Statistics PhD Travel Support

Students who plan to give presentations at conferences, participate in professional meetings, attend conferences or training sessions, or visit colleagues at other institutions for professional purposes are eligible to apply for support.

Policy Statement

The Department of Statistics and Data Science (SDS) has set up a fund to support graduate students' professional travel. The aim of the Department is to promote travel activities that enrich the Statistics community at Cornell University.

Important factors to consider prior to requesting your travel award

The funding is intended to supplement or complete travel funding from other sources. All other available funding sources intended for travel must be exhausted, and documented, prior to applying for this award. See the Travel Funding Opportunities on the grant website. When you receive the email confirmation of your grant please forward it to aw269@cornell.edu.
Funding decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis by the governing committee (SDS Chair, Field of Statistics Director of Graduate Studies, etc.).
All policies and decisions are contingent on the availability of funds.
The Statistics PhD Travel Support Application must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the proposed travel.
If you are arriving earlier or staying longer than the conference dates, please pull and save a flight comparison when booking tickets.
Students can claim up to $1800 for travel per calendar year, July 1 through June 30 from SDS (as long as students have applied for funds first from the Graduate School). Only graduate students in the Field of Statistics are eligible to apply for this award.
Additional advisor funds could be available upon request and based on available funding from your advisor. Please make sure you understand all allowable expenses based on the accounts you use. Not understanding allowable expenses could result in certain expenses not being reimbursed.
If you would like the Graduate Field Coordinator, Allen Ward, to cover some of your expenses, like hotel costs and registration fees on the department business travel card, please email allenward@cornell.edu. The amount covered on the department business travel card will still be claimed towards your $1800 for travel per academic year. You're still welcome to use your card and submit a reimbursement.

Trips with the following business purpose will be considered for reimbursement

Professional meeting or conference (e.g., JSM); the participant must be making a professional presentation (typically a research paper).
Professional visit to a colleague at another institution.
Specific training purpose (e.g., SAS training, short courses), when such training is unavailable at Cornell.

Travel reimbursement documentation must be submitted within 30 days of returning from travel:

Familiarize yourself with the policy prior to your trip Cornell travel policy
Starting November 1, 2024, international travel that is not preregistered will be classified as non-authorized, and business-related travel expenses will not be reimbursed. All students, staff, and faculty are required (per Policy 8.5) to add their Cornell-related international travel plans to the Cornell International Travel Registry. All international travel MUST be registered through the Cornell Travel Registry prior to the trip; all international travel to destinations considered to be HIGH RISK must obtain prior approval by the International Travel Advisory and Response Team (ITART) BEFORE the trip begins: Global Cornell Travel
Within 30 days of your return from travel, complete the Travel Reimbursement form and attach travel receipts for reimbursement.
Please email or create a shared folder with Allen Ward, aw269@cornell.edu, to help process your travel-related expenses and information.
Provide all documents to Allen Ward (aw269), 301 Malott Hall, or by email for processing.
Receipts for accommodations need to be in the payee/traveler’s name for reimbursement. Verbal agreements/re-payments to others are not considered valid and are not reimbursable.

Note the following must be applied to your travel reimbursement request

State all funding sources acquired (external funding, grants from The Graduate School or other Cornell departments/agencies, etc.).
State balance requested for travel reimbursement from SDS.
Provide receipts for all expenses and supporting information.
There is no need to submit meal receipts. You will be reimbursed using the per diem rates for the location where you are staying.

Make sure that cost comparisons are obtained when booking since they will need to be submitted with the reimbursement later for Flight Cost Comparisons for Personal mixed Business Travel with early arrival or late departures dates.

Language from policy is:

You are expected to take the flight from the home institution (your home campus) on the most direct or cost-effective flight to the closest or most cost-effective airport where the official business will take place.
So, if the conference starts early am then you can fly in the day before. If the conference ends late, then they can fly out the next day. Any additional days would be considered personal. You have to be careful since you might be saving on the flight but then there would be additional days for lodging and meals which would be considered personal and not reimbursable.

Here is the policy for personal travel:

Combining Personal and Business Air Travel

When your trip includes personal travel and the return trip is not direct from the business destination (e.g., conference location), you must get documentation of the additional costs when you book your flight. You will only be reimbursed for the cost of the flight you would have taken straight home from the business trip.

For example, if you plan to travel from your conference to another city for personal vacation time, you must get a quote for the flight you would have taken on the same day directly from the conference to your home at the same time when you book the flight you actually take.

Updated by Allen Ward, October 7, 2024