Indirect expenses due to attending conferences

Question

Going to conferences induces some costs on a researcher's personal budget. In all places I know, expenses directly related to travel and accommodation are usually covered (travel, hotels, food), but there are also some indirect expenses that aren't typically covered.

I'll only give one example, that is directly applicable to me: when I'm away I have to get a baby sitter for the kids (for the days where my wife can't pick them up, say). However, I'm sure there must be other examples.

Are there institutions that cover these “hidden” (or indirect) expenses? What rules do they follow? It must be difficult to know where to put the limit… (“hey, I'm going on a conference in Sweden in December, which means I have to buy myself a new coat! can I get it reimbursed?”)

Answer 1

The usual solution is very simple: you will get a daily allowance ("per diem"), which is a lump sum of money that covers all small costs related to travelling.

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A concrete example: a researcher at a Finnish university, travelling to a conference in Germany. You will get a daily allowance of 61 euros per day, tax free. This should cover food and all other small expenses related to travelling.

Direct costs related to travelling (conference fees, hotel, transportation, etc.) are covered based on the receipts. However, lunch & dinner is not covered, as they are included in the daily allowance. Corner cases have special rules (e.g., what if lunch & dinner is included in the conference fee).

Answer 2

Usually, if an "indirect cost" will be reimbursed by the university, it must be a cost that would normally be allowed if it weren't occurred on travel.

So, for instance, something that would be considered an "equipment" purchase—such as a battery for a laptop to replace one that dies—might be allowed, but babysitting costs might not.

However, most institutions do have a "travel manual" or regulations that cover what costs are permitted for travelers to have reimbursed. If you have any questions about the policy, you should consult your institution's travel office for guidance. (These regulations often change, usually in response to someone else going overboard and exploiting loopholes in the regulation, which are then tightened for everybody.)

My instinct, however, tells me that such policies are probably quite rare for any institution that accepts government financing for its operations. Usually, those funds have significant restrictions on what sorts of expenses can be associated with travel, and thus it's easier to adjust the institution's policies in accordance with that. For institutions that are privately financed, it's a lot easier to institute policies that are more liberal. But you'd probably have to go to an extremely "progressive" institution (maybe a Google?) to find one that will reimburse you for these sorts of costs.

Answer 3

Sometimes conferences actually organize child care services or provide support of child care that you pay yourself. See examples: https://www.hr.cornell.edu/life/support/conference_care.pdf and http://www.aps.org/programs/women/workshops/childcare.cfm The last one says:

Examples of Allowed Expenses

• Daycare expenses at the March Meeting
• Extra daycare expenses incurred at home because the primary caregiver was attending the March Meeting (e.g., cost of a sitter)
• Expenses incurred in bringing a babysitter (or grandparent) to the March Meeting

Other than that I don't think many employers explicitly reimburse those costs. People tend to consider that they are part of the "package" that you accept when you start a career in research (I am not saying it is a good thing).

Answer 4

Disclaimer one. I'm from a big Japanese University with lots and lost of Money.

Here, like Juka suggests, travelers get paid a daily expense, for example, I went to Australia last year, and I got paid the exact sum for the airplane and a daily allowance that is supposed to cover meals and lodging. The thing is, unless you eat like a king and sleep in a 5 star hotel, you'll usually end up with extra money. (around 200 USD-300 USD more).

I ask my adviser and he told me that this was normal, and postdocs and profs get even more money, because they consider they have families.

I think is a good practice, but then again, if your University does not have a huge endowment, it may get tricky.