INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY

NSF will follow the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) operating status announcements and procedures for emergency dismissal and closure for the federal government in the Washington, D. C. area. Please review the OPM website: http://www.opm.gov/status/ or contact the managing program director if you have any questions about panel operating status.

TRAVEL ORDERS

If you are selected to serve on a panel for the Division of Chemistry (CHE), you will be authorized to travel on behalf of NSF, a Federal Government agency. You will receive an email notification with travel guidelines and instructions. This notification is to be used as a substitute for traditional government travel orders. Please take a copy of the email to the airport and to your hotel to ensure that you receive government rates.

COMPENSATION FOR PANELISTS

For situations 1-4, please be advised that NSF is required to issue IRS Form 1099, "Miscellaneous Income," to participants for Federal tax filing purposes when annual total compensation exceeds $600.

1. For participants who are not Federal Government employees and are US citizens or US permanent residents and reside outside the Washington, DC metropolitan area, the allowances for flat rate payments are as follows:
   • $480 for each meeting day and
   • $280 for each travel day

   The flat rate payment covers lodging, meals, parking, local transportation and mileage incurred during the entirety of the trip, and incidental expenses. You do not need to submit receipts to NSF.

2. For participants who are not Federal Government employees and are US citizens or US permanent residents and reside in the Washington-Metropolitan area, which includes 1) Maryland counties of Prince Georges and Montgomery; 2) Virginia counties of Arlington, Loudoun and Fairfax; and 3) cities of Washington, DC, Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax – the allowance for the flat rate payment is as follows:
   • $280 for each meeting day

   The flat rate payment for local participants covers costs associated with driving your personal vehicle or use of the METRO, MARC, or AMTRAK, local mileage expenses, parking, and meals.

3. Participants who participate remotely by telephone or video conference receive the flat rate of $200 for each meeting day.
4. Federal employees and non-US Citizens/non-resident alien (green card holder) are not permitted to receive flat rate compensation from NSF. Instead, NSF will prepare Travel Orders for such panelists who travel to NSF for on-site participation. These panelists are required to submit receipts for all expenses over $75 (hotel, ground travel) on the day of the panel in order to be reimbursed. If receipts are unavailable at the time of the panel, panelists must notify the administrative staff person and submit receipts to NSF within 2 business days following the panel.
5. Federal employees and non-US Citizens/non-resident alien (green card holder) who paricipate remotely by telephone or video conference are not permitted to receive any reimbursement from NSF.

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT GOVERNMENT TRAVEL AT NSF

All travel arrangements must be made through AdTrav Travel. NSF pays for your transportation tickets directly through its approved travel agent, AdTrav Travel. When making your reservation, NSF requires that you supply AdTrav Travel with the Panel/Meeting ID provided in your authorization email. If a Panel/Meeting ID was not provided, please contact the NSF administrative staff person that invited you to participate.

DO NOT PURCHASE YOUR OWN AIR OR RAIL TICKETS!

Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) does not allow NSF to pay for interim, unrelated points of travel. AdTrav Travel can make reservations from any point of origin to NSF and departing to another location. For example, if a panelist from Los Angeles needs to attend a meeting in Chicago after the panel meeting in Washington, they could be authorized by the Program to travel from Los Angeles to NSF to Chicago. It is then the panelist's responsibility to get back to Los Angeles.

AdTrav can make other (unrelated to NSF meeting) ticketing arrangements, but you must pay the difference between the government fare and the fare quoted by AdTrav using your personal credit card. We recommend you call AdTrav directly to make alternate arrangements.

There are two types of airfares available to panelists, government contract (refundable) fares and commercial (non-refundable) fares. Please ask the AdTrav travel agent to check the commercial fare when making your travel reservations. If you are reasonably sure of your flight schedule and there is a substantial difference (greater than $100) between the costs of the different types of fares, please have the agent book the lowest-cost fare.

MAKING TRAVEL RESERVATIONS WITH ADTRAV

Option 1: Make your reservations via FastLane at invited participants on proposal review panels, advisory committees, COVs, and site visits. Next, login using your name, the panel ID, and password provided by the program office and click on "Panelist Travel System." Here you can fill out a reservations worksheet that is transmitted electronically to AdTrav Travel. AdTrav will make your reservations and email you your itinerary. This is the preferred method of making travel reservations. Please note, panel meetings are expected to end by 5:00 p.m. On the final panel day, departure flights should be reserved for 6:00 p.m. or later.

Option 2: Email your travel request to AdTrav Travel at nsfpanel.travel@adtrav.com. Please include the following information in your travel request: name, email address, home address, home and work phone numbers, meeting ID, your departure/return location (train station or airport), and the dates and times of preferred travel.

Option 3: Call AdTrav Travel directly with your request at 855-417-4024. Their office hours are 7:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. AdTrav Travel will ask for your meeting or panel ID. This number should be in the invitational letter sent by the program office.

Airports: AdTrav Travel is instructed to ticket panelists to depart from the closest airport to their place of residence. Panelists normally arrive via Washington Reagan National Airport, although Washington Dulles International Airport is a reasonable alternative.

AdTrav Travel issues electronic tickets three days prior to the travel date. You will receive an email confirmation with an attached electronic invoice. The attached invoice may be used for airport entry. Please note that AdTrav Travel no longer issues paper tickets. If you do not receive your electronic ticket in a timely manner, contact AdTrav Travel directly.

Personal Vehicle: You may elect to drive to the NSF, but only if it is cost effective to the government. If you choose to use a personal vehicle in lieu of an airline or train and if the roundtrip mileage is over 300 miles, the total reimbursement is limited to the normal cost of the government-contracted airfare. If the roundtrip mileage is 300 miles or less, NSF will pay all mileage and tolls incurred. Please contact your NSF administrative contact person for current mileage rates. In order to be reimbursed for your privately owned vehicle (POV) expenses, you must complete a travel information form. This form will be provided at the start of the panel meeting.

Please note that rental cars are not authorized or reimbursable. Additionally, local ground transportation (including parking) will not be reimbursed for any participant (including local participants). All costs associated with ground transportation are already included in your flat rate reimbursement.

Train: AdTrav Travel will provide a round-trip train ticket based on the closest train station to your place of residence. Panelists arrive at Washington's Union Station. Upon arrival at Union Station, you may take a cab or the Metrorail to the National Science Foundation.

Metrorail (Washington's subway system): The National Science Foundation is at the Eisenhower Ave Metro Stop on the Yellow Line in Alexandria, Virginia.

HOTEL INFORMATION

You may make your own hotel arrangements (hotels listed below) or you may choose to contact Nancy Bishop at Accommodations Unlimited. Nancy is very familiar with NSF and is expert at finding availability at special rates - all you need to provide are your dates of travel and a credit card number with the expiration date to guarantee your reservation.

There have been cases that panelists cannot travel to NSF because of family emergency, flight cancellations due to weather, etc. It is important to avoid a prepaid hotel reservation that cannot be cancelled.

Hotels near NSF's location: 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314

Accommodations Unlimited
10521 Judicial Drive, Suite 100
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact: Nancy Bishop
Phone 1: 800-201-4005
Phone 2: 703-385-5680 ext. 15
Fax: 703-385-1848
Email 1: nsf@wedothelegwork.com
Email 2: nancy@wedothelegwork.com
Website: http://www.wedothelegwork.com

Holiday Inn Alexandria - Carlyle
2460 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22314
TEL: 703-960-2000
Reservations: 1-800-972-3159
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/alexandria/axetd/hoteldetail#subpage-content

Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town South at Carlyle
2345 Mill Road
Alexandria, VA 22314
TEL: 703-549-1155
Reservations: 1-888-245-2616
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasra-residence-inn-alexandria-old-town-south-at-carlyle

Westin
400 Courthouse Square
Alexandria, VA 22314
TEL: 703-253-8600
Reservations: 888-837-4210
http://www.westinalexandria.com/en/rooms/traditional

Courtyard Alexandria Old Town/Southwest
2700 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22314
TEL: 703-329-2323
Reservations: 1-888-236-2427
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasal-courtyard-alexandria-old-town-southwest

Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town/Duke Street
1456 Duke Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
TEL: 703-548-5474
Reservations: 1-888-236-2427
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasdk-residence-inn-alexandria-old-town-duke-street

Springhill Suites Alexandria Old Town/Southwest
2950 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22314
TEL: 703-317-0013
Reservations: 1-888-236-2427
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasva-springhill-suites-alexandria-old-town-southwest

Hilton Alexandria Old Town
1767 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
TEL: 703-837-0440
http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/virginia/hilton-alexandria-old-town-DCAOTHF/index.html

Embassy Suites Alexandria Old Town
1900 Diagonal Road
Alexandria, VA 22314
TEL: 703-684-5900
http://embassysuites3.hilton.com/en/hotels/virginia/embassy-suites-by-hilton-alexandria-old-town-WASOTES/about/amenities.html

Hilton Garden Inn Alexandria Old Town
1620 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
TEL: 703-302-8300
http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/virginia/hilton-garden-inn-alexandria-old-town-king-st-metro-DCAOLGI/dining/index.htmll

*These are not the only hotels in the area but rather those that have been working closely with NSF as we transition to our new location in Alexandria. You are not restricted to staying at only these hotels. ASK for the government rate, regardless of where you stay as this is often a cheaper rate.

**Several of these hotels are located near the King St Metro. King St. is one stop away from NSF (Eisenhower Metro stop) on the Yellow Line.

REIMBURSEMENT INFORMATION

You must go to FastLane and submit information required for reimbursement. Information entered in FastLane is transferred to NSF's accounting system. Go to https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov and click on "Panelist Functions", Login and select "Travel and Reimbursement System".

You must register as a participant for the meeting. For each meeting, you must complete the following three steps:

1. Answer the registration questions. The answers to these questions help determine the meeting travel and day rates and also determine which functions of the Travel and Reimbursement System will be open to you for that meeting.
2. Confirm your Social Security Number (only if you answered Yes to the registration question, "Do you have a U.S. Social Security Number?").
3. Submit your personal and banking information

Once the panel is complete, reimbursement is initiated by the program office. Reimbursements are directly deposited via electronic funds transfer into your bank account.

Foreign travelers receive reimbursement via a paper check mailed by the US treasury. Currently, the Federal government cannot process international electronic transactions. However, if a non-US Citizen has a US bank, then reimbursement will take place via electronic funds transfer.

VISITORS ACCESS TO NSF

PANELIST BADGES AND REAL ID ACT:

Panelists should report to the Visitor's Center at the south entrance (located across the street from the Eisenhower Ave Metro Stop) and show a valid photo ID in order to obtain a visitor's badge. The new NSF building will also require panelists to pass through a metal detector and submit their belongings for an x-ray screening. Please plan accordingly to accommodate this additional process.

The Real ID Act has invalidated some state/territorial driver's licenses and other state-issued photos IDs because they do not comply with the minimum security standards for the production and issuance of IDs set by the Real ID Act. Federal agencies, including the NSF, are prohibited from accepting state/territorial identification cards that are non-compliant with the Real ID Act. If you are concerned about the compliance of your ID, please bring an alternative ID (e.g. PASSPORT).

You can check the status of your state/territory at https://www.dhs.gov/current-status-states-territories. If you are from a non-compliant state/territory, you must bring an alternative ID! Alternative Valid IDs include: Passports, PIV card from any government agency, US Military ID card, or US Permanent Resident Card.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES

If you need reasonable accommodation for disability in your travel arrangements or during the panel meeting, please contact the Program Specialist as soon as possible.

Nursing Mothers Suite

This facility is available to panelists and NSF staff. It is in a "staff space", so if you'd like to use it, please contact your Program Officer or Program Specialist so we can arrange access for you.

Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

One Medela Symphony hospital-grade breast pump will be available for use. Be sure to remember to bring your attachment kit for use of the professional breast pump.

Nursing mothers can also feel free to bring their own personal breast pump.