The following instructions were designed to ensure that SCOR working groups can successfully conduct their work, while using SCOR financial resources efficiently and following applicable financial regulations of our sponsors.
Making travel arrangements:
- Travelers should consult with the meeting organizers to be informed of maximum allowed rates for lodging and meals if travelers will be paying on their own.
- Members of a group should obtain their own visas, if required. However, if a formal letter of invitation from SCOR would be helpful, please let us know what information it needs to contain and who it should be provided to (either to the traveler or directly to the appropriate embassy or consulate). Be sure to apply for your visa well before the meeting. A nonrefundable airfare should not be purchased until a visa has been obtained.
- Because the SCOR Secretariat is very small (just 1 full-time and 1 part-time staff) and there are many meetings every year, we normally only make arrangements (such as prepaid tickets) for scientists from developing countries, or other countries where hard currency is a problem.
- When booking flights, SCOR asks the following:
- Purchase economy class tickets for your travel. Exceptions are possible with medical excuses.
- If you can save more on your airfare than the extra days’ per diem, we will reimburse you for the extra days.
- Contact your meeting organizer to inform him/her of the cost of your ticket before you make final arrangements. He/she will check the cost against the meeting budget to make sure that the meeting keeps within its budget.
- Since some of the financial support for working group meetings comes from a U.S. National Science Foundation grant to SCOR, travelers transiting to, from, or through the United States should follow the Fly America Act requirements to use a U.S. carrier unless an exception is granted.
- Please book your ticket at least one month before your departure for the meeting.
Seeking reimbursements:
- A reimbursement form will be provided by SCOR through the meeting organizers and should be submitted to the SCOR Secretariat (secretariat@scor-int.org).
- Reimbursement of travel expenses normally will be returned to you within 1 week of receiving your travel claim (with sufficient receipts) following the meeting. Payment will normally be made by check for U.S. members and by bank transfer for everyone else. You will need to provide receipts for (1) air travel (either the original hardcopy ticket page with the price and itinerary on it, or an electronic ticket with the price and itinerary), (2) your hotel bill, and (3) any other major (more than US$50) expenses. No receipts are required for meals and local transportation, but we will only reimburse up to the pre-set limit for meals.
Revised 16 August 2023