Neuroscience Program Student Travel Policy

Revised/Effective: June 24, 2009

New Deadline! September 8 of each year is the deadline to request travel funds to attend SfN.

Students are eligible for travel funds from the Neuroscience Program if they will be presenting at a conference/meeting and are first authors. Eligible students must submit a written request to the Director of the Neuroscience Program for travel funds. This can be in the form of an e-mail and with enough time in advance in order to receive the travel funds before the trip. Once request is approved by the Director, the student should forward approval to the Neuroscience Program Graduate Secretary and provide a copy of the abstract.

The Neuroscience Program will issue travel vouchers for each of its graduate students who travel for insurance purpose and if the student will receive travel funds from the Program. Therefore, students are responsible for informing the Program office of any travel plans before the departure date so that a travel voucher is issued.

The Program will provide travel funds to the students, once approved by the Director, in the form of fellowships. The fellowships will be in the amount of $750.00 before taxes.

It is important that students maintain their university account up to date. If this is not the case, any outstanding charges will be first covered by the travel fellowship and the balance will be made available to the student.

If students obtain travel funds from other departments and none from the Neuroscience Program, the travel voucher will be issued by the other departments for processing of the reimbursement.

If students receive a travel fellowship (from the Neuroscience Program or other departments), they will inform the person processing their travel voucher of the receipt of such fellowship so the amount of the travel fellowship is deducted from the amount to be reimbursed.

Please remember that students are eligible for travel funds from the Program once (one travel fellowship for $750) per academic year and that it is the student's responsibility to make the request in time to receive the funds when they are needed, if before travel.

For students traveling overseas, they should contact The Olin Health Center Travel Clinic for update on vaccinations and also contact The Graduate School for Med Ex insurance coverage.

Foreign Travel

Neuroscience Program students who plan to travel to a foreign country on Michigan State University activities should consider the following issues:
(1) contact the Olin Health Center Travel Clinic at least three months in advance of your date of departure. Travel to particular countries may require one or more vaccinations or boosters. In addition, potential health hazards, travel problems and restrictions for each country will be reviewed by the travel clinic nurse. If you are traveling for pleasure, you are welcome to use the Olin Travel Clinic.
(2) If you intend to pursue a research project in another country, you should have permission from the appropriate governmental agency in that country. For some countries it may take up to one year to obtain approval.
(3) If you intend to bring plant or animal tissue samples or DNA/RNA back to the United States you are likely to need approval from the Agriculture Department or from the Center for Disease Control. Be sure to obtain proper letters of authorization to bring biological samples back to the United States.
(4) Obtain Michigan State University Travel Authorization from the Neuroscience Program,
(5) Obtain the proper pharmaceuticals to take with you in case of an emergency. These might include, for example, small packets of dehydration salts if you have experienced excessive fluid loss, appropriate antibiotics in case of food-poisoning or an infected wound and anti-malarial/preventative medication. Be aware that in some countries possession of illegal drugs is a death sentence.
(6) Request from Michigan State University through the Neuroscience Program office the free medical emergency evacuation insurance at the time you apply for Michigan State University travel authorization. This insurance will cover the cost of your evacuation to an appropriate medical facility if you are ill or have had an accident. It is also helpful to talk with other people who have spent time in the country you intend to visit to get a sense of the customs, of food related problems, of the medical care, of travel arrangements and of safe and unsafe personal activities.

Students should visit the “Travel Smart” website (http://grad.msu.edu/travel/) before their trip. When students appointed as TAs or RAs travel outside the U.S. to conduct required thesis or dissertation research or to collaborate with investigators conducting research abroad, the department or research grant supporting the work will be required to pay for all needed vaccinations and /or medications (e.g., anti-malarials) as determined by the MSU Travel Clinic. Students may include those costs in applications for funds from the Research Enhancement or Travel Grant programs administered by the Graduate School.