If you want to reimburse students, prospective employees, or visitors/guests for MIT-related business travel, you must follow the same guidelines that apply to other MIT travelers. You can use your department Travel Card for any expenses incurred during such travel. Follow the steps for Reimbursing a Visitor using Concur.
If you are assigned temporary duty at a location outside local commuting distance, you may be eligible for reimbursement of certain costs, such as maintaining a temporary residence.
Note that you must obtain advance approval from your department, lab, center, or institute (DLCI) or sponsor and that you must adhere to strict IRS rules regarding the tax status of reimbursement for dislocation expenses.
If you are assigned to work in an approved field site for more than 30 days but less than one year, you may be eligible for incentive compensation equal to 20 percent of your monthly salary plus a subsistence reimbursement according to the guidelines for per diem expenses.
If the duration of your field assignment exceeds one year but is not longer than two years, you have the option of substituting relocation expenses in place of per diem expenses.
If you are an MIT employee who is not eligible to receive overtime pay, you may be reimbursed for certain expenses when you are called to work on an emergency basis on a scheduled day off or recalled to work after a normal day’s work. Covered expenses include:
- actual cost of lodging in Cambridge area hotels (we strongly encourage you to use MIT’s Preferred hotels).
- current prevailing IRS mileage reimbursement rate or the actual cost of public transit, as applicable.
- actual cost of meals.
If your spouse has a formal role in an MIT-related event, her or his travel expenses may qualify for reimbursement.
- Before you travel, submit a written request and obtain approval from the Office of the Dean of your school or college, or the Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR), for labs that report directly to the VPR.
- Your request should include a clear explanation of your spouse’s formal role in the MIT-related program.
- Be sure to include the written approval to requests for reimbursement.
Your spouse may accompany you for personal reasons at your own expense. Do not charge personal expenses to your MIT Travel Card.
