Travel and Business Expenses

Expenses in this category are tracked through the ​Concur system. The Concur Checklist made by Arts & Sciences provides a good summary of travel and business expense policies and procedures.

Airline, train, and bus tickets, hotel reservations, and car rentals can be booked through Concur, or you can pay for them yourself and request reimbursement through Concur. Typical allowable travel expenses are those incurred for attending conferences, giving invited talks, and working with collaborators at other institutions. Be aware of the daily maximum rate allowed for hotels. For air travel, generally, you should book the lowest available, non-stop flight. International air travel paid through a government grant will likely require use of a US carrier. For more detailed policies regarding travel expenses, see: ​https://universitypolicies.columbia.edu/content/travel-expense-policy.

Typical business expenses are for meals and entertainment which are centered around meeting others to discuss work. Be aware of the maximum allowed expenditure per meal, and itemize tips and alcohol separately. For more detailed policies regarding business expenses, see: ​https://universitypolicies.columbia.edu/content/business-expense-policy.

To get a reimbursement, you will need to submit all receipts (which should include the date, vendor, name, an itemized list of purchased items, and the total amount), provide proof of payment (receipt marked as paid or a credit card statement, for example), and indicate the purpose of the expense (include a conference flyer or seminar announcement or a description what was discussed at a meeting, for example). Submit your request within ten days, ideally. Submissions more that 120 day after the expense was incurred will require special approval and will increase the workload for the admin staff.

Faculty, researchers, and staff should enter their information and upload scans of supporting documents directly into Concur. Students should have their supervisor do that for them.