Travel Support for CDSS Students

The CDSS encourages students to present their work at international conferences. Furthermore the CDSS travel budget can be used to finance summer schools, workshops, research stays and research activities such as e.g. data collection. The CDSS grants an annual research and travel budget of 300 Euro, 600 Euro for years 2023 & 2024, (subject to change without prior notice) to each of its members in years 1–3.

In addition to the CDSS travel support, the University of Mannheim also offers a number of travel grants to international conferences, summer schools and for research stays and we encourage you to actively seek support from other sources as well. Check out the university's going abroad support options as well as a travel allowance specifically for attending conferences in Germany. Make sure to apply early in the year as funds are exhausted quickly.

Your travel must be authorized in advance by the CDSS administration. Please write an informal e-mail to the CDSS Center Management (cc to Marion Lehnert) containing the conference name, the travel destination, the date, time and duration of the event and estimation of the costs. Please wait for verification if the planned travel is eligible for reimbursement before making travel arrangements. We'll need to send you the budget number i.e. 'PSP Element' for you to be able to complete the online travel form.

1. All those on a work contract including those who have a TA-contract on top of a scholarship, please apply via the online business travel portal for travel authorization at least four weeks prior to travel.
2. The support of your supervisor is always required.
   Your supervisor must approve planned travel by either authorizing it online through factual approval (sachliche Freigabe) in the online business travel portal.
   For those on a scholarship only the supervisor needs to give her/his/their approval briefly by e-mail.
3. Only second class plane/train tickets will be reimbursed. Use Bahncard and/or other reductions where possible.
4. Hotel costs in Germany must not exceed 95 EUR including breakfast and taxes. Please make sure that the hotel invoice is always issued to the University of Mannheim.
5. Taxi fares cannot be reimbursed.
6. The CDSS pays no daily allowance.
7. The CDSS reimbursement policy is based on documentation of reasonable and actual expenses for travel and accommodation, supported by original receipts, which must be submitted for all travel expenses including airline and rail, and hotels. Please make use of rebates and other reductions e.g. BahnCard if available.
8. Reimbursement for operative research costs, like data collection or experiments needs prior approval by the Center Manager.
9. Hand in  the Travel Expense Report (Dienstreiseabrechnung) promptly after your return in order to obtain reimbursement.
   Scholarship holders musts submit the GESS Travel Reimbursement Form along with supporting documentation post travel.
10. You will not be reimbursed if you present your reimbursement claim later than 6 months after the travel took place to central administration.
11. Advance payments can be obtained for expenses incurred prior to travel and over a minimum of 200 Euro. Proof of payment must be submitted and can be uploaded within the online form, where you can request the advance payment as well.
    Please note that doctoral students who are not employed by the University of Mannheim cannot obtain an  advance payment.

International travel: As of 1 July 2019, employees also need to request an A1 form or posting certificate for every business trip abroad regardless of the duration of the stay (more information here). Business travelers are obligated to carry the certificate at all times due to the regulations on social security. Please submit your Business Travel Authorization Form and the respective A1 form request as early as possible and at least four weeks in advance of the business trip abroad in order for the university administration to request your A1 form in time.

Compensation payment for business-related air travel (climate levy): The Act on the Further Development of Climate Protection in Baden-Württemberg (Gesetz zur Weiterentwicklung des Klimaschutzes in Baden-Württemberg), which came into force on 15 October 2020, introduced a legal obligation to pay a compensation payment (climate levy) for business-related flights into the State Travel Costs Act. This means that all universities are now obliged to pay a compensation levy for air travel, which benefits climate protection elsewhere. Please find further information here.

Form A – Calculation of carbon tax for air travel and profitability calculation according to section 4 LRKG (travel cost act of Baden-Württemberg) for flights within Germany or to neighboring European countries (English version here).

or

Form B – Calculation of carbon tax for air travel (English version here).