Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants are eligible to receive TFDF funding for one professional development activity every two financial years. Imperial's financial year runs from 1 August to 31 July. An applicant who has already received TFDF funding for an activity within the last two financial years is not eligible to apply again until this period has elapsed.

Applicants must provide a cost breakdown as part of their application, covering the event or conference fee, travel, accommodation, subsistence and any other costs. As all travel and accommodation must be sourced through Egencia, Imperial's preferred Travel Management Company, applicants should obtain their quotes from Egencia before applying, so that the application reflects accurate, compliant costs. These figures form the basis of the amount approved: any increase in costs after approval must be agreed with the Education Office in advance, and costs above the amount approved may not be reimbursed.

Applicants who have not used Egencia before will need to register for an account, which can take 3 to 4 business days to be authorised. Registration is via the Travel Registration for access to Egencia form on ASK Imperial.

No. All accommodation must be booked via Egencia. This is a TFDF-enforced requirement, and costs booked with other suppliers will not be reimbursed.

The only exception is where a conference or seminar organiser has negotiated a specific hotel rate for attendees. In this case, the accommodation may be booked directly with the organiser, provided it is booked at least three months in advance, the "Conference Hotel" expense type is selected when submitting the claim, and, where the negotiated rate is higher than Imperial's standard room rate for that location, pre-approval has been obtained by email from the TFDF administrator.

No. The account code shown in an applicant's acceptance email is for expense claims only; applicants do not have permission to raise a Purchase Order (PO) or Virtual Credit Card (VCC) directly against it.

Purchase Orders and VCCs must instead be raised by the applicant's own department, against the department's cost code. Once this has been done, the applicant or their departmental finance representative should contact the Education Office with the department's cost centre and activity code, and the amount involved, so the funds can be journaled from the TFDF to the department. Even where a PO or VCC is used, the related costs must still be claimed within one month of the activity taking place.

Accommodation and subsistence costs cannot be approved above the maximum rates set out in Imperial's Expenses Policy for the relevant location. Where a cost exceeds the applicable rate, the applicant should provide details of an alternative, compliant rate so the request can be reconsidered.

Applicants can check the applicable rates via:

• UK subsistence rates
• 24-hour meal rate
• Overseas subsistence rates

For accommodation specifically, applicants may also be able to use the conference hotel process (see above), where a conference-negotiated rate above the standard rate can be pre-approved by the TFDF administrator.

Only in exceptional circumstances. Imperial's travel policy requires rail travel in preference to flying for journeys within around five hours of a London terminal, and mainland domestic UK flights are not permitted where the destination can be reached within 5 hours by train.

Flying instead may be justified by exceptional circumstances, such as operational needs, caring responsibilities or wellbeing considerations, but this requires advance agreement from the Education Office.

Applicants must agree any increase in costs with the Education Office in advance. The Education Office cannot guarantee approval for increased costs submitted after the event, and claims above the amount originally approved may not be reimbursed, leaving the applicant responsible for the difference.

Where actual costs are lower than the amount approved, applicants are asked to let the Education Office know, so that records remain accurate and the fund can be managed effectively.

All funding must be claimed within one month of the activity taking place, so that the fund's position remains accurate and up to date. Where this is not possible, applicants must contact the Education Office in advance so the funds can be managed appropriately.

Applicants should also be aware that all expense claims must usually be submitted by mid-July to meet Imperial's financial year-end cutoff, as funds cannot be transferred across financial years. The Education Office will send reminders ahead of this deadline, but it remains the applicant's responsibility to submit claims promptly.

No, travel insurance is not funded through the TFDF. Applicants need to register for travel insurance separately, free of charge, via Imperial's Travel Insurance Registration form.