Travel Application Guidelines

Proof of conference or workshop registration that confirms the dates of attendance is required. Acceptable forms of proof include: an email from the conference organizers, a receipt, an official quote, and/or a link and screenshot of the website confirming the dates and conference/workshop description.

For conferences that charge a per-paper registration fee, applicants are limited to a maximum of 4 papers, with an annual maximum cost of $2000.00.

Memberships:

If a membership is required to present at a conference, OR the combined cost of the registration and membership fees is less than or equal to the cost of a non-member registration, FDF will cover the expense. However, you must provide documentation of the membership cost, including any conference requirements that participants hold membership, and the registration costs for both members and non-members.

The FDF will fund the most economical mode of transportation. For example, driving 800 miles round-trip to Los Angeles at $0.70/mile would be around $560, while a round-trip flight to Los Angeles is $300. The FDF will reimburse only $300 if you choose to drive.

Airfare and rail travel must be economy (not basic economy). FDF will not pay for preferred seating, extra legroom, or priority boarding

Transportation quote requirement:

• Single Quote Required: For travel within the U.S. West Coast costing less than $250, domestic travel outside of the West Coast costing less than $500, and international travel costing less than $750, a single quote or receipt is sufficient (though comparison quotes are appreciated).
• Three Quotes Required: For airfares that exceed the amounts noted above. Applicants must provide at least three airfare quotes, even if the airfare has already been purchased.
  • We recommend using a search engine such as Kayak, Google Flights, Expedia, etc. This way, you can take one screenshot that includes multiple quotes.
  • All quotes must show the date when they were compared. (Note: All quotes should be taken on the same day, as ticket prices change daily.)
  • All quotes must clearly show the filters used in the search. While we recognize that travelers may have preferred airlines or loyalty programs, FDF-funded travel should reflect the most economical option that meets the needs of the trip.
  • If a more expensive option is selected, applicants should provide a brief justification in their budget rationale.
  • Baggage fees of up to $50 each way ($100 round trip) will be covered.

Personal car

Auto transportation mileage is reimbursed at 70 cents per mile. Those applying for auto transportation costs must provide a map documenting the mileage (e.g., a screenshot of Google Maps driving directions). The starting location of the map must be the USF campus (2130 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94117), even if this adds extra miles.

Local transportation

• This refers primarily to transportation costs to and from airports/train stations, and your home, as well as to the conference, workshop, or research destination. It includes taxis, buses, local trains, shuttles, tolls, ride-sharing apps, and parking at Bay Area airports.
• Limits: The domestic limit for this is $150. For international travel, these costs may exceed $150 and should be entered in the “Exceptions” field and fully described in your itemized budget.
• Quotes: Please note that quotes are not required when requesting ground transportation expenses. However, receipts are required for reimbursement through Concur.

Car rentals

Car rentals are funded only with a valid explanation in the Exception field. Rental vehicles used on university business, including FDF, must be driven by a USF-authorized driver. For more information on USF’s driver authorization, please refer to this page. To complete the process, please fill out this form. Add-on insurance for car rentals should be declined, as USF has an insurance policy that covers employees traveling for business purposes. If USF FDF funds are used to rent the car, you, the applicant, must be the driver. USF is not responsible for non-USF drivers.

Faculty are asked to be responsible with FDF funds by selecting a hotel among the lowest reasonable rates for the area to which they are traveling. The FDF will fund the lowest reasonable rate (no room upgrades) up to the domestic limit of $275/night, excluding taxes and fees. For more expensive cities or for international travel, the choice of a reasonable hotel rate above that limit should be compared to the conference hotel rate and explained in the budget rationale.

• Hotel maximum is 10 nights*: The hotel is funded for the number of nights you will be attending the conference (or conducting research, engaging in approved professional effectiveness events), plus an additional night for domestic travel. For example, if you are attending the conference from Friday until Sunday morning, FDF would fund three hotel nights (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday).
• *If your research requires you to remain in a location for more than 10 nights, you may request additional lodging support. However, requests for more than 10 nights must be clearly justified and are not guaranteed funding.
• FDF will not fund conference stays that exceed the time reasonably required for your role(s) at the conference. For international travel, applicants may request up to two additional nights if the extra time is justified and necessary.
• Hotel stays for local conferences or research within 50 miles of USF are generally not supported. However, if you are participating in an early morning conference panel, you may request a hotel stay for the night before. Please include documentation for and an explanation of this need.
• Single Quote Required: If you are staying at the conference hotel, please upload a screenshot of the information. If there are multiple conference hotels, please provide a list of hotels, their costs, and a brief explanation for your choice.
• Three Quotes Required: If you are not using the conference hotel, you must provide at least three lodging quotes (one being the conference hotel or affiliated workshop lodging, even if you have already purchased your lodging.
  • We recommend using a search engine such as Kayak, Hotels.com, Expedia, etc. This way, you can take one screenshot that includes multiple quotes.
  • If applicable, please include the rate for conference or workshop-affiliated lodging.
  • All quotes must clearly show the filters used in the search. While we recognize that travelers may have preferred hotels or loyalty programs, FDF-funded travel should reflect the most economical option that meets the trip's needs.
  • If a more expensive option is selected, applicants should provide a brief justification in their budget rationale.
• Room tax will be funded. Please include this in the hotel's nightly rate.
• Internet access costs of up to $10/night will be funded. Please include this in the hotel's nightly rate.
• Resort fees will be covered only when they are part of the conference hotel cost.

Entering hotel costs in Gnosis:

• The hotel rate may either be entered in Gnosis as either a daily rate or a flat rate for the total price of the stay. If choosing the flat rate option, please check the “Flat Rate” box and select the number of nights, as the “Food” field will be automatically calculated from the “Number of Nights” field.
• Non-hotel options: If it’s cheaper to rent an apartment (such as through Airbnb) than to stay in a hotel, please provide documentation showing conference or local hotel quotes for the time frame, as well as the cost of the apartment or other lodging.
• Shared Lodging: FDF funds may only be used to cover the cost of accommodations that are reasonably necessary for the faculty member's travel. If you choose to rent a larger unit to accommodate others, you must prorate the expenses and request reimbursement only for the portion attributable to your own lodging needs. Please include documentation showing how the costs were calculated and allocated.

Food is reimbursed at $50 per day, plus 1 additional day for travel. The “Food” field is automatically calculated from the “Number of Nights” field. Receipts are not required for reimbursement. Instead, attach the FDF award letter in the meal receipt area when submitting your Concur expense report. Note: The expense type to use for food is Meal Allotment 716430.

All exceptions should be fully explained in your budget rationale.

• Optional conference events, such as banquets or tours.
• Membership fees to professional organizations that are not required for conference attendance.
• Optional travel upgrades or services such as extra legroom, in-flight wifi, and priority boarding.
• International Phone Plans.
• Travel insurance.
• Frequent flyer miles: The value of airfare purchased with frequent flyer miles or points cannot be supported or reimbursed.
• Hotel phone calls, room service, video rentals, and other non-essential services.
• Gifts or meals for others.
• Travel expenses for events for which the faculty member is being paid -- such as paid teaching, workshops, or research work. This does not apply to honoraria.
• *Local conference accommodations: Hotel stays for local conferences or research within 50 miles of USF are generally not supported. However, FDF does cover transportation from USF to the conference site as well as a daily per diem ($50) for food. (Exceptions must be clearly justified).
• *USF-sponsored retreats are not supported. However, for the 2026-2027 academic year, the FDF committee will consider applications to support the CAS co-sponsored writing retreats.

Multiple files can be uploaded for each line item by clicking “Choose File” and then “Save” for each separate file. Or you may combine all your receipts or quotes into a single PDF file and upload that one file into each field.