Dependent Care Travel Awards

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All qualifying academic senate members who are parents or primary caregivers of a child age 6 years or younger at the time of application are invited to apply for a Dependent Care Travel Award. These awards are designed to subsidize childcare costs associated with travel to a professional conference or research meeting. The awards may also be used for daycare costs incurred during an approved sabbatical leave that requires relocation.

Application

Updates coming soon.

Policies

Funds may be used for:

  • Additional childcare at home or at the conference or research meeting.
    – Proof of payment to childcare provider and affirmation that these care hours are beyond regularly scheduled care are required.
  • Transportation expenses (airfare, rental car, etc.) for childcare provider, either to travel to your home for childcare, or to travel to the conference or research meeting with you to provide childcare.
  • Transportation expenses for child to accompany traveler to conference or research meeting.
  • Food for child and/or childcare provider during conference or research meeting travel.
  • Food for childcare provider if they must travel to provide at-home childcare.
  • Lodging expenses for childcare provider at conference or research meeting.

Funds may NOT be used for:

  • Additional childcare at home or at the conference provided by immediate family members (parents, grandparents, siblings).
  • Additional lodging expenses for spouse at conference or research meeting.
  • Entertainment activities.
  • Alcohol purchases.

Policies:

  • Funds must be used in the manner designated in the application.
  • Deviation from the approved activities and budget must be approved by the UCI Office of Inclusive Excellence prior to travel. Funds which are not used in the manner approved by the UCI Office of Inclusive Excellence will not be disbursed.
  • If you are unable to use the award due to non-travel or other circumstance, the UCI Office of Inclusive Excellence must be notified
    prior to travel dates in order to release funds to other qualifying faculty.
    • Award recipients are expected to attend the meeting or conference as designated in the approved application.
    • Funds will not be disbursed for expenses related to non-travel and/or non-attendance.
  • Funds will be disbursed post-travel, upon receipt of proof of expenses (original, itemized receipts and proof of payment) and a completed Use Report.
  • Submission of expenses and an online Use Report are due within thirty days of travel. Failure to submit reimbursement expenses within 60 days after the close of the award cycle will forfeit the opportunity for the awardee to request reimbursement for that award cycle.

Dependent Care Travel Awards: Call for Applicants

Qualifying senate faculty are invited to apply for an Dependent Care Travel Award when the funding call is open. These awards are designed to subsidize childcare costs associated with travel to a professional conference or a research meeting, or conducting research activity that requires travel. The awards may also be used for daycare costs incurred during an approved sabbatical leave that requires relocation. Calls are subject to any COVID-19 and/or other UCI circumstances that may alter the period covered.

Award

The maximum amount available for each applicant is $1000.00 per funding cycle. An award may be used for after hours care at an alternate location, or travel expenses related to child and childcare provider or other related expenses. Proof of expenses and affirmation that childcare is above and beyond regularly scheduled childcare are required. Note: Funds may not be used to pay immediate family for the care of the qualifying children. In the case of an approved sabbatical leave, an award may be used for daycare expenses. Funding for this type of award is considered taxable by the Internal Revenue Service and the California Franchise Tax Board.

Eligibility

All academic senate members who are parents or primary caregivers of a child age 6 years or younger (at time of application) are eligible to apply. Awardees must be at least 50% primary caregiver. Priority will be given to assistant professors.

Application Requirements

A complete application includes a detailed budget and evidence of future participation in a professional conference, research meeting, or research activity requiring travel.

Review and Selection Process

The UCI Office of Inclusive Excellence will review, evaluate, and select recipients.

Report of Award Use

Thirty days after the completion of travel, each award recipient is required to submit an online use report with itemized expenses and scanned receipts to the UCI Office of Inclusive Excellence. The use report indicates how the award was used and how it contributed toward the individual’s career advancement.

Submit a Use Report for Fall 2023/ Winter 2024 awards

 

Report of Award Use

Thirty days after the completion of travel, each award recipient is required to submit online to the Office of Inclusive Excellence an itemized use report with proof of expenses, indicating how the award was used and how it contributed toward the individual’s career advancement.

  • Click to submit online Use Reports: Fall 2023/ Winter 2024.
  • If you need an invoice template for childcare, please download a copy
  • Submission of expenses and an online Use Report are due within thirty days of travel. Failure to submit reimbursement expenses within 60 days after the close of the award cycle will forfeit the opportunity for the awardee to request reimbursement for that award cycle.
  • If you have any questions about the Use Report, please email Josh Block at jablock@uci.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is a Dependent Care Travel Award?
A. These awards subsidize childcare costs associated with travel to a professional conference, or research meeting, conducting research activity that requires travel, or daycare costs during an approved sabbatical leave.

Q. What is the award to be used for?
A. An award may be used for travel expenses related to child and childcare provider while attending a professional conference or research meeting, or conducting research activity that requires travel such as additional care at home during your absence or at alternate locations such as a professional conference or research meeting, or other related expenses. Note: Funds may not be used to pay immediate family for the care of the qualifying children. They may also be used for daycare costs during an approved sabbatical leave that requires relocation. Award recipients are expected to attend the meeting, conference, or research activity as designated in the approved application. Any deviation from the approved activities and budget must be approved by the UCI Office of Inclusive Excellence prior to travel.

Q. Who is eligible to receive an award?
A. All academic senate members who are parents or primary caregivers of a child age 6 years or younger (at time of application). Awardees must be at least 50% primary caregiver. Priority will be given to assistant professors.

Q. How much are the awards?
A. Up to $1000.00 per applicant per funding cycle. A complete application includes a detailed budget.

Q. Will I have to pay taxes on my award?
A. Yes. Funding of this type is considered taxable by the Internal Revenue Service and the California Franchise Tax Board.

Q. What are the conditions for this award?
A. Completion of application and evidence of future participation in a professional conference, research meeting, or research activity requiring travel. Award recipients are expected to attend the meeting, conference, or research activity as designated in the approved application. Evidence of professional conference or research meeting participation or research activity, report on the use of the award, and itemized proof of expenses are required, as well as affirmations that childcare is above and beyond regularly scheduled childcare. Submission of expenses and an online Use Report are due within thirty days of travel. Failure to submit reimbursement expenses within 60 days after the close of the award cycle will forfeit the opportunity for the awardee to request reimbursement for that award cycle.

Q. Where do I find the application?
A. You may access the online application under the “Application” header on this site.

Q. What is the review and selection process?
A.  The UCI Office of Inclusive Excellence will review, evaluate, and select recipients.

Q. How will the recipients be notified?
A. Recipients will be notified in writing, and announcements will be posted on the UCI Office of Inclusive Excellence website.

Q. Will there be future calls for these awards?
A. Yes, please check back in the future for deadlines and further details.

Q. How do these awards support faculty career advancement?
As a number of studies have shown, balancing work and family remains a persistent challenge for the knowledge and technology workforce, especially at our nation’s leading research universities.  The cost of such dependent care has been shown to inhibit participation which may impair professional visibility as well as networking opportunities at a critical time for pre-tenure faculty.

The Dependent Care Travel Awards Program complements existing “family friendly” resources in support of work-life balance while promoting the career success of all faculty. This program, now funded by the campus, was originally piloted by an Elsevier Foundation New Scholars Grant (2008-2011) to UCI. During the grant period the UCI Program funded 79 awards to enable faculty to attend professional conferences and research meetings.