Each year a Chapter Chair Meeting is held in conjunction with the International Microwave Symposium (IMS), the European Microwave Conference (EuMC), the Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC), and teh Microwaves, Antennas and Propagation Conference (MAPCON). A chapter chair meeting (primarily for chapter chairs living in a particular region) is also sometimes held in conjuction with other conferences including the International Wirless Symposium (IWS), International Microwave and Radar Conference (MIKON), Latin America Microwave Conference (LAMC), Optoelectronics Conference (IMOC) and others. As a Chapter officer, you are invited to these meetings. This is an outstanding opportunity for you to meet Officers of other MTT-S Chapters and MTT AdCom members. Although limited,some travel support to these meetings is available to Chapter officers who cannot attend without additional financial support. A mailing will be sent to you concerning these meetings and the funds prior to each one. Alternatively, contact your MTT-S MGA chair.
POLICY ON TRAVEL ASSISTANCE FOR CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVES TO ATTEND CHAPTER CHAIR MEETING (CCM)
1. Each MTT Chapter may receive financial support up to $2250 per year to send a representative to attend one of the Chapter-Chair meetings held in conjunction with the International Microwave Symposium (IMS), the European Microwave Conference (EuMC), or either the Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC) or the Microwaves Antennas and Propagation Conference (MAPCON) depending on which of the two is offered that year. Additional funding (up to $500) may also be provided for other Regional or country chapter chair meeting attendance but this funding is offered only to those chapters in the Region where the meeting is held. Other special events may also provide travel reimbursement for officer travel. Chapter chairs will be notified of any such special events via email and travel reimbursement for special events will have no impact on other available travel awards.
2. The chapter may get only one $2250 award per year to be used for attending one of the major meetings, not one award for each meeting.
3. A chapter may forgo sending a representative to a major conference (IMS, EuMC, or APMC/MAPCON) chapter chair meeting and attend a regional chapter chair meeting instead, but this choice limits the available reimbursement to $500 instead of $2250 limit.
4. An officer is allowed to use this program more than once, but MTT-S encourages chapters to send different officers each year so that as many volunteers as possible gain from the training. Under no circumstances should a chapter officer use this program more than 3 times. (Note that IEEE MGA policy now limits the term of any chapter chair to 6 years). Chapters are encouraged to send other chapter officers once the Chapter Chair has attended a Chapter Chair Meeting. Volunteers not listed as an officer in the MTT-S chapter directory will not be approved for this program. Chapter officer listings must be updated using the online Chapter Officer reporting form. Only chapter officers of record can be considered for this program.
5. Reimbursement can be provided for air (train, bus, or other appropriate) travel between the officer’s home city and the city where the meeting is held including return, plus three (3) nights lodging (the evening of the meeting, the evening prior to the day of the meeting, and the evening after the day of the meeting). Personal expenses, costs for extended stays, conference registration fees, etc. cannot be included in reimbursement expenses. Qualifying lodging, and home city-to-meeting city transportation expenses will be reimbursed at actual cost. Transportation expenses cannot exceed round-trip, standard economy class air fare between the cities. Similarly, lodging expenses must not exceed the cost of the conference room block lodging for the associated conference or IEEE event where the chapter chair meeting is held. Itemized receipts from the vendor are required for all of these expenses. General receipts that do not itemize expenses will not be accepted and reimbursement cannot be approved for such expenses. It is contemplated that reasonable judgment will be exercised in making expenditures.
Conference registration fees may not be included in the reimbursement allowance.
6. IEEE has changed the reimbursement process to use an online tool named “Concur” instead of using emails. All chapter officers need to check that they can access the Concur tool. Concur shows the status of reimbursements, and also makes it easy to attach receipts. This file shows updated information on reimbursement and how to use Concur. All reimbursements must be in accordance with current IEEE Policy and Procedures for reimbursement of expenses and MTT-S AdCom-approved policy. Please refer to the following documents to make sure that your expense report is consistent with IEEE and MTT-S policy:
IEEE FINANCE OPERATIONS MANUAL (FOM) V.37
http://www.ieee.org/documents/financial_ops_manual.pdf
see FOM.6 – Business Expense Reporting
MTT-S Handbook
Governance Documents
MTT travel policy refers to https://corporate.ieee.org/resources/travel,-medical-and-insurance/ieee-expense-report
Failure to provide an expense report and all required receipts that are completely compatible with IEEE and MTT requirements within 30 days after the meeting could result in rejection of your reimbursement request.
7. Travelers are reminded that this process typically takes about 6 to 8 weeks after filing a complete request for a reimbursement. (Travelers who need their money sooner should contact their local chapters, which may be able to advance them the money. This is, however, a separate agreement between the officer and his/her chapter.)
8. Approval is required in advance of travel taking place. An online form seeking advanced approval is available here. It should be completed at least 2 weeks prior to the meeting that the chapter representative will attend. Pre-travel approval for this program requires that the traveler submit estimated expenses (within the relevant rules and limits) to their Regional Coordinator. Estimated expenses must be submitted when when the pre-travel approval form is completed. Delay in submission may result in the application being refused. It is at the discretion of the MTT-S AdCom whether to provide actual travel tickets and/or accommodation or to reimburse the members expenses.
9. This award is offered each calendar year. Awards cannot be accumulated to increase the amount of reimbursement offered. Chapter officers are encouraged to attend a chapter chair meeting near them in order to preserve MTT budget.
10. The chapter must be active and reporting its activities to the MTT Society to use this program. Acceptable proof of reported meetings can be copies of filed L31 forms or a copy of the Vtools listing of reported activites.
11. The chapter must have filed a list of current Chapter Officers and their contact information in the year that they apply for Travel funds. The Chapter Officer Reporting form can be used for this purpose.
12. The funds available for this purpose may be limited in any given year, and the Membership and Geographic Activities (MGA) Committee, at their absolute discretion, may refuse any application.
13. Only MTT-S Members in good standing, or chapter officers of joint MTT-S chapters at the time of travel, are eligible for this program.