ARCHIVED – CIHR Travel Expenses Reimbursement Guidelines: Rates effective July 1, 2017 to September 30, 2017

Rates effective July 1, 2017

The purpose of this document is to provide information and assistance to individuals claiming reimbursement for expenses incurred while traveling on approved CIHR business, including (but not necessarily limited to):

• CIHR Employees
• Governing Council and Standing Committee Members
• Peer Review Committee Members

Policy

For additional information, please refer to the CIHR Travel Policy.

Form

• Travel Expense Claim Form (for other than Government Employees) [ PDF (518 KB) ]

  In the event that you have trouble accessing an on-line PDF file found on this website, you can simply save a copy to your computer's hard drive or network. Position the cursor on the PDF link, click the right mouse button and choose "Save file as." Once the PDF is saved, you should then be able to access it.

  Note: If you cannot access this form in PDF format and wish to obtain hard copies by regular mail please contact Accounting Operations (coordinates at the bottom of this page).

1. Mode of transportation

Air:

For air travel within Canada and the United States with an overnight stay, economy class will be used. For international flights with more than nine (9) hours airtime, upgrade to business class air travel will be permitted. Nine (9) hours airtime is continuous air travel starting at the scheduled departure time and ending with the arrival at destination (including stop over for flight transfer).

Note: For non-government employees, when airfares booked through Vision Travel Solutions and charged to CIHR, airfare receipts, or a copy of the electronic ticket must be returned to CIHR, for audit purposes.

Rail:

VIA 1 (business class) travel is permitted within the Montreal/Toronto/Windsor corridor. For longer trips, VIA 1 is still permitted with roomette or equivalent accommodation being provided for overnight travel.

Privately owned vehicles:

The kilometric rate payable, when a Canadian registered vehicle is driven on government business travel in more than one province or in the USA, shall be the rate applicable to the province or territory of registration of the vehicle.

The rates payable, by province or territory, as per the Treasury Board travel directive, are as follows:

Distance limits:

In the interests of safe driving, employees shall not be expected to drive more than:

• 250 kilometres after having worked a full day
• 350 kilometres after having worked one-half day
• 500 kilometres on any day when the employee has not worked

In any case, the maximum for all expenses while travelling by car, including accommodation and meals, should not exceed the equivalent of economy class air travel plus normal ground transportation costs.

Liability:

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research shall not be held responsible for any accidents, injury or death to persons or damage to property arising from use of a private motor vehicle. Refer to Part IV of the CIHR Travel Policy in the event that an employee becomes ill, is injured or dies while travelling on government business.

Rental car:

The use of rental vehicles may be authorized where, in the opinion of the CIHR, this method of travel is economical and practical. Reimbursement shall include the costs of insurance paid to the car rental agents for releases of liability when a travel card is not used. Note that when using the Bank of Montreal government travel card issued by CIHR, the insurance is automatically covered by the card. The standard for rental vehicles is mid-size. Rental vehicles beyond the standard shall be authorized based upon factors such as, but not limited to safety, the needs of the traveler and the bulk or weight of goods transported.

Taxi:

Receipts are required for cash payments where the charges exceed $12.00. Specific details (i.e. trip from address to address) must be recorded on the travel claim.

Parking:

Receipts are required for parking charges above $12.00. Parking charges shall be reimbursed where it is practical and economical to leave a private vehicle at the public carrier's terminal during the period of absence.

2. Accommodation

Commercial accommodation:

As a rule, when CIHR is the organizer of the event, accommodation arrangements will be made on behalf of the traveller. In these cases, CIHR will pay the basic room charges plus taxes directly to the hotel and other expenses will be charged directly to the traveller. The reimbursement of those expenses will be done through the travel expense claim process. In any other cases, the traveller will pay the hotel directly for all charges and get reimbursed through the travel expense claim process.

Private accommodation:

Private non-commercial accommodation is encouraged. A traveller who makes arrangements for private non-commercial sleeping accommodation will be reimbursed $50.00 per night.

3. Meals and incidental allowances

One day trip (i.e. same day return):

Meals, only, are allowed as follows:

• Breakfast: $17.15
• Lunch: $18.05
• Dinner: $45.95
• (Meal allowance total: $81.15)

Trips of two or more days (i.e. overnight, with accommodation - CIHR employees only):

In addition to the applicable meals shown above, an allowance of $17.30 per day may be claimed by employees to cover incidental expenses, such as tips, dry cleaning, long distance calls for a total allowance per day of $98.45. See definition of incidentals in Definitions in the CIHR Travel Policy.

Note:

1. When meals are provided on board aircraft, by CIHR or by others, allowances will not be paid to the traveler.
2. Meals and incidental allowances in the United States of America are the same as in Canada, but paid in US funds.

4. Telephone calls

Personal communication is included in the incidental expense allowance. For International trips of more than 3 consecutive days, a traveller can claim a 10 minute phone call home per day. If satellite communication is used, traveller could claim only 5 minutes phone call home per day. In order to be reimbursed, traveller must provide a receipt.

Note: Employees provided with international telephone card privileges shall not claim the cost of the phone call home.

It is recommended to use the corporate calling cards for business related calls, either local or long-distance. Should a traveller not use corporate calling cards, those expenses can be claimed as part of your travel expenses.

5. Preparation of account

The following expenses shall be supported by receipts or other appropriate documents:

• All commercial transportation tickets (Itinerary for air travel)
• Hotel receipts when accommodation has not been paid directly by CIHR
• Car rentals, including insurance coverage when applicable
• Taxis, where the charge exceeds $12.00
• Parking, where the charge exceeds $12.00 (except charges for meters)

The original copy of the Travel Expenses Claim Form (for other than government employees), signed by the claimant, together with supporting receipts, are to be forwarded to:

Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Resource, Planning and Management Portfolio
Financial Operations
160 Elgin Street, 8th floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9

Additional information, as well as hard copies of the Travel Expense Claim Form, may be obtained from:

Accounting Operations
accountingoperations-operationscomptables@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Date modified:

2017-05-31