This page is intended to help guide you through the process of participating in business travel on behalf of UT and/or ORNL. How you proceed will depend on whether the funding to support your travel resides at ORNL or at UT.
Is your advisor at ORNL sponsoring your travel?
Is your advisor at UTK sponsoring your travel?
Make sure you speak with administrators sponsoring your travel BEFORE making any purchases to determine reimbursement policy and confirm estimated purchases are eligible for reimbursement. This includes travel costs, membership and conference fees, etc.
If you have an opportunity to present your research at a conference, but your advisor does not have the funding to support your travel, you may request assistance from the Graduate Student Senate (GSS).
Find assistance with UT’s travel system, Concur.
Know UT’s travel policy before booking! Not following policy could mean you do not receive reimbursement.
Students working with an advisor at ORNL
If your ORNL advisor intends to support your travel, a requisition will need to be entered into ORNL TravX system and your activities and expenditures will be subject to ORNL policies. For liability reasons, you’ll need to inform UT of your intent to travel by submitting a travel request in Concur. You should indicate in the comments that your travel is being sponsored by ORNL.
If your advisor or an admin indicates that the proper procedure is to have your travel reimbursed by UT by charging it to your UT-B contract account, please inform them that you MAY NOT use that process due to Bredesen Center student contracts excluding travel allowances. See excerpt below.
Upon the completion of your trip submit your receipts and other required documentation to ORNL to request reimbursement.
*NOTE: If you applied for and received GSS funding to assist with your trip costs, you’ll provide a copy of your award letter to ORNL with your request/expense report. ORNL will send UT’s graduate school a bill to recoup the award amount and apply it towards your reimbursement that is processed there.
Students working with advisors at UT
If your UT advisor intends to sponsor your travel, you’ll need to ask for the account number that should be used to cover your expenses. You’ll need to submit a travel request in Concur and input the account that will cover your expenses. Be sure the review UT’s travel policy so that you understand what is/is not allowed and what documentation is required to receive reimbursement.
Upon completion of your travel, you’ll create an expense report in Concur and submit it for reimbursement with the uploaded images of your receipts.
If you applied for and received GSS assistance for your trip, be sure to upload a copy of your award letter so that expenses may be properly attributed to the GSS award.