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Funding Guidelines and Reimbursement Requests

Annual Budget Funding Requests

The DDI Alliance is financially self-supported through Membership dues.  Each year, the DDI Executive Board sets an annual budget for Alliance activities.  As part of this budgeting process, the Alliance solicits funding requests from the DDI community.  Anyone may submit a funding request.  Requests should explain the purpose of the request, how it aligns with the Alliance's strategic goals, and include an itemized budget for the funding request. Requests can be emailed to: secretariat [at] ddialliance.org

If requests are related to scientific or technical activities, the DDI Scientific Board will evaluate the request from the perspective of the Alliance Scientific Plan and provide feedback to the Executive Board.  Incoming budget requests related to scientific or technical activities will be prioritized according to their level of importance, and a reasoning with pros and cons for each evaluation will be made available, for the purpose of clarity and transparency.

The Executive Board approves the annual budget after the DDI annual meetings.  Approved funding requests must be spent out by the end of the fiscal year (June).  If funds are not spent by the end of the fiscal year, they return to the Alliance reserves.  If a carryover of funding is needed, the project must submit a request to the Executive Board to spend the funds in the next fiscal year.

Funded projects will submit a final report to the Executive Board by May 1 outlining primary results, challenges, sustainability, and future plans (see final report template) .

Travel Requests

For some DDI projects and events, it may be necessary to pay for attendees' travel-related expenses to ensure successful outcomes. In these cases, individuals requesting support from the DDI Alliance should complete a request for funding. The following guidelines apply in these circumstances.

  1. The individual requesting funding must possess relevant expertise and experience that will push the project forward. This might include unique technical skills that few people have and that are essential for the meeting or activity. It could also include subject matter expertise and/or institutional knowledge particular to a domain. Examples: RDF skills, modeling skills, expertise in questionnaire development.
  2. Individuals attending DDI Alliance meetings/activities should aim to be self-funded. However, to ensure that DDI projects are able to be completed on time and to the required quality, funding may be provided to approved individuals as a last resort, subject to available Alliance budget. Individuals should not seek DDI Alliance funding if other funding is available.
  3. Requests for support are reviewed by the DDI Executive Board and will be granted if a majority of DDI Executive Board members approve the request.  If travel requests were approved as part of the annual budget funding requests, no further Executive Board review is required.
  4. Funding will cover travel to the meeting/event, and/or travel allowance (including accommodation costs). Individuals supported by the Alliance should make every effort to find the least expensive economy-class airfares and accommodations. Reimbursement of salaries to the individual’s employer will occur in exceptional circumstances only.  For questions about reimbursable and non-reimbursable expenses for travel, please see this summary.
  5. Be sure to keep itemized receipts for all expenses.

Submitting Reimbursements

Requests for reimbursement should be emailed to: secretariat [at] ddialliance.org. Reimbursements are processed by the University of Michigan, which may request additional information from the applicant.

  • For travel expenses:
    • Itemized receipts for all expenses must be submitted for reimbursement within 45 days of incurring the expense (30 days is preferred).
    • Please electronically sign (e-signature is required; a typed name will not work) and email a Travel and Business Hosting Expense Form (Guest/Student) alongside PDFs of the itemized receipts (you do not need to complete the shortcode, account, or chartfield values in the form).  You can also physically sign a printed version of the form and submit that as a PDF.
    • Reimbursements require a University of Michigan Shared Services supplier number.  If you do not already have a supplier number (or if you are unsure your supplier number), please let us know in the reimbursement request email and include your full legal name and telephone number, as well as your nationality (e.g., "U.S. citizen").  University of Michigan Shared Services will send you a link to an online portal to complete the application for a supplier number.
  • For consulting work:
    • Consulting work must first be authorized by the DDI Alliance Secretariat.
    • Depending on the nature of work, consulting work may be processed by the University of Michigan Procurement Services.
    • When submitting the reimbursement, please include: 1) the original proposal with a detailed breakdown of the expected work, 2) a comprehensive description of the actual work completed, 3) confirmation from the funding recipient group that the work has been satisfactorily accomplished, and 4) an invoice for the completed work.