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Travel  

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I obtain a travel form?
All travel/payment requests are now processed in the eTravel System; Click here to access the eTravel System.

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Who do I contact to make my travel arrangements?
The senior fiscal officer in your area has designated departmental travel arrangers and approvers, contact your department’s business office for assistance.

Your department’s travel arranger enters travel requests into the eTravel System. Your travel request workflows to your department’s travel approver and is then approved by the RF Travel Office.

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How do I make a reservation for an airline ticket or hotel?
Contact the designated travel agency. Once the reservation has been processed you will receive an automatic e-mail with the travel itinerary and a message stating that the flight has not yet been ticketed. Another e-mail stating that the flight has been ticketed will be sent to you after Travel Solutions has been notified that the Sponsored Projects Travel Office has approved your reservations.

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What name should I enter in the eTravel System when booking my flight?
The ticketed name must exactly match the name on the traveler’s approved photo ID.

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Why do I have to give the Travel Agency my birth date?
The federal government’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires that the airlines be provided with the name and birth date. This regulation becomes effective August 15, 2009 for domestic flights and October 1, 2009 for International flights.

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If the cost of the airline ticket at approval exceeds the amount when the reservation was made do I need to have the Travel Request re-approved?
Yes, the airline ticket price will need to be adjusted and the request resubmitted for approval.

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When will the RF Travel Office approve Travel Solutions to release my airline reservations?
The RF Travel Office will authorize the designated travel agency to release your airline ticket after it has been approved by the department approver.

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What is an “R” number?
Prior to your travel being approved the eTravel System assigns an “R” number to the travel request for tracking purposes.

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What is a T-number?
All travel must be pre-approved by your department and the RF Travel Office. Upon approval, you will receive a “T-number” which identifies your unique travel. The T-number is used to track all travel requests and prepayments, reimbursements, or other payment requests after the trip has been completed.

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What expenses can be pre-paid?
Airfare, lodging, OSU Fleet Services (car rental), and conference registration fees are all available as prepayments. However, airline reservations must be made through the designated travel agency; lodging reservations may be processed through the designated travel agency or through the RF purchasing department.

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How are items pre-paid by the Research Foundation?
Please check this page to obtain information on pre-payment procedures.

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Can I obtain a travel advance?
Yes, students are eligible for up to 100% of non-prepaid expenses. Faculty and staff are eligible for up to 80% of non-prepaid expenses on international travel only.

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What is the “Fly America” act?
The Fly America Act, enacted in 1974, mandates the use of U.S. flag air carriers for federally funded international travel. If you are scheduling international travel that is funded by a federal grant, you must ensure that all flights, where possible, are scheduled on U.S. flag air carriers or on foreign air carriers that code share with a U.S. flag air carrier. More information is available here.

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Do I need receipts for every expense?
No, parking, tolls, mass transit, and taxi fares that total less than $25 each do not require receipts. Additionally, meal receipts are not required if you will be reimbursed based on the per diem for the locations of your travel. However, original receipts are required for reimbursement if paying for airfare, hotel, and conference registration out-of-pocket.

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What is the current per diem rate?
Per diem rates can be found on the GSA’s web site , and are also available in the eTravel System.

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What is the current mileage reimbursement rate?
The RF uses the Internal Revenue Service guidelines to establish the current mileage reimbursement rate. Visit the IRS for that information. Occasionally a sponsor (especially State of Ohio agencies) will require a lower rate. Be sure to check the terms of your sponsored project award agreement for any restrictions.

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Can I arrange travel for non-employees in the eTravel System?
Yes, non-employees are processed in the eTravel System including travel payments for human subjects. Please remember that travelers need to sign the travel payment request form and attach original receipts before submitting the payment request to the department’s approver. Once approved, the payment request and original receipts are then sent to the RF Travel Office for payment.

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What if the non-employee is also a non-resident alien: can I arrange travel for non-resident aliens?
Yes, however additional documentation is required when the non-resident alien receives travel reimbursements, earned income, and/or human subject payments. Reimbursements and other payments may be subject to federal taxes as required by the traveler’s visa. Also, the traveler may jeopardize their non-immigrant status if proper procedure is not followed.

Contact the Research Foundation Accounts Payables department, rfap@rf.ohio-state.edu or (614) 292-8187, prior to making travel arrangements for non-resident aliens. Depending on the country of citizenship and the type of visa, the non-resident alien must provide additional documentation, such as but not limited to:

  • Copy of the photo page of passport
  • Current visa
  • U.S. Social Security number, if available
  • I-94 (issued upon arrival in the U.S.)
  • AP Compliance Form

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Who do I contact to find out if there are the restrictions on taking items with me while Traveling overseas?
Traveling with computers, web enabled cell phones, advanced GPS units, scientific equipment, proprietary information or unpublished data may require an Export Control License. More information is available on the Office of Research Compliance web site.

For additional information contact the Export Control Committee at exportcontrol@osu.edu or  Jennifer Yucel, export control officer, at yucel.4@osu.edu or (614) 247-8831.

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Who do I notify that I have arranged for foreign nationals to visit Ohio State?
For additional information contact the Export Control Committee at exportcontrol@osu.edu or Jennifer Yucel, export control officer, at yucel.4@osu.edu or (614) 247-8831.

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How do I contact the designated travel agency?
Visit the designated travel agency web site.

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How will a PI know if a travel request has been approved on their project?
Individuals may access the eTravel System to monitor the travel request approval status or contact their department travel arranger for more information. PIs, travelers, arrangers, and approvers receive e-mails once a trip has been ticketed by the designated travel agency.

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How do I know when my airline reservation has been ticketed?
An e-mail is sent to the traveler and travel arranger when the reservation has been ticketed. The designated travel agency assigns this number to your itinerary reservation; it is located on the top of the travel itinerary and must be included on the travel request form.

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Visit the eTravel System frequently asked questions for more information.

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© 2009 The Ohio State University
Research Foundation
Last Modified: October 06, 2009