Tag Archives: Travel

December 2014

An issue that was causing travel financial interests more than 12 months old (and expired) to still be included in the total on disclosures that had not yet been reviewed has been resolved.

This section will display if “Reimbursed or sponsored travel” was selected in the Entity Nature of Interest section.

Travel Expenses: Expenses incurred for the purpose of engaging in travel activity, including but not limited to, costs for transportation, parking, food, drink, lodging, and related amenities.

Within this section, you can add new travel and copy or delete current travel entries.

Note: Travel entries that are more than one year old or more than a year in the future are not considered part of the SFI being disclosed. Therefore, older travel entries will not display as part of the SFI entity. You will also not be able to add new travel that is more than a year in the future.

Add New Travel

To provide details about travel, click the Add New Travel button, as show in the following image.

add new travel
A window will open for you to enter your travel information, as show in the following image.

add travel fields
Within this window, click Add to save what you’ve entered, or the Cancel link or icon (X) to close the window.

Field Description
Value of Travel This value must be zero or greater. You may include the dollar sign ($), commas and a period in this field. This is a required field.
Destination Enter the name of the destination. There is a limit of 50 characters. This field is required.
Start Date of Activity Use the pop-up calendar to select a date, or type one in using the month/day/year format (e.g., 10/31/2022). The start date must be within the preceding 12 months, or the next 12 months. This field is required.
End Date of Activity Use the pop-up calendar to select a date, or type one in using the month/day/year format (e.g., 10/31/2022). The date can be the same as the Start Date or a later date. This field is required.
Sponsored or Reimbursed Select the appropriate choice from the menu. You must select at least one choice.

  • Sponsored
  • Reimbursed
Sponsored Travel: Any travel for which the Travel Expenses are paid directly by an outside entity (with some exceptions).

Reimbursed Travel: Any travel activity for which the Travel Expenses are paid directly by the Investigator, who is then reimbursed by an entity for such Travel Expenses (with some exceptions).

Exceptions: Sponsored or Reimbursed Travel shall not include Travel Expenses that are reimbursed by a federal, state, or local government agency, an institution of higher education, an academic teaching hospital, a medical center, or a research institute that is affiliated with an institution of higher education.

For more information, see Travel Disclosures in GIM 10.

Foreign or Domestic Select the appropriate choice from the menu. You must select at least one choice.

  • Foreign
  • Domestic
Purpose of Trip Enter a description of the purpose of the trip. There is a limit of 500 characters. This field is required.
Please indicate if (check all that apply) Select all choices that apply.

  • Your spouse/domestic partner, or other family members, accompanied you on this trip.
  • Additional personal recreational activities extended the duration of this trip

Copy or Delete Travel Entries

If you have an existing entry for a trip, you can copy or delete the entry as shown in the following image.

travel entry copy or delete
You can click the Copy link to use some of an existing entry’s data for a similar entry. The same dialog used to add new travel will appear with these fields copied:

  • Value of Travel
  • Destination
  • Sponsored or Reimbursed
  • Foreign or Domestic
  • Purpose of trip
  • Indicator check boxes

If you need to remove a travel entry, you can click the Delete link. You must confirm the deletion.

Does an Investigator with a sponsor requiring UW SFI review need to disclose Sponsored or Reimbursed travel that is paid through a UW research budget?

No.  Travel disclosure is not required if the travel funding is paid through a UW budget (for example: sponsored award, gift, discretionary funds).

Since GIM 10 requires that I disclose my imputed SFI, does this mean that I have to disclose my spouse’s travel, even though s/he is not employed at the UW?

Most likely, the answer is “no”: as defined in GIM 10, imputed interests usually involve a partner/family member/spouse’s working for or having equity in an outside entity whose business is related to your University research. Ffor example, ownership in a company that could profit based on the outcome of your University research project.

The travel disclosure requirement is applicable to University personnel, since the regulations define travel paid for by an outside entity directly to the recipient to be SFI; this requirement does not apply to non-University personnel.

Travel expenses incurred by spouse/partner/family member are not a Financial Interest UNLESS they contribute to a University researcher’s SFI.  Therefore only if a spouse’s (or partner’s or other immediate family member’s) travel expenses, when combined with other financial interests of the same outside entity, create an imputed SFI do such things need to be disclosed.

There may be rare cases; for example, where a spouse’s travel is paid for by an outside entity who also has a direct connection to your University research (such as when your spouse works for the sponsor of your University research project), and their total amount of compensation or equity in the outside entity crosses the threshold for SFI that could appear to have a biasing effect on your University research. Since travel could be construed to be considered a form of compensation, it may be a judgment call as to whether such a situation becomes an imputed SFI. If there is any question about such examples, please contact the Office of Research for guidance.

I was a speaker at a national meeting for pancreatic cancer and recently had travel reimbursed by the meeting’s sponsor, American Association of Cancer Researchers (AACR) which is a non-profit. What do I need to disclose under GIM 10?

The disclosure requirements will depend on the type of research in which you are engaged.

Funded Research that requires UW Review:  If you are an Investigator for Funded Research and the sponsor requires UW review, you will need to disclose the following:

  • Travel:  Professional societies and non-profit organizations are not excepted from the travel disclosure requirement.  The occurrence of this travel, including an estimate of the value of the travel, must be disclosed within thirty (30) days of the occurrence of the travel.
  • SFI: If the travel expenses and any compensation received for this activity total $5000 or more, you must disclose this SFI.  (This is in addition to the above travel disclosure.)

All Other Funded Research: If you are an Investigator who participated ONLY in Funded Research where UW review is not required, you will need to disclose the following:

  • SFI: If the travel expenses and any compensation received for this activity total $5000 or more AND relate to a proposed or ongoing research project, you must disclose this SFI.
A listed exception to the Travel Disclosure requirement is travel that is sponsored or reimbursed by “a research institute that is affiliated with an Institution of Higher Education.” Is there a list of what research institutions will qualify?

At present, the UW has multiple affiliated research institutes, including FHCC, Seattle Children’s SCRI, SIBCR and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  A list of eligible institutes affiliated with the UW will be published on the FCOI website as these relationships are clarified.

What travel must be disclosed? How will Investigators make the required travel disclosures?

PHS-funded Investigators must disclose all Reimbursed or Sponsored Travel that is related to their Institutional Responsibilities.

GIM 10 definitions:

  • Sponsored Travel is travel activity, the Travel Expenses for which are paid directly by an Entity on behalf of an Investigator and not reimbursed to the Investigator so that the exact monetary value may not be readily available to the Investigator.
  • Reimbursed Travel is travel activity for which the Travel Expenses are paid directly by the Investigator, who is then reimbursed by an Entity for such Travel Expenses.

Exceptions to the Travel Disclosures are Reimbursed or Sponsored Travel paid by the University, a federal, state or local government agency, an Institution of Higher Education, an academic teaching hospital, a medical center, or a research institute that is affiliated with an Institution of Higher Education.

Travel Disclosures must be made within 30 days of the occurrence of travel and may be made up to twelve (12) months in advance.  The Travel Disclosures will be made through the Financial Interest Disclosure System (FIDS); in the same manner SFI will be disclosed.