Participants in CMES events may require reimbursement of expenses for travel, taxi charges, or incidentals. Receipts or ticket stubs are required for each expense incurred over $75. The process for seeking reimbursement is outlined below. Please note that the process for non-US citizens requires additional paperwork

Please Note: This process is the same for faculty and staff requiring reimbursement.

1. Complete and sign a Harvard University Universal Expense Form – this summarizes your expenses

N.B. Business Purpose: In this section, please indicate the date range of and reason for incurring an expense or group of related expenses, e.g., "Islam in the West conference, May 7–9, 2008". Harvard looks at the reimbursee's stated business purpose to determine whether or not the expenses are legitimate business expenses allowable under federal and Harvard University regulations, or whether reimbursing him/her for the expenses should more appropriately be considered personal income subject to tax withholding. It is usually enough to link the expense to something like a course, seminar series or conference. ‘Research’ can be broadly construed and so is not considered a sufficiently detailed business purpose.

Timeliness requirement: Requests for reimbursement of travel expenses must be submitted within 60 days of the date the expense was incurred. If these conditions are not met, the amount reimbursed will be subject to tax withholding as personal income. You have 30 days after that to request an exception to the 60-day rule if there are extenuating circumstances. You will not be reimbursed in any way for any expenses submitted beyond 6 months (182 days) from the date of the expense. To request an exception to the 60-day rule, please complete and submit the Reasonable Exception Request Form together with your other documentation to Anna Kreslavskaya.

Airfare Receipts: Air travelers must provide a copy of their itinerary, a passenger receipt (generally the final ticket stub showing itinerary and cost and a credit card receipt. Air travelers with e-tickets should provide itineraries plus credit card receipts and submit a Missing Receipt Affidavit (MRA).

FAQ [downloadable pdf: reimbursement_policy.pdf]

2. Complete a Vendor Set-Up form – this is used to register you as a Harvard University ‘vendor’

3. If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and have not been paid by Harvard in the past year, please complete and sign a Foreign National Information Form. A copy of your I-94 Departure Record (a small white card inside your passport), a copy of your U.S. Visa from your passport, and a copy of your I-20, DS2019, IAP66 or I-797 (immigration documents), if applicable, must be attached to the FNIF.

Please note the following:

Special Note for Visitors on J-Visas: Visitors on J visas not sponsored by Harvard University must obtain written permission from the International Office of the sponsoring institution prior to receiving honoraria or service payments (including employee compensation) from Harvard.

Special Note for Visitors on TN, H-1B or O Visas: Visitors on TN, H-1B or O visas not sponsored by Harvard University may not receive honoraria or service payments (including employee compensation) from Harvard.

Optional Forms

4. List the details of any expenses for which you do not have a receipt on a Missing Receipt Affidavit, which should be signed and submitted along with your request.

5. The reimbursement will automatically be processed in US$, and will be sent in check form to the participant’s mailing address. If the participant wishes to be reimbursed in a foreign currency, a Wire Transfer Authorization form is required.

Submit all materials, including all receipts and/or a Missing Receipt Affidavit, to:

Anna Kreslavskaya
CMES Financial Associate
38 Kirkland Street, Room 105
Cambridge, MA 02138

Provided your reimbursement request conforms to the above guidelines, you should receive your reimbursement within 3–4 weeks from the date on which we receive your materials. We cannot guarantee reimbursement of any expenses older than 60 days, or of expenses lacking appropriate documentation (original receipt or missing receipt affidavit.) Inquiries regarding the status of your request may be addressed to EMAIL. A fairly comprehensive and comprehensible official summary of Harvard's reimbursement policy can be found here.