International School of Advanced Studies

MISSIONS & MOBILITY

BEFORE DEPARTURE

Every mission must be agreed and authorised in advance

Discuss the activity with your Supervisor, verify that it is consistent with your doctoral research project and obtain the required approval from the Coordinator of your PhD programme. The mission request must be submitted before departure through the UNICAM Missions Portal.

ESSENTIAL OPERATIONAL GUIDE

Mission guidelines for PhD candidates

Consult the complete guide before submitting a mission request. It explains authorisation, advances, eligible expenses, supporting documents, traceable payments, reimbursement and the use of the UNICAM Missions Portal.

PDF · 26 pages · Updated 23 January 2025

01 · MISSION

Research travel, conferences and short activities

Use the mission procedure for conferences, workshops, laboratory activities, research visits, fieldwork, meetings and other travel connected with your PhD project.

The mission request must be submitted through the portal at least two days before departure. Submitting it earlier is strongly recommended, particularly when an advance, special transport or additional insurance is required.

02 · LONG-TERM MOBILITY

Research periods abroad of at least 30 days

Long-term mobility must be planned with the Supervisor and must comply with the Training and Research Plan, the requirements of the PhD programme and any conditions associated with the scholarship or funded position.

The academic authorisation and the administrative mission procedure are separate steps. Scholarship holders must also apply for the 50% scholarship increase for the authorised period abroad.

Host-institution documentation, scholarship-increase requests and periodic confirmation of the stay are explained on the dedicated mobility page.

01

Agree on the scientific activity

Discuss the destination, purpose, dates and expected results with your Supervisor. The activity must be connected with your doctoral project and training programme.

02

Check the available funds

Verify the available research budget, the correct cost centre and any restrictions connected with your scholarship, project or funding programme.

03

Submit the online request

Enter the destination, purpose, departure and return dates, means of transport, Supervisor, cost centre, PhD cycle and estimated expenses in the Missions Portal.

For foreign destinations, select the relevant foreign-country fields. For non-EU destinations, also complete the insurance information requested by the portal.

04

Wait for authorisation

Do not depart without completing the required procedure. The authorisation is relevant not only for reimbursement but also for the institutional and insurance coverage connected with the activity.

Dates connected with the event

The reimbursable mission period may normally begin no more than one day before and end no more than one day after the event or the activity that justifies the mission.

You may travel earlier or return later for personal or organisational reasons, but expenses other than the eligible travel costs may not be reimbursed for the additional days.

Deadline: submit the advance request at least 10 days before departure.
Maximum amount: up to 75% of the documented or reasonably estimated expenses.
Eligible estimates: travel, meals and accommodation.
Documents: upload bookings, quotations, invoices or other evidence supporting the estimated costs.

At the end of the mission, all supporting documents must be submitted, including those relating to expenses included in the advance request. Any unused or excessive amount must be returned before another advance can be granted.

Public transport

Keep all original tickets and travel documents. Standard train, bus, metro and economy-class air travel may be reimbursed within the applicable rules. For flights, retain both the invoice or ticket and the boarding pass.

Private car

Use of a private car requires prior authorisation in the mission request and activation of the Kasko insurance option in the portal. Keep motorway-toll and parking documents. These expenses may be claimed only by the authorised driver.

Taxi

Taxi use must be justified in the request or reimbursement documentation. The operational guide indicates a maximum of €25 per day for urban taxi expenses, subject to the applicable regulations and supporting documents.

A payment confirmation alone is not enough

For each expense, retain both the fiscal document describing the purchase and the evidence of traceable payment. A card receipt, bank notification or payment-app confirmation cannot replace an invoice, receipt or other valid fiscal document.

Documents must be:
• original, readable and unmodified;
• dated and connected with the authorised mission;
• sufficiently detailed to identify the goods or services purchased;
• attributable to the PhD candidate requesting reimbursement;
• accompanied by proof of a traceable payment method;
• retained and submitted in chronological order.

Daily mission duration

Less than 4 hours: travel expenses only.
From 4 to 8 hours: travel and one meal, up to €40.
More than 8 hours: travel and up to two meals, within the daily limit.

Meals

Up to €80 per day in Italy, within a maximum of three fiscal documents per day. Different limits apply abroad according to the relevant country tables.

Accommodation

Up to €200 per day in Italy for non-luxury accommodation. Different limits apply abroad. For apartment rentals, retain the contract and traceable payment documents identifying the relevant rental period.

Conference and other eligible expenses

The supporting documents may include:
• conference or congress registration invoice;
• certificate of participation;
• poster-printing expenses;
• travel insurance;
• entry visa;
• mandatory vaccinations;
• tickets for activities formally included in the event programme.

01

Complete the reimbursement request online

Open the authorised mission in the portal, enter the expenses and submit the reimbursement request. Indicate any advance already received.

02

Print and sign the generated form

Download the final form produced by the portal and obtain the signatures required by the applicable procedure.

03

Submit the original documents

Deliver or send the original fiscal documents and the corresponding traceable-payment evidence to the SAS Administrative Office. Arrange the documents in chronological order.

04

Close missions without expenses

A completed mission with no expenses to be reimbursed must still be closed in the portal by selecting the appropriate “No expenses / Nessun rimborso” option.

Mission not carried out

Expenses that cannot be recovered may be considered only when the authorised mission was cancelled for exceptional, unforeseeable and documented reasons, such as illness, serious family circumstances, severe weather or sociopolitical events, transport disruption or cancellation of the event.

Lost documents

Lost invoices, receipts or travel documents cannot normally be reimbursed through a self-declaration. Keep the originals carefully throughout the mission.

Additional mission during a period abroad

A separate trip from the existing host location to another destination for a conference, workshop or research activity requires a separate mission procedure. Contact the SAS Office before travelling to obtain the correct form and instructions.

AFTER YOUR RETURN

Consult the complete reimbursement procedure

The dedicated page explains supporting documents, shared expenses, accommodation, conference fees, original receipts and submission to the SAS Administrative Office.

Open the UNICAM Missions Portal →

Open the complete mission guidelines (PDF) →

Reimbursement procedure →

Long-term mobility abroad →

Research budget & missions →

CONTACTS AND SUPPORT

Ask before travelling when your case is unclear

Contact the SAS Administrative Office before departure when the mission involves special transport, shared expenses, a period already being spent abroad, an advance, non-EU insurance or funding conditions that are not covered by the standard procedure.

Missions, reimbursements and research budget:
manuela.verdolini@unicam.it

General PhD information:
dottorato@unicam.it