprisonment.
In an effort to support the important research, education and training activities performed internationally, the RF provides blanket international travel assistance coverage, as well as emergency health insurance benefits, for all persons traveling overseas on official RF business. For more information and directions for enrollment click here.
These benefits are normally provided at no additional cost to the employee or campus.
The Research Foundation has corporate accounts with Enterprise, National, and Budget, all of which are tax exempt in NYS. Enterprise and National are also tax exempt in NJ & FL.
When a vehicle is reserved with Enterprise, all loss and damage insurance coverage is included in the rental agreement, therefore, please decline any additional insurance offered by their salespeople when picking up your rental.
If a traveler wishes to use another car rental agency of their choice, when making their reservation, they must list the “Research Foundation” as the entity responsible for the contract. By listing the “Research Foundation” as the named insured, the vehicle operator will be relieved of personal liability in the event of an accident, loss, or damage.
Reservations made through Enterprise may be made at https: https://legacy.enterprise.com/car_rental/deeplinkmap.do?bid=002&cust=RF03100. For additional assistance you may contact the Accounts Payable/Purchasing Department at 878-5367 or 878-5371.
The links below provide a copy of correspondence that can be used to document that The Research Foundation for State University of New York is a 501(c)(3) corporation under the Internal Revenue Code and therefore exempt from federal income tax.
