Guidelines of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences for the settlement of travel expenses
PDF Faculty Guidlines Travel Expenses (as of September 2023)

Important information about hotel and train costs
Hotel: The HR department will only pay out hotel expenses within Austria up to a maximum of EUR 110.00 per night. For trips abroad, the maximum limit for overnight stays is calculated by the respective night rate per country times seven.
ÖBB: Note for train travel within Austria: Costs will only be refunded up to the maximum rate of the ÖBB Business Card. Business Card bookings can now be made directly at the Dean's Office.

Important information for flights
Climate Contribution: The university management has been implementing measures to reduce the carbon footprint of travel as follows since October 1, 2021:

• Short-haul flights such as domestic flights, flights to Switzerland, Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Strasbourg, Venice, Milan, Turin, Genoa, Verona, and others will no longer be refunded. However, the use as a hub airport is still possible.
• Flight tickets are additionally charged with 10% (first flight per calendar year) or 20% (from second flight per calendar year). Please note that this will be charged to your faculty travel budget.
• Car travel will now only be approved or reimbursed under special official necessity.
• The measures apply to ALL employees of the university, i.e. also to employees funded by third parties and to external persons whose expenses are reimbursed (e.g. visiting professors, invited scientists, etc.).

Information on the process of a travel expense reimbursement

1. Travel expense application as PDF This form should be completed and signed and submitted to the Dean's Office at least two weeks prior to travel.
2. Exemption in VIS absolutely necessary, otherwise no settlement can be made.
3. Travel expense report can be accepted fully completed and signed only.
4. Travel expense reports should be submitted as soon as possible after return. Please enclose all original receipts as well as proof of payment (credit card statements or transfer confirmations from online banking).

Information on how to retrieve a publication funding

1. You will be informed about publication grants from the previous year no later than May of each calendar year.
2. You will receive access to a personal funding overview via the university's fileshare system.
3. Informal request for payment of costs from the personal publication grant to:dean-sopo@uibk.ac.at
4. Information from the Dean's Office about the possibility and process of the grant.

Important information for publication funding

• All currently available grants will be available for drawdown for two years from now.
• Grants that are not drawn down will expire.
• Grants may be used to fund the following:
  • Literature (order through Dean's Office)
  • Computer infrastructure, furniture and/or electronic equipment (order through Dean's Office)
  • Increase of personal travel funds (including travel expenses for workshops, project meetings or similar)
  • Invitation of lecturers (travel and accommodation costs, entertainment costs according to the requirements of the university)
  • Funding of workshops in Innsbruck (incl. travel and accommodation costs for external persons, catering costs according to the specifications of the university, etc.)

NO personnel costs for student employees can be financed!

Literature, computer infrastructure, furniture and electronic accessories may only be purchased by the Dean's Office from the suppliers of the University - NO private purchases and following refunds without prior consultation with the Dean's Office!

Information on how to apply for study leave
Applications for study leave are made through official channels via the Institute Director, the Dean's Office, and the Office of the Provost.
Link to the information and the form of the personnel department:
https://community.uibk.ac.at/uniwiki/index.php?title=Freistellung_und_Studienurlaub_-_Ziele

Reasons for a study leave may include:

In the area of research:

•  Submission of applications for research projects
•  Completion of research projects (e.g. preparation of corresponding reports)
•  Work on qualification papers (in different phases)
•  Work on publications and lectures
•  Continuing education formats
•  Networking and connection to other universities (e.g. in the form of research stays)

In the area of teaching:

• Writing textbooks and the like.
• Further education formats (e.g. completion of external courses in the field of activity or similar)
• Work on publications and lectures in the field of teaching
• Elaborate redesign of courses
• Networking and connection to other universities in the area of teaching

Informal application for research funding
Research funding by faculty can be applied for informally by emailing the Dean's office: dean-sopo@uibk.ac.at

What research funding does the faculty offer:

• ERC-/Starting Grant start-up funding
• Memberships in societies
• Support for project meetings for third-party funding applications
• Open Access funding (only if the University Library or the VR Research co-finance here)
• Research data management

Information on faculty event sponsorships
The faculty provides annual funding pots for scientific events.
Applications can be submitted informally by e-mail to the Dean's Office: dean-sopo@uibk.ac.at

What kind of events will be funded?

• scientific congresses
• scientific workshops
• winter or summer schools
• presentations of scientific results / book presentations

Important: Guest lecturer are explicitly excluded here and are financed directly by the institutes!

Information on financing guest lecturers
The Dean's Office does not fund guest lecturers at the faculty; this is now done exclusively through the departments themselves.
A corresponding annual budget is available at the departments.
Important: Please contact your Head of Department in time at the beginning of the semester for planned invitations.

Distinction between secondary employment (Nebenbeschäftigung) and secondary activities (Nebentätigkeit)

A secondary employment (Nebenbeschäftigung) is an additional employment contract outside the University of Innsbruck with another employer, for example for teaching at another university or, in the case of part-time contracts, possibly also a second employment contract at another university. Concerns mainly scientific staff in the area of teaching positions at other universities or universities of applied sciences.
Link to information and to the form of the Human Resources Department for secondary employment (Nebenbeschäftigung):
https://community.uibk.ac.at/uniwiki/index.php?title=Nebenbesch%C3%A4ftigung_-_Definition_-_Antrag_-_Rechtliche_Grundlagen

A secondary activity (Nebentätigkeit) is an additional employment with the same employer, i.e. the University of Innsbruck: for example an additional employment at another department, additional hours for a third-party funded project, etc. (mainly concerns the general staff or student employees).
Link to information and to the form of the Human Resources Department for secondary activities (Nebentätigkeiten):
https://community.uibk.ac.at/uniwiki/index.php?title=Nebent%C3%A4tigkeit

Information on the reimbursement of expenses incurred in the course of my work

Reimbursement of expenses must always be agreed upon in advance with the department's secretariate or the Dean's Office. Please do not make any purchases yourself before a reimbursement has been agreed upon. There are various tax aspects to consider here.

Procedure for a refund

1. contact the secretary's office of your department or the Dean's Office
2. clarify whether a refund is possible
3. purchase in your own name and for your own account
4. fill out the form for refunds: Link to the form https://www.uibk.ac.at/intranet/finanzabteilung/downloads/refundierungsantrag-d_e-beschreibbar-08_2020.pdf
5. enclose the original invoice as well as the confirmation of payment (credit card statement or bank statement in case of bank transfer)
6. hand in all documents to the secretary's office or to the Dean's Office

What can be refunded?
Within our Web-of-Science funding, expenses for scientific literature, printing costs, translation costs, language editing, computer equipment, etc. can be refunded and reimbursed. Always only after prior consultation with the secretary's office of your department and/or the Dean's Office.

Important information about the amounts / taxes!
Refunds of invoices stated by companies outside Austria are always subject to an additional 20% sales tax in Austria. This additional tax is also charged to your personal Web-of-Science funding amount.