To help you prepare your international collaboration within the framework of the TUM Global Incentive Fund, you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions here. Should you not find the needed information on this page, please feel free to contact us at any time.
What do I need to do first?
The first important step is to return the signed Funding Agreement within 2 weeks of receiving the approval email. You can upload it in your Online Portal (in the section “My Applications” - Show Details - Start - Funding Agreement).
Then you can start planning your collaboration, taking into account the constraints of the program (what can be reimbursed and how). Please inform us in writing of any budget or schedule changes.
- Funding period: one year to implement the activities and incure the costs related to the project.
- Deadline for the final report: no later than four weeks after the end of the funding period (Online Portal: "Applications"/Projekt:"View Details"/"Report").
- Application for reimbursement: no later than six months after the end of the project activities. And costs incurred must in principle be claimed by the end of the financial year (Online Portal: "Applications"/Projekt:"View Details"/"Reimbursement request").
In addition to the reimbursement procedure, the TUM host must submit a report at the end of the funding period within a maximum of 4 weeks. This is a short summary of the activities and the results achieved, with the possibility to submit feedback or suggestions for improvement.
For projects approved under the Winter 2023 call for proposals: Please go on the Online Portal, in the Applications section, click on "Show Details" for your project and complete the Report form.
For previous projects: Please use this Report Template (PDF, 75 KB) and send the completed report to globalfunds(at)tum.de (the scanned version is sufficient).
How do I get the grant?
- The project is funded by reimbursing costs (either to the TUM chair or directly to a project member)
- Advance payments and the payment of lump sums are not possible (the chair must pay and then request a transfer)
- Only activities actually carried out are eligible for reimbursement
- If the project costs are below the approved maximum amount, only the actual costs incurred will be reimbursed
- The costs must be directly related to the objectives/purposes described in the submitted application. If there is no obvious connection, a written explanation is required
To ensure efficiency in the treatment of all requests, please first send all new requests for reimbursement digitally.
- Since projects approved under the Winter 2023 Call for Proposals: Please go to the Online-Portal, click on "Show Details" for your project in the Applications section and complete the Reimbursement form.
- For previous projects: Please send the request via email to: globalfund(at)tum.de.
All approved requests can then be sent per post to Camille Piton.
Camille Piton TUM Global & Alumni Technical University of Munich Arcisstraße 21 80333 München |
1. For costs paid by the TUM Chair:
- Kassenanordnung MU 65 completed* - Example (PDF, 250 KB), Exception: Rechts der Isar Hospital; a call for funds must be filed
- All copies from invoices / tickets
- Proof of payment (SAP statement (PDF, 300 KB) and if applicable: bank statement from the original payer)
- For external project members visiting TUM: Tax declaration (PDF, 510 KB) completed (example)
2. For costs paid directly by a project member:
- Reimbursement form (PDF, 162 KB) completed
- All original invoices / tickets*
- Proof of payment (example of bank statement)
- For external project members visiting TUM: Tax declaration (PDF, 510 KB) (example)
- Only for external project members with a residence in Germany and/or staying longer than six months: Declaration on Tax Confidentiality (PDF, 400 KB) completed
*Original invoices or tickets (which were not in digital format) and the transfer forms (Kassenanordungen) have to be send by post/internal post.
1. For costs paid directly by the partner university:
- Reimbursement form (PDF, 162 KB) completed by the university (address and bank account of the university)
- Tax declaration (PDF, 510 KB) completed by the university
- All copies from invoices / tickets*
- Proof of payment (university’s bank statement)
2. For costs first paid by the visiting professor and then reimbursed by the partner university:
- Reimbursement form (PDF, 162 KB) completed by the university (address and bank account of the university)
- Tax declaration (PDF, 510 KB) completed by the university
- All copies from invoices / tickets*
- Proof of payment (university’s bank statement + professor’s bank statement)
*For those cases: the university can instead directly create an invoice for TUM.
- In accordance with § 13b of the VAT Act, value added tax for services and work performed in Germany by international entrepreneurs is payable to the tax authority by the recipient of those services (= by TUM), it is the so called “reverse charge”.
- This form is required as soon as TUM covers any costs for the international guest in Germany, not only when it remunerates the visiting scientist for services.
- The main purpose of this form is to determine whether the visiting professor is to be considered self-employed (i.e. "taxable"), in which case VAT must be charged for his or her services, or not (i.e. non-taxable).
- The Tax Declaration refers exclusively to VAT and whether a VATable service has been provided. As a rule, project members do not provide VATable services and are therefore "non-taxable".
- As described, any turnover tax incurred in Germany does not have to be paid by the guest, but by TUM.
- This form has no reference to the guest's tax liability in their home country.
As an example, if the TUM Chair paid for a hotel invoice, as part of a conference where both external guests and TUM employees are invited, we require the following documents:
- Kassenanordnung MU 65 completed* - Example (PDF, 250 KB), Exception: Rechts der Isar Hospital; a call for funds must be filed
- Hotel invoice
- Proof of payment (SAP statement (PDF, 300 KB)
- Event program and list of participants
- For each TUM employee: the approved Application for authorization of a business trip ("Antrag auf Genehmigung einer Dienstreise") or the approved Application for lump sum approval of business trips ("Antrag auf Pauschalgenemigung von Dienstreisen")
And in the event that someone has paid first and the TUM Chair has reimbursed them, we also require:
- Bank statement from the original payer
- When the first payer is an external project member (students which are not employed by TUM would be considered external members): the completed Tax declaration (PDF, 510 KB) (example)
- When the first payer is an external project member with a residence in Germany and/or staying longer than six months: the completed Declaration on Tax Confidentiality (PDF, 400 KB)
Travel expenses
Transport and accommodation can be arranged individually and do not require prior approval by the TUM Global & Alumni Team.
For TUM employees:
- Business trips within the framework of the TUM Global Incentive Fund must be applied for and settled as usual via the central travel cost centre of TUM.
- The TUM business travel regulations and procedures apply. They are explained in the Service Compass.
- After approval of travel expenses by the TUM Central Department, please send us by internal post (to: Camille Piton - HR3), with an Auszahlungsanordnung (PDF; 630 KB) "factually and arithmetically correct" signed, a copy of the complete documentation: applications for approval (PDF; 160 KB) and for reimbursement (PDF; 850 KB), statement of expenses, invoices and proof of payments.
- Please note that when applying for approval for stays abroad of more than three months, you must enter the TUM Global Incentive Fund as funding under point 7 ("Are benefits or allowances from other sources being claimed?"). You hereby inform the TUM Central Office for Travel Expenses that your funding for the stay is secured.
1. For reimbursement of travel expenses with the chair's credit card:
- Proof of payment (Credit card statement)
- Copies of: applications for approval (PDF, 160 KB) and for reimbursement (PDF, 850 KB) , statement of expenses, all invoices
2. If the chair reimburses the travel expenses of a TUM employee (reimbursement) and we are to pay the expenses (rebooking):
- by internal post: Kassenanordnung MU 65 completed* - Example (PDF, 250 KB), Exception: Rechts der Isar Hospital; a call for funds must be filed
- Proof of payment (SAP statement (PDF, 300 KB) and if applicable: bank statement from the original payer)
- Copies of: applications for approval (PDF, 160 KB) and for reimbursement (PDF, 850 KB) , statement of expenses, all invoices
TUM students are considered external members. They do not have to submit documents from TUM employees, but only a completed Declaration on Tax Confidentiality (PDF, 400 KB) when submitting their supporting documents.
For research assistants:
- If the trip is related to employment, it is a business trip and they need the same documentation as a TUM employee.
- If they are participating in the trip as students, with no connection to their employment, they are considered external and must submit a completed Declaration on Tax Confidentiality (PDF, 400 KB) instead.
For external project members:
- In general, the amount of reimbursable travel and accommodation expenses should be in accordance with the TUM Business Travel Regulations (based on the Bavarian Travel Expenses Act). For specific questions, please contact globalfunds(at)tum.de.
- Not covered are: daily allowances, expenses and entertainment costs.
In Germany: Up to 120 € per night in Munich and up to 90 € per night for cities under 300 000 inhabitants. For trips abroad, please refer to the approved list.
Higher costs can be reimbursed if justified (e.g. trade fair prices; Oktoberfest).
In the case of joint accommodation costs of project members and persons from outside the project, the costs are divided per person.
Yes, to conclude a TUM contract for student assistants, please refer to the respective process in the TUM Service Compass.
Important: please send the scanned version of the completed document "Einstellungsvorschlag" (Example from Einstellungs-/Weiterbeschäftigungsantrag für Studierende mit wissenschaftlichen Hilfstätigkeiten) to globalfunds(at)tum.de for entry and approval of cost center, fund number and finance center. The documents will be sent back to the chair to finalize the contract with their responsible contact person in the HR department.
If the chair has already paid a salary and requires a rebooking, please complete this document instead and send it to globalfunds(at)tum.de: Request for rebooking of personnel costs (Example).
Please note: Personnel costs can only be rebooked for contract periods within the same year.
The transfer of employee salaries can also take place on a project basis. For this, please contact globalfunds(at)tum.de early (at least 8 weeks) regarding the correct procedure.
Important: please send the scanned version of the hiring proposal (Einstellungs- oder Weiterbeschäftigungsvorschlag bzw. Umbuchungsantrag) first to globalfunds(at)tum.de for entry and approval of cost center and fund number. The documents will be sent back to the chair to finalize the contract with his responsible contact person in the HR department.
Yes, teaching agreement (Lehrauftrag) can be reimbursed through the Global Incentive Fund if it was indicated in the application.
Please note: the TUM host chair is responsible for applying for a teaching assignment at its TUM department and to provide all necessary documents to the human resources department in order to issue the teaching assignment (see Compass for more information).
Important: please send the orignial version of the settlement of teaching assignment "Abrechnung Lehrauftrag bzw. Lehrvergütung" to us (per Post/internal Post) together with a copy of the learning agreement contract "Vertrag über den Lehrauftrag" for entry of finance details and approval. The documents will then be forwarded to the HR department for booking.
Is the approved budget amount less than the total amount of the teaching assignement? The chair must then pay the entire amount and request a rebooking for the approved portion of the costs.
We can reimburse a keynote speech or a public lecture per-approved with the TUM Host.
in this case, please send:
- the invitation letter (example) from the host chair, stating location, date & time, title of the event and the lecture/speech, and agreed upon honorarium (with the amount in euros)
- the visting professor's invoice to the TUM chair, stating location,date & time, title of the event and the lecture/speech, agreed upon honorarium (with the amount in euros), and bank details
- the completed Tax declaration (PDF, 510 KB) (example)
- for external project members with a residence in Germany, staying longer than six months: the completed Declaration on Tax Confidentiality (PDF, 399 KB)