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NIH
Policy for Foreign Travel on NIH Grants
Posted July 2002
Foreign travel is defined as any travel
outside of Canada and the United States (U.S.) and its territories and possessions.
However, for an organization located outside Canada and the
U.S. and its territories and possessions, foreign travel means
travel outside that country.
What is U.S. flag air carrier service?
U.S. flag air carrier service is service
provided on an air carrier which holds a certificate under
49 U.S.C. 41102 and which service is authorized either by
the carrier's certificate or by exemption or regulation. U.S.
flag air carrier service also includes service provided under
a code share agreement with a foreign air carrier in accordance
with Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations when the ticket,
or documentation for an electronic ticket, identifies the
U.S. flag air carrier's designator code and flight number.
Grantees must comply with the requirement
that U.S.-flag air carriers be used by domestic grantees to
the maximum extent possible when commercial air transportation
is the means of travel between the U.S. and a foreign country
or between foreign countries. This requirement shall not be
influenced by factors of cost, convenience, or personal travel
preference.
In all cases, travel costs are
limited to those allowed by formal organizational policy and,
in the case of air travel, the lowest reasonable commercial
airfares must be used. If the recipient organization has no
formal travel policy, the Federal Travel Regulations issued
by the U.S. General Services Administration, including maximum
per diem and subsistence rates prescribed in those regulations,
shall be used to determine the amount that may be charged
for travel costs. For-profit grantees' allowable travel costs
may not exceed those established by the Federal Travel
Regulations.
This information is available at http://www.gsa.gov.
What are the exceptions to the Fly America Act requirements
apply when I travel between the U.S. and another country?
The exceptions are: (a) If a U.S. flag air carrier offers
nonstop or direct service (no aircraft change) from your origin
to your destination, you must use the U.S. flag air carrier
service unless such use would extend your travel time, including
delay at origin, by 24 hours or more. (b) If a U.S. flag air
carrier does not offer nonstop or direct service (no aircraft
change) between your origin and your destination, you must
use a U.S. flag air carrier on every portion of the route
where it provides service unless, when compared to using a
foreign air carrier, such use would : (1) Increase the number
of aircraft changes you must make outside of the U.S. by 2
or more; or (2) Extend your travel time by at least 6 hours
or more; or (3) Require a connecting time of 4 hours or more
at an overseas interchange point.
What are the exceptions to the Fly America Act requirements
apply when I travel solely outside the U.S., and a U.S. flag
air carrier provides service between my origin and my destination?
You must always use a U.S. flag carrier for such travel,
unless, when compared to using a foreign air carrier, such
use would: (a) Increase the number of aircraft changes you
must make en route by 2 or more; or (b) Extend your travel
time by 6 hours or more; or (c) Require a connecting time
of 4 hours or more at an overseas interchange point.
Additional information on the
Fly American Act can be found at http://fr.cos.com/cgi-bin/getRec?id=19981113a159.
For more information on NIH policy
concerning travel please go the NIH Grants Policy Statement
at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2001/part_iia_4.htm
and going to the topic "Travel."
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