External, local and advances

Travel grants

The general criterion is benefit to the University. The maximum external travel grant, subsistence rates, and vehicle rates are set by Council and are obtainable from the Faculty Representative or the Secretary of the Research Board.

External travel

The External Travel Vote finances travel by members of staff outside Zimbabwe for conferences, research field trips, visits to archives, libraries and laboratories, and research visits to other organisations.

Who may apply

Full-time permanent academic staff, and full-time temporary academic staff in their second or subsequent year of service.
Approval for full-time academic staff is at the discretion of the Research Board.
Research Fellows may apply through a full-time academic member of staff after one year of service.
No member of staff receives an external travel grant during the first year of service, except senior academic staff who joined from another university or research institute.
External travel by non-academic staff is normally only at the request of the Chairperson, with special benefit to the University confirmed by the Vice Chancellor, the Dean, or the appropriate officer.
A member of staff whose resignation (as opposed to normal retirement) has been accepted is not normally eligible.

What the Board looks for

Research trips: the same test as a research grant — a distinct contribution by new facts, originality and scholarship, or patentable products — and the project cannot be completed without the travel.
Visits to archives, libraries, laboratories or other centres: the visit is not already provided for by a contact visit or sabbatical leave.
Conferences, symposia and workshops: the applicant will present a paper, orally or by poster, or chair a session. Documentary evidence from the organisers goes to the Secretary via the Faculty Representative. Registration fees and airport departure taxes are legitimate charges.
For a grant above one-third of the maximum, the Board expects at least two of these: the visit is in the applicant’s special field; the applicant is a research worker of repute as shown by published work; the applicant has been invited to chair a session; a paper or poster has been officially accepted; the applicant will visit other centres of particular benefit to the University; or the University authorities require the visit.

The grant is the reasonable and necessary cost of the visit: normally the cheapest combination of airfares (preferably excursion or apex) and subsistence. The vote is modest, and substantial amounts at frequent intervals should not be expected.

Each applicant submits written quotations from at least two travel agents or airlines, each showing apex and excursion fares. If the lowest quotation is not chosen, the application gives the reasons.

Grants are awarded in Zimbabwe dollars. The grantee applies for authority to buy foreign currency. Submit that application to the Bursar’s Office in good time. It normally needs a minimum of two weeks. Liaise with the Assistant Bursar.

Contact visits and sabbatical leave

Applications are subject to the same rules. They should normally be for a purpose outside the contact or sabbatical programme, such as a conference at some distance from the base. Extending a visit or leave, or spending it further away, needs evidence of special benefit to the University from the Department Chairperson (or the Dean, if the applicant is a Chairperson), confirmed by the Vice Chancellor. A conference during a contact visit should be arranged inside the contact-visit period so subsistence comes from the normal allowance. Only in exceptional circumstances will the Board finance an extension beyond the 28 to 35 day period. Extra fare that cannot be met from the normal contact-visit fare allowance can be charged to the External Travel Vote.

Travel agents have advised that purchase orders for air tickets should be submitted 21 days before travel.

Local travel and subsistence

Where there is a flight, air travel should be used instead of driving.
Where there is no flight, staff may use their own transport or hire University vehicles. Charge-out rates for University vehicles and boats, and reimbursement for private vehicles, are set by Council.
Local subsistence rates approved by Council are obtainable from the Faculty Representative or the Secretary.

Foreign currency

An application that will lead to importing goods states the Zimbabwe dollar equivalent, with an estimate of shipping costs and duty.
A Research Board grant does not imply priority or a specific foreign-currency allocation. Foreign currency is sought through Faculty channels in the usual way.
Foreign currency for conference subsistence and registration fees is covered under external travel grants.

Travel and other advances

Advances are made only to the staff member in whose name the Board granted the funds. They are not made to research students or to any person who is not full-time staff of MSUAS.
The advance is accounted for within 7 days of the expenditure, or at the latest within 60 days of the date of the cheque.
If no expenses form reaches the Bursar within 60 days, the amount is deducted from monies due to the employee, without further reference. The grantee signs an acknowledgement when collecting the cheque.
Advance cheques are collected from the Cashier’s office by the grantee, because that acknowledgement must be signed.

Appendix. Meeting dates are in the University diary. Block allocation figures, the Chairperson’s action ceiling, student research assistant pay, the maximum external travel grant, subsistence rates, and vehicle rates are current figures held by the Faculty Representative or the Secretary of the Research Board (Assistant Bursar).