NEW: Does the FWF support sustainable travel?

Yes. If a project requires travel, transportation by train is preferred to travel by air as a contribution to environmental sustainability. If travel by train makes an overnight stay in a hotel necessary, funding can be requested for these additional costs. Funding cannot be requested for first class train tickets. When travelling by air it is strongly recommended to make a carbon offset contribution, which can be requested as part of the travel expenses. A carbon offset contribution can be requested for up to 15% of the ticket price.

It is recommended to choose a carbon offset provider that supports projects that comply with the so-called Gold Standard. The calculation of the amount of a carbon offset compensation contribution for flights can be done, for example, on the website of Climate Austria with the CO2 calculator.

Is there a form for reporting travel expenses?

Yes. The form is intended to help you claim your travel expenses. If your research institution requires you to use forms that are comparable in terms of content or even better suited to the specific travel activity for the project, you can continue to use these forms. However, the FWF project number must appear on this form.

Statement of travel expenses (pdf, 3.34MB)

What information must always be provided when reporting travel expenses?

The statements must clearly identify who travelled where, when and for what purpose. If this is not clear from the research institution’s detailed list of expenses for projects conducted at university research institutions according to the Universities Act 2002 (UG 2002), additional information must be included with the statement (additional list by the principal investigator).

How do I find out how to calculate the travel expenses?

Please ask the finance/human resources department of your research institution for projects running at a research institution subject to the Universities Act 2002 (UG 2002).

Otherwise, the following applies (based on the federal regulations governing travel costs (RGV)):

The domestic rates of the RGV are:
Per diem allowance: €26.40 per day (Rate I), €19.80 per day (Rate II)
Overnight accommodation rate: €15.00

Rate I is used for trips lasting less than 30 days, and Rate II is used for trips starting on day 31.

The per diem allowances for international travel expenses can be downloaded as a PDF document.

Please pay attention to the following breakdown of the rate levels for work-related international travel:
Rate level 1: Non-academic staff
Rate level 2a: Mag./Dr./DI/research grant recipients
Rate level 2b: Academic title: Univ.-Ass./Univ.-Doz.
Rate level 3: Academic title: Univ.-Prof.

Federal Law Gazette on International Travel Rates (pdf, 102KB)

The kilometre allowance rates are:
Kilometre allowance: €0.42
Additional amount for passengers involved in the project: €0.05

The amounts apply for domestic and international travel. The audit department usually does not accept the kilometre allowance for trips along main railway routes but rather the analogous costs of a second-class train ticket. 

Please be aware that no additional costs (such as motorway tolls, motorway tax stickers, parking fees, petrol receipts) may be counted towards your travel expenses. All costs incurred are covered by the lump sum paid per kilometre. Even in the case of small amounts, any expenses mistakenly submitted twice will be reclaimed by the FWF Audit department.

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