Conduct Your Research

Travelling for Research

Pre-Travel Authorization

Prior to the commencement of travel, the travelling employee must ensure they have acquired approval from the appropriate signing authority for the travel being undertaken. The approval must include information on the purpose, destination, duration or required travel, mode of transportation, and address an anticipated exceptions to travel allowance.

When the Office of Research, Scholarship and Community Engagement (ORSCE) receives your Pre-Travel Authorization request, we will check if funds are available in your research account to cover the projected expenses and that the travel is relevant to the purposes for which funds were awarded.

It is recommended that the PI/supervisor needs to fill out a Pre-Travel Authorization on the student's behalf.

  1. Access the Pre-Travel Authorization through Chrome River
  2. The form itself is self-explanatory. Some notes to remember:
    • Pre-travel for the fund administered by ORSCE will route through ORSCE Research Finance Analyst, AVP RSCE, Department Chair and Dean
    • Complete pre-travel as best as you can. If you are above 10%of the pre-travel budget, you will be asked to provide a justification.
  3. The Pre-Travel and Travel Expense Claim must include the following:
    • Purpose of the trip (including the link to the funded research)
    • How it relates to the grant
    • Dates and destination (person or location visited)
    • Official supporting documentation (E.g., prospectus or program indicating the dates of conferences and workshops)
    • Details of daily claims for expenditures relating to those visits
    • Original and other receipts (E.g., hotel invoices and car rental agreements)
    • Original air travel ticket receipts and boarding passes (if available)
    • Any other evidence that supports the travel expense claim

Expense Claims

Expense claims for travel should be submitted no longer than 10 days after you return as stated on your Pre-Travel Authorization.

You should only submit one trip on each expense claim. If you have taken two trips in close succession, they have to go onto separate expense claims.

Note: What to include in the Travel Expense Claim can be found in the above section under Obtaining a Pre-Travel Authorization.

Travel Advances

If you need a travel advance, please complete the appropriate information on the Pre-Travel Authorization. The travel advance request will be reviewed and then be approved by the AVP RSCE. Accounts payable need at least 10 working days to issue the travel advance. Travel advances will not be issued for expenses such as flight costs.

Risk Management

Any travel which involves a student outside Canada is automatically a Some Risk activity. If the research site is outside of the University and student(s) are involved, the PI needs to submit Off Campus Safety Policy (Form One) and student(s) must submit Consent and Acknowledgement of Risk Form.

In Chrome River, Pre-Travel Authorization contains a Risk Level drop down box where one must choose a risk level in the Pre-Travel Authorization.

Note: If you select low risk, you don't need to complete a Off-Campus Safety form. For medium and high risk activities, Risk Services require to review the form and sign it before receiving the Chair and Dean's signature prior to submission of the Pre-Travel Authorization.

Any activity that entails hazards no greater than those encountered by the participants in their normal onsite campus-based activities are considered as Low Risk. Minimal planning and preparation are required for such activities. Advanced briefing of participants in Low Risk activities is required. Consultation with Risk Services is at the discretion of the Activity Coordinator/Principal Investigator. Completion of a standard Pre-Travel Authorization form is required for Low Risk travel.

High Risk Activities have the potential to expose participants to hazards that are significantly greater than those likely to be encountered in their normal onsite, campus-based activities.


Examples of High Risk Activities requiring Risk Services review:
  • International travel involving students
  • Travel to remote locations
  • Trips involving eight or more hours of travel in one day
  • Any activities involving minors

Direct Travel

Direct Travel is Mount Royal University's preferred travel management company. Please contact Wanda Quon at wquon@mtroyal.ca to create a profile for Direct Travel. You need to create profile only once. MRU employees are recommended and encouraged to use Direct Travel where possible for all business related travel in order to:

  • Facilitate adherence to MRU Travel and Expense Policies and Procedures
  • Reduce the risk to MRU and its travellers through employee tracking and emergency assistance
  • Simplify and standardize booking, billing and expense claim processes
  • Provide tools that make life easier for employees

 

The Pre-Travel Authorization procedure must still be completed before booking travel with Direct Travel.

If you have any questions or require more information, please email orscefinance@mtroyal.ca.