Introduction to the Speaker Expense Reimbursement Program

2019-2020 Distinguished Lecture/Speaker Expense Reimbursement Program Manual

This program allows Student Branches and Professional Sections the opportunity to arrange for a speaker of their choice for a Branch and Section event. The AIAA will cover reasonable speaker travel expenses, provided the Branch or Section adheres to the following guidelines and procedures.

1. The Professional Section or Student Branch contacts the speaker they would like to invite, and they agree upon a tentative date and time for the speaking event.


2. The Professional Section or Student Branch must then obtain authorization from the AIAA Program Administrator before the speaker is confirmed and before any nonrefundable expenses are committed. For authorization, e-mail Emily Springer at  emilys@aiaa.org. 



Provide the following information:

• Section or Branch making request
• Name of the speaker, the speaker’s telephone number, e-mail, and mailing address
• Topic of the lecture or talk
• Date of the event the speaker is requested
3. After approval is secured from the AIAA Program Administrator, the Professional Section or Student Branch may confirm the speaker’s invitation. At this time, travel expenses can be incurred for the speaker’s transportation to the Section or Branch.


4. When the invitation is confirmed, a letter must be sent by the Section or Branch representative confirming the invitation and acceptance. Additionally, a copy of the letter must be sent to the AIAA Program Administrator. These letters may be done electronically.

   
   The letter of invitation must include the following information:

   • Section or Student Branch
   • Location of Event
   • Date of Event
   • Time of Event
   • Section Representative; name, phone, e-mail address
   • The letter of invitation must include a paragraph stating the following:

   “AIAA will be pleased to provide a sliding-scale honoraria for expenses based on mileage traveled. Speakers will need to provide a W-9 and a copy of their airline receipt (if flying) or a Google or Yahoo map showing the distance (if driving) for proof of travel. These items can be sent to Emily Springer at emilys@aiaa.org.” 
   

   
   Lecturers, like the rest of us, are busy people and often cannot schedule as far ahead as requestor might like. The speakers are usually full-time employees of an organization and have very demanding schedules. The appropriate time to contact a lecturer is no more than three months and no less than one month before the requested date of the invitation.
   
   

5. When the AIAA Program Administrator receives the Letter of Invitation, the Distinguished Lecturer Calendar will be updated. The Distinguished Lecturer Calendar is capable of noting all of the information from item 4, and it is capable of having attachments linked to the event should the section have a flyer for the event (see sample calendar listing).
   

Introduction to the Distinguished Lecture Program

2019-2020 Distinguished Lecture/Speaker Expense Reimbursement Program Manual

The Distinguished Lecture Program offers Professional Sections and Student Branches the opportunity to select a speaker from a pre-screened list of speakers who have agreed to participate in this program. The Speakers are often considered experts on a specific topic. Oftentimes these speakers have won national awards.

To arrange for a Distinguished Lecturer for your Section or Branch, please do the following:

1. Review the list of speakers and their topics.

2. Check the Distinguished Lecture Calendar. The calendar is located under My AIAA, My Section. Check the calendar to see if the Distinguished Lecturer is already committed. If the speaker is already booked, the calendar will also note the Section or Branch hosting the lecture. If it is a nearby section or branch, perhaps you can arrange for a visit before or after.

3. The Professional Section or Student Branch contacts the speaker they would like to invite, and they agree upon a tentative date and time for the speaking event.

4. The Professional Section or Student Branch must then obtain authorization from the AIAA Program Administrator before the speaker is confirmed and before any nonrefundable expenses are committed. For authorization, e-mail Emily Springer at emilys@aiaa.org. 

Provide the following information:

• Section or Branch making request
• Name of the speaker
• Date of the event the speaker is requested

5. After approval is secured from the AIAA Program Administrator, the Professional Section or Student Branch may confirm the speaker's invitation. At this time, travel expenses can be incurred for the speaker's transportation to the Section or Branch.

6. When the invitation is confirmed, a letter must be sent by the Section or Branch representative confirming the invitation and acceptance. Additionally, a copy of the letter must be sent to the AIAA Program Administrator.

The letter of invitation must include the following information:

• Section or Student Branch
• Location of Event
• Date of Event
• Time of Event
• Section Representative; name, phone, e-mail address
• The letter of invitation must include a paragraph stating the following:

"AIAA will be pleased to provide a sliding-scale honoraria for expenses based on mileage traveled. Speakers will need to provide a W-9 and a copy of their airline receipt (if flying) or a Google or Yahoo map showing the distance (if driving) for proof of travel. These items can be sent to Emily Springer at emilys@aiaa.org."

Lecturers, like the rest of us, are busy people and often cannot schedule as far ahead as requestor might like. The speakers are usually full-time employees of an organization and have very demanding schedules. The appropriate time to contact a lecturer is no more than three months and no less than one month before the requested date of the invitation.

7. When the AIAA Program Administrator receives the Letter of Invitation, the distinguished Lecturer Calendar will be updated. The Distinguished Lecturer calendar is capable of noting all of the information from item 6, and it is capable of having attachments linked to the event should the section have a flyer for the event (see sample calendar listing).