Missions FAQ

FAQ

MISSION OPENING

You must fill out the mission request and send it no later than 10 days before the departure date.
The constraint of 10 days is reduced to 2 in the case of missions for conducting experiments on human volonteers and the Director/Secretary General and their delegates.

To be covered by the assurance during your trips is compulsory to open a mission request even if it is a zero-cost mission or if it is funded by another Institution.

TYPES OF REIMBURSEMENT

The types of reimbursement are:

  • Analytic: in Italy and abroad.
    You must provide a valid receipt for each expense you ask to be reimbursed (see the “Expense documentation guide” below).
  • Flat-rate reimbursement: only abroad.
    It is an amount paid on a completed 24-hour basis (If the trip lasts less than 24 hours, the allowance will be halved). It includes meals, accommodation and urban transports;
  • Flat-rate for food costs only: only abroad.
    It corresponds the 80% of the daily maximum foreseen for meals on the Area in which the mission will be carried out.
    You can find the daily expenditure limits divided by Area on the Annex A on the Mission Rules.
FLAT-RATE REIMBURSEMENT

The flat-rate reimbursement may only be used for trips abroad and it consists of a daily amount given to the person who goes on a mission. The flat-rate reimbursement is a lump sum covering accommodation, meals and local transportation, therefore, no receipts are required for these expenses. Other expenses that may be reimbursed separately are round-trip, visa and health insurance.

The daily flat-rate amount depends on the destination of the trip. The amounts can be found on the Annex A of the Mission Regulation, point 3. SPECIFIC LIMITS ONLY APPLICABLE ABROAD, table b). The daily amount is exempt from taxation up to a limit of €77,47 per day; the part exceeding this limit contributes to the formation of taxable income.


To select the flat-rate request on U-Web:

  • On “Regulation” select “TES – Regolamento di Ateneo”;
  • On “Refund mode” select “Lump sum reimbursement of travel costs only”.
FLAT RATE FOR FOOD COSTS ONLY

You can request, as reimbursement for food expenses only, the payment of a flat rate equal to  the 80% of the amount of competence referred to in Annex A of the Mission Regulations, point 3.II.

Please note that this reimbursement option is available ONLY FOR MISSIONS ABROAD.

This type of reimbursement provides:

  • for meals only, a flat-rate daily reimbursement (which varies depending on the country of destination), which will be taxed for the amount exceeding €51.65 per day;
  • for accommodation, a detailed reimbursement (not taxed);
  • for travel and transportation expenses, a detailed reimbursement (not taxed);
  • for other expenses, a fully taxed detailed reimbursement. "Other expenses" includes, for example, telephone/internet costs.

To open a mission with this option:

  • Select the fund to be used for the mission (your own structure or project);
  • Select regulation “LSMFM - REGOLAMENTO DI ATENEO - LUMP SUM FOR MEAL EXPENSES” ;
  • Select refund mode "Lump sum reimbursement of travel costs only"
LAST YEAR CONTRIBUTION FOR III AND IV PHD STUDENTS (1.000 EURO)

The last year contribution (€1.000) can be used for training needs and for the creation of a network of contacts for subsequent placement. Please remember that the type of reimbursement can be only analytic (not flat refund) and you can't ask prepaid or money in advance on the contribution.

You can ask for it as follows:

If the mission will be paid for the whole amount on the Contribution:

  1. In "Structure Type" select "ALSTR – Different Structure Funds";
  2. In "Paying Structure" select "Scientific Secretariat Office";
  3. In the "Notes" enter "Contribution last years" and proceed normally with the other fields to be filled in.

If the mission will be paid by the Contribution+another fund:
open two separate missions (one with the indication above and one with the other fund)  by flagging "co-funded mission" field on each mission. You can create two identical missions through the "Duplicate" button. Remember to change the amount and the fund on the duplicated mission.

PhD FELLOWSHIP INCREASE

You can ask for an increase in the PhD fellowship if you are a SISSA PhD student going on mission abroad for at least 14 days by explicitly indicating it in the mission opening form.

You can ask for it:

If the mission has only the grant increase request without any eligible expense:

  1. Select “Mission without expenses”;
  2. Write on the “notes” that you ask for the grant increase;
  3. Write to areamission@sissa.it to start the approval iter on the Area Council.

If the mission has other expenses (travel, visa, insurance):

  1. Select the fund you will use for such expenses;
  2. Write on the “notes” that you ask for the grant increase;
  3. On “expenses with estimate” list the foreseen expenses;
  4. Write to areamission@sissa.it to start the approval iter on the Area Council.
ERASMUS+ INTERNSHIP

You have to fill out the mission request form for the internship/research period abroad, even if you are the winner of an Erasmus+ fellowship. For further information, please contact the Student Secretariat - phd@sissa.it.

COST EFFECTIVENESS - TRAVEL

You must provide cost-effectiveness documentation whenever your trip deviates from the standard trip, so when you:

  1. depart from or return to a place different from Trieste (or your workplace if it's not Trieste) or;
  2. depart or return on days different from those strictly necessary for the completion of your activity.

Standard trip: departure/return from/to Trieste (or nearby airports) -or from/to your workplace if it's not Trieste- carried out within the time strictly necessary for the performance of mission activities: arrival the day before the start of the activity and departure the day after, unless the duration of the journey makes it necessary to extend the dates.

How can I demonstrate the cost effectiveness?

Attach to the mission opening request a screenshot of a specifically conducted search (for example on Skyscanner or Trenitalia) entering the data useful to certify the cost of the "standard" trip.

Example 1: I depart from Milan to attend a seminar in London on August 25th (the seminar starts on the 26th). I have to attach the screenshot of flights from Trieste (standard departure location) to London on August 25th.

Example 2: I depart from Trieste on the 23rd (the seminar still starts on the 25th), I take a screenshot of flights/trains for the 24th (standard departure date). 

No other screenshots are needed.

If the cost of the trip you actually bought is higher than the standard trip, you will be reimbursed up to the cost of the estimate. If no cost-effectiveness is provided, SISSA will not proceed with any reimbursement for the non standard trip.

During the suspension, the assurance coverage and other expenses will not be covered by SISSA.

TRIP INTERRUPTION/SUSPENSION - how can I indicate it?

Add a destination for each interruption/suspension and resumption of the trip indicating always the same place.

Example: mission to Milan with departure on 1/1, return on 10/1, and suspension on 9/1:

  • Destination 1#Milan with duration from 1/1 to 8/1;
  • Destination 2#Milan on 9/1 (specify the end time – 23:59) by flagging the suspension;
  • Destination 3#Milan on 10/1.
FUNDS to cover the costs of the mission

After calculating the expenses for the mission, if you are a student, other fellow, collaborator or research staff, ask your reference professor which fund or project to indicate to cover the cost of the mission.

If there is no certainty that mission costs will be fully covered by a third party, an estimate of the costs should be included.

How can I open a mission request on project funds?

When opening the mission, select the name of the Scientific Responsible of the project (PI) and, if you know it, specify the number or acronym that identifies it in the notes; the selected PI will be contacted automatically and will be able to indicate the project to which the cost of the mission will be charged.

MISSION COST CHARGED ON MORE FUNDS - how can I open it?

If a mission must be funded by more funds, you have to submit two separate mission requests by selecting "Co-funded mission" field on each request. You can easily create two identical requests using the "Duplicate" button.

Remember to change the amount and the fund on the duplicated mission.

REGISTRATION FEE FOR EVENTS IN ITALY

If a conference fee is foreseen for an event in Italy, send an e-mail to areamission@sissa.it at least 10 days before the payment deadline. The offices will check if the payment can be done directly by SISSA or not.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP - functional to the mission

To be reimbursed for annual membership fees functional to the mission (e.g. to get a discount on the cost of the registration fee to a conference), write a e-mail addressed to areamission@sissa.it + budget.physics@sissa.it/budget.math@sissa.it/budget.neuro@sissa.it depending on your Area affiliation.

REGISTRATION FEE FOR EVENTS IN TRIESTE

To ask SISSA to proceed with the prepayment of the conference fee, send an e-mail to areamission@sissa.it at least 10 days before the payment deadline. Remember to specify on which fund this expense will be paid and the link of the event.

PRIVATE CAR

Since the private car is a "special mean of transport", it must be authorized during the mission authorization process (see "SPECIAL MEANS OF TRANSPORT" below).

The kilometric allowance is automatically calculated by the system according to the ACI tables. To make this calculation possible, you have to insert the kilometers travelled.

An alternative to the kilometric allowance is the reimbursement of the receipts for fuel.

During the closing mission process, to receive the reimbursement, you have to copy the expense of the private car on the "expenses incurred". The motorway toll can be refunded upon presentation of the single receipt or Telepass account statement. 
Vignettes from Slovenia, Austria or other countries can be refunded upon presentation of the receipt.

TRAVEL TICKETS paid directly by SISSA

If you have to go on a mission - and you are not an external collaborator and you do not intend to use the contribution for PhD students of the third and fourth year for the cost of the trip - you can ask SISSA to book and pay for the trip.

SPECIAL MEANS OF TRANSPORT

You have to expressly justify the use of special means of transport. It must meet, for example, one of the following conditions/criteria:

a) cost-effectiveness (lower cost or the same overall cost demonstrated at the time of the application for authorisation of the mission): 

  1. with respect to the use of ordinary means;
  2. with respect to the overall cost of the mission in terms of savings in accommodation and/or food;

b) proven unavailability of ordinary means;

c) destinations with poor public transport services, or poorly connected in relation to the duration of the journey or the number of public transport to be used;

d) special needs related to health conditions certified by a doctor/health facility;

e) special hourly requirements related to the activity of the mission;

f) transport of materials and instruments essential for the activity of the mission, which cannot be shipped (also for reasons of economy), nor transported by ordinary means of transport;

g) Night transfers for journeys starting or ending between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

MISSION CLOSURE

Remember to always close mission on U-Web once you come back from your mission, even if you do not ask any refund to SISSA.
If before your departure you asked for some prepaid expenses (e.g. air ticket, "registration fee") it is necessary to include them in the list of expenses incurred.

When you insert the expenses incurred on U-Web, indicate the date of use of the service (example: you must enter the date you travelled/flew and not the date you purchased your travel ticket).

DIGITALIZATION EXPENSE RECEIPTS:

Scan all the documents needed for the refund; for missions carried out in the countries listed in the black list (https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-list-of-non-cooperative-jurisdictions/) it is also necessary to give the original paper documents to the offices.

Scan and save analog expenses documents in PDF/A, JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF formats and upload the online procedure. Always keep the original documents until the day you will be reimbursed.

CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE – for students, other scholarship holders, research staff:

In case of participation in conferences/schools/workshops/other events, it is necessary to attach at the end of the mission the certificate of attendance or, in the case of scientific collaboration, a declaration of the reference PI on site for the period of the activities or a declaration of the reference PI in SISSA.

ACCOMMODATION/BOOKING.COM

Documents proving the cost of the overnight stay may also include breakfast, half board or full board.

If the cost of breakfast is not included in the overnight stay, you can ask to be reimbursed for it within the limit for food expenses.

Please note that to obtain a refund for accommodation booked through online platforms (Booking.com), it will be required to present the invoice or receipt issued by the hotel/residence/BnB. The payment confirmation issued by the platform itself will not be sufficient, as it is not a tax document.

NON-REFUNDABLE EXPENSES - Examples

Examples of non-reimbursable expenses:

a) fines and penalties;
b) extra hotel services (e.g. mini bar);
c) luggage storage;
d) credit card fees;
e) airport check-in charges;
f) expenses for additional baggage (in addition to the first in the hold), subject to prior authorization;
g) charges for exceeding the free baggage allowance limits; 
h) expenses for convivial events outside of meals;
i) any other expenditure not strictly related to the mission.

TICKET BOOKLET

If you buy a booklet of tickets for the bus/metro or other ordinary means of transport, you will only be refunded the validated tickets unless it is proven that they are cheaper compared to the purchase of individual tickets.

MISSIONS NOT CARRIED OUT - Cancellation

If no expenses have been incurred before departure, it will be sufficient to cancel the online mission in order to notify the competent Office of the non-performance.

You will be asked to reimburse any advance paid within 15 days from the date on which the mission should have started (see art. 14 of the Mission Regulation).

In case of an authorized mission not carried out for reasons beyond one's control (see art.18 of the Mission Regulation) the expenses incurred and not directly reimbursable by service providers are reimbursable.

MISSIONS ABROAD IN RISK AREAS

If you go on a mission abroad in areas of geo-political and socio-health risk, in the preparation phase of the trip, you are invited to consult the Guidelines for the safety of missions abroad in areas of geo-political and socio-health risk of the staff of the Universities published by the CRUI and the CUCS (Sicurezza nelle missioni all’estero: le Linee guida - CRUI - Conferenza dei Rettori delle Università italiane) and to refer to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) Viaggiare Sicuri.

PROFESSORS ON SABBATICAL YEAR

Professors can go on a mission during their sabbatical as long as it is carried out in the interest of SISSA .

EXTERNAL COLLABORATOR INCLUDED IN FINANCIAL PROJECTS

If you are an employee of a public/private institution or company explicitly included in the research group of a project managed by SISSA, you can request to go on a mission in the interest of SISSA as part of that research project

Reimbursements of trips made in the interest of SISSA by those who are not explicitly included in a research group of a project managed by SISSA or are not employees of public/private institutions or companies (e.g. retired staff, awaiting employment, etc.), are processed through the guest registration system (GRS).