J-PAL North America will pay for all allowable expenses necessary for job-related travel that has been pre-approved by your vertical lead. You should incur travel expenses in keeping with the nature of our work and the duty we have to our funders to use their funds wisely. If you have questions about a certain expense, please ask Sarah Orzalli about it in advance of your travel. While traveling, you should not sacrifice your personal well-being or safety out of concern that travel expenses will not be reimbursed, but you should be prepared to justify why any costs you incurred were necessary for your business travel.
Purchases made for J-PAL North America are exempt from sales tax in many states; please remember to mention MIT's tax-exempt status when making any purchase (if possible). This guide provides information on where MIT has tax-exempt status, and additional forms indicating MIT's status can be found here. Prior to booking a trip, J-PAL NA staff are expected to complete the Travel Request Form, which will alert your manager for approval as well as the Finance team to allow them to provide the most appropriate cost object.