WARNING ON FOREIGN BUSINESS TRIPS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS
The Agency for Health Research, based on current enquiries, would like to point out to all beneficiaries of VES support that the total travel costs (accommodation, meals, travel, etc.), including foreign travel, paid for researchers or members of their teams, even in the case of cancelled foreign conferences, etc., cannot be increased according to the VES tender documentation, Article 5.4.3.
We recommend that you always individually consider the necessity of business travel to risky destinations, or seek insurance or other forms of compensation in the event of possible cancellation of the event abroad.
Any travel beyond that specified in the Tender Documents, as well as active participation in conferences that is not documented, is the responsibility of the beneficiary.
To explain an example:
investigator Arrange to attend the conference in January 2020, to be held in April 2020. Pay the conference fee, arrange airfare, accommodation and insurance through the beneficiary. Before the conference, he receives info from the conference organiser that the conference is cancelled or postponed to September 2020. The researcher manages to reschedule the conference fee, but the cancellation fees for airfare and accommodation are 100% (theoretical case, negotiation with the carrier or accommodation provider may lead to a substantial reduction or elimination of the cancellation fee). In September, the conference will take place, investigator will provide proof of active participation in the conference along with the billing, in which case the recipient can apply the cancellation fees as well as the new airfare and accommodation cost. If this active participation is not demonstrated, the cancellation fees cannot be claimed from the funder.