Research and Innovation

Faculty Research Travel Fund

The Faculty Research Travel Fund (FRTF) supports travel for WMU-AAUP bargaining unit faculty to high-caliber professional meetings that promote research, scholarship, and creative activities (Article 34.2.1 of the WMU-AAUP Agreement). FRTF is funded at $300,000 for fiscal year 2026-27 and $450,000 for 2027-28. Pending availability of funds, each bargaining unit faculty member may receive up to $1,350 in 2026-27 for one or two professionally recognized meetings per year, up to that total. FRTF supplements departmental professional development budgets rather than replacing them. FRTF funds do not carry over from one fiscal year to the next, and requests are charged to the fiscal year in which the travel occurs. The current FRTF fund balance is: $238,384.29.

To request FRTF support, faculty submit an FRTF application through InfoReady before their trip, attaching their completed, approved, and signed Travel Authorization form. The application includes a certification by the department chair or director, as required by Article 34.2.1, confirming that the meeting is with a high-caliber professional organization and that the travel promotes the faculty member’s research, scholarship, or creative activities. The chair or director also indicates the faculty member’s role (presenter or attendee) at the meeting and, if any, the department’s contribution toward the trip. ORI will then either earmark the funds or inform the faculty member that no funds remain to support the trip. This system ensures that funds are set aside for that specific person’s travel and can be relied on for use. After traveling, faculty with earmarked funds have 30 days to submit their remaining documents (signed Travel Expense Voucher, conference program, etc.). Once ORI receives these documents, reimbursement will be issued to the faculty member’s department.

Requests are earmarked in the order received, and ORI will post the remaining FRTF balance monthly on this page. Once the remaining balance falls below $100,000, ORI will earmark requests from faculty who have not yet received FRTF support in the current fiscal year only upon receipt. Requests for a second meeting received after that point will be held, and the faculty member will be notified at submission that the request is held. Held requests will be earmarked in the order received from any remaining funds, with a final release of remaining funds to held requests on May 15.

Funding is not unlimited and faculty who do not apply before traveling could be denied FRTF funds. 

Applications for travel reimbursement from FRTF must be submitted via InfoReady and include the following information:

  • Prior to Travel
    • Completed and signed copy of the Travel Authorization form
  • Within 30 Days After Travel
    • Completed, signed and approved copy of the Travel Expense Voucher
    • A copy of the conference or exhibition program cover page showing conference dates
    • F/CC where funds should be reimbursed

Applications that are not completed within the proper timeframes (i.e., prior to travel or more than 30 days after) will not be eligible for reimbursement.

Questions about application procedures can be directed to ORI. Questions regarding reimbursement levels and policy can be directed to your RPC representative.

Purpose

Presenting and publishing papers and exhibits or performances of creative work represent tangible evidence of research, scholarly or creative activities. Therefore, the FRTF is designed to provide financial assistance for bargaining unit faculty to travel to meetings of professional organizations for the express purposes of:

  • Reporting the results of original or applied research.
  • Exhibiting or performing creative works.
  • Attending a meeting/conference/forum of a high-caliber professional organization.

Examples of creative activities funded include:

  • MASQUES for piano and brass quintet performed at a public concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
  • Solo recital, Five Sonorous Inventions, National Association of Music Teachers, National Convention, Dallas, TX.

Eligibility

  • Individuals eligible for travel support are restricted to all those holding board-appointed faculty rank (i.e. members of the bargaining unit) at the time the paper or the creative activity is presented.
  • With no lodging restrictions in terms of number of nights. There are also no limits on meals, but applicants must follow federal guidelines (which are 3 meals per day and the allowable per diem).
  • Virtual conference registration fees are allowable as long all eligibility (part I) items are met. 

Reimbursement conditions

  1. The department chair must certify that the professional organization or forum is a valid/high-caliber event.
  2. Reimbursement will be for the following actual, allowable expenses—up to the annual maximum amount approved by the Research Policies Council (RPC) each September for the current fiscal year.
    • Transportation costs, economy class airfare, and related ground transportation.
    • Meals.
    • Lodging.
    • Conference or exhibition registration fees
    •  Operating in the role of mentor for a student presenter, as verified by the department chair or director
    • If a traditional in-person conference changes format to a teleconference, the registration cost and required fees are eligible for FRTF reimbursement. FRTF will not cover transportation, lodging or per diem for a teleconference.
  3. Applications must be submitted before travel occurs. For trips that span the end of the fiscal year, the start date of the conference will determine what reimbursement cycle it falls into. For instance, a conference that starts on 6/29/2027 would be reimbursed in fiscal year 26-27. A conference that starts on 7/2/2028 the trip would fall into fiscal year 28-29.
  4. Reimbursement will not be made to Funds 24 through 29. If expenditures are made from grant accounts, they are not reimbursable.
  5. All expenditures made through the FRTF must conform to the University’s travel policy. All pre-approvals must be attached.

Applications for travel reimbursement from FRTF must be submitted via InfoReady and include the following:

Before Travel:

  1. Completed and signed copy of the travel authorization form.

After Travel:

  1. Completed, signed and approved copy of the travel expense voucher.
  2. A copy of the conference or exhibition program cover page showing conference dates. 

Questions about eligibility or documentation for a trip should be referred to ovpr-internalfunding@wmich.edu prior to the planned travel.

 

Operation of the fund

The FRTF coordinator ovpr-internalfunding@wmich.edu in the Office of Research and Innovation will administer the research travel fund. The program coordinator will be responsible for the day‐to‐day operation of the fund, in consultation with the faculty liaison. The faculty liaison, who must be a member of the bargaining unit and a member of the Research Policies Council, will be responsible for consulting regularly with the fund coordinator and making recommendations regarding FRTF policies and procedures to Research Policies Council.