History of Science Society

Frequently Asked Questions about HSS NSF Travel Grant

• 1. What is the grant for?
  The grant is meant to defray your travel expenses, inclusive of air travel, train, bus, taxi or mileage ($.50 per mile if you use your private car) or auto expenses (gasoline, rental car) from your home address as stated in your application to the conference venue and back (please note: the mileage costs or auto expenses must be less than economy air fare to and from your destination). You will not be reimbursed for hotel, or other accommodation fees, food, and other expenses. You may be reimbursed for your HSS meeting registration fee, if funds are available; application instructions will confirm.
• 2. Who is eligible for the grant?
  Graduate students (who provide proof of student status, such as a copy or a scan of student ID or a letter from your advisor or graduate department), recent Ph.D’s (within 5 years of receiving degree), and Independent Scholars (retired scholars and others who are pursuing research in the history of science, or a closely related field, at a professional level), who have been accepted to participate in the HSS Annual Meeting (presenting a paper, chairing or commenting for a session, society governance). Nationality, gender, university location etc, are not eligibility factors.
• 3. How do I get the grant?
  Complete an application for the HSS NSF Travel Grant. The application is online at the HSS website: www.hssonline.org. Send the application as an e-mail attachment to info@hssonline.org, observing the deadlines posted on the website. Travel grant awards are usually announced about three weeks after the deadline, via an email to the applicant.
• 4. What do the NSF grant rules concerning eligible airlines mean?
  NSF regulations require that you fly a US Flag carrier airline, if one is available for your travel. This means you have to fly an American flag carrier, that is, an airline based in the USA. You can also fly on a code share partner of a US flag carrier: a code share partner may operate a particular flight as code share or they may be affiliated with a US flag carrier. This rule can be bypassed on one or several legs of your trip if you can provide written proof that a) flying code share or flag would have made you wait for over 24 hours, or b) that a US flag carrier is not available in your departure country.
• When flying a non US flag carrier, you have to obtain written proof from your airline’s customer service department that states your flight (number, date, time) was not available as a code share with a US flag carrier.
• All statements regarding flights have to be obtained by the travel grant recipient and sent to the HSS office as an attachment to your reimbursement application.
• 5. How do I get proof of code share from an airline?
  Contact the airline customer service department after you have researched your flight options and purchased your tickets either via e-mail or phone. Ask for a statement, which should include your name, the flights (number, date, time) and a declaration that these flights are operated code share with American flag carrier (name). Your tickets can be issued by any of the code share operation partners; you only have to be able to show that the flight you were on was code share.
• You can order a statement from your airline as soon as your purchase can be seen in their system. They may normally take anything from 15 minutes to a month to process your request.
• Your travel agent may be unable to obtain or even understand this request, so contact your airline directly. You can call the airline or ask your travel agent to call them, and ask whom your flights code share with.
• 6. How do I get a receipt for the HSS conference registration?
  You will get a receipt on your HSS conference fare in your conference package at the venue.
• 7. What constitutes an acceptable receipt for a travel ticket reimbursement?
  An acceptable, reimbursable flight ticket shows zeroes on the total line, which means you have paid your fare in full or otherwise indicates the flight has been paid in full, usually with the last 4 digits of your credit card number visible. It also shows you as the traveler and the flights (name, number, date, time, departure and destination city) paid for. Please ask for a receipt in English; this can be obtained when you are purchasing your ticket, or can be ordered from your issuing airline or travel agent afterwards.
• Other acceptable receipts show date, time and amount paid for the trip taken, as well as the traveler’s name.
• All receipts must be original receipts. Save photocopies for yourself for tax, etc purposes.
• If your receipts are electronic, print the receipts and attach to your reimbursement application. You may also print a receipt when you check in for your flight.
• 8. How do I submit for reimbursement?
  Complete the form on the HSS website and print it. Attach all the necessary receipts (all proofs and receipts you base your claim on). Mail the application for reimbursement and your proofs to the HSS office by the deadline, which means the documents have to arrive at the HSS office on the day of the deadline. The deadline will be printed on the reimbursement application. PLEASE NOTE: your reimbursement check will be sent to the address printed on your reimbursement application. If you have poor handwriting, it will be best to PRINT your address. If your address is outside the US, please include the name of your country and postal codes in the form recommended for incoming international mail (check with your post office regarding international mail, if you are uncertain). Please note that the holidays are a busy time at the post office, and prepare for delays by sending your documents a couple of days early.
• 9. Do I change other currency to USD when completing the reimbursement application?
  No, this will be done at the office. Just mark down the amount of money from your receipts in the appropriate column, using the currency on the receipt.
• 10. What if I miss the deadline?
  If you miss the deadline, your travel grant award will go to any applicants on the waiting list.
• 11. What if I don’t get all necessary receipts or statements?
  Per NSF rules, certain requirements must be fulfilled in order to be eligible for the grant. If you do not fulfill these requirements, HSS cannot award your grant or parts of it. Send in the documents you have. Your award amount will most likely be reduced.
• 12. What if my reimbursement application is lost in mail?
  It may be possible in your country/area to insure mail and/or get tracking codes (USPS, Fed Ex, UPS, DHL, etc.). Contact the HSS office if it is lost (info@hssonline.org).
  
• 13. How does my award get to me?
  HSS will send you a check in the mail. US addresses have a check mailed from our bank; international addresses have a check cut and mailed from the HSS office. All require an individual to read your address and type it into a computer.
• 14. What if my reimbursement check is lost in the mail?
  Please see number 8 to avoid this. Contact the HSS office if it does: info@hssonline.org. Allow 1 month for checks mailed to US addresses; allow 2 months for checks mailed to international addresses.
• 15. When do I get my check?
  The checks will be sent in early January.

Thanks to the GECC for compiling these questions and answers.