Funds and expenses

This page includes useful informations for the Ph.D. students on administrative procedures at the University of Pisa. For procedures at the host institution (“sede operativa”), please see the host institution web page.

Available funds

Ph.D. sudents with a scholarship can use the following funds for research activities:

• Budget 20% : it is the 20% of the amount of the scholarship, and it is given 1/3 per year (in late January); the budget not used in a year can be used in the following years.
• Functioning funds: 1.264,01 € una tantum; the amount is assigned once at the first year and it can be spent within the three years.

Ph.D. students without a scholarship (supernumerary) do not have the funds above. All PhD students may use funds of their supervisors at the host institution.

Authorization for purchases, expenses, and trips (missioni)

All expenses (both for students with and without a scholarship) must be authorized by the supervisor and the coordinator of the PhD program. Here the procedure for authorization:

1. Fill the following purchases and expenses form
   • Italian: modulo_spesa_dottorandi_it.docx (DOCX) or modulo_spesa_dottorandi_it.pdf (PDF).
   • English: modulo_spesa_dottorandi_en.docx (DOCX) or modulo_spesa_dottorandi_en.pdf (PDF).
2. Export to PDF, sign it, ask your supervisor to sign it, ask the fund PI to sign it (if applicable).
3. Submit the signed form in PDF to secretariat-ai-society@phd-ai.it;coordinator-ai-society@phd-ai.it cc-ing your supervisor(s).
4. The coordinator will authorize by signing the form and sending it back to you.
5. Attach the form with all signatures to the mission request or to the event registration request (see below).

(Once authorized) Procedure for trips (missioni)

Once authorized, the procedure for trips (“missioni” in Italian) to participate to events (conference, workshops, summer schools, periods abroad, etc.) is managed by a centralized website called UGOV and ruled by University of Pisa. Trips from the host institution (“sede operativa”) to Pisa to participate to events organized by the National PhD in AI (e.g., Welcome Meeting or Summer Schools) are admitted and reimbursable.

Important: you must follow the procedure for trips even if your trip is at zero cost (or it is reimbursed by your host institution) because the procedure covers the insurance for the period:

• UGOV website: https://unipi.u-web.cineca.it
• General must-read information on trips (ITA/ENG) to be read carefully!
• Before the trip, an authorization request must be made on UGOV:
  • Important: the signed purchases and expenses form must be uploaded as an attachment the authorization request
  • Mission request authorization instructions (PDF, ITA/ENG) and authorization tutorial (video, ITA/ENG – April 2023)
  • Maximal reimbursement of meals by country
  • The Italian health insurance for periods abroad extends to some EU countries. For other countries, the mission may account for costs of health insurance. See this discounted tariff for University of Pisa.
• After the trip, a request for reimbursement must be made on UGOV:
  • reimbursement tutorial (video, ITA/ENG – June 2023)
• FAQs: FAQ Missioni (ITA) and FAQ Missions (ENG)
• U-GOV manuals (U-GOV-ENG, U-GOV-IT)
• University of Pisa rules for trips

For any question regarding UGOV and trips, please contact Ramona Serafini (Room 397).

(Once authorized) Procedure for registration to events

The payment of fees for registering to an event (conference, workshop, summer schools, etc.) shall be made by the Department of Computer Science. The procedure takes some time, so it is highly recommended to follow the steps several (at least 5) days before the registration deadline.

If the event is organized in Italy:

1. Complete the form “Modulo autorizzazione pagamenti BONIFICO” [if you used your research budget, the part of the form highlighted in yellow does not have to be completed], deleting the unnecessary parts (i.e: “il/la dott./dott.ssa Rossi” becomes “il dott. Rossi”).
2. Send the form (in Word) to Cristina Mannaioni together with the signed purchases and expenses form and clearly state the registration web page and the registration deadline.
3. You will be contacted to complete the online registration together with the administrative office; the payment will be made in the meanwhile by the department through bank transfer.

If the event is organized outside of Italy:

1. Complete the form “Modulo autorizzazione pagamenti CC” [if you used your research budget, the part of the form highlighted in yellow does not have to be completed], deleting the unnecessary parts (i.e: “il/la dott./dott.ssa Rossi” becomes “il dott. Rossi”).
2. Send the form (in Word) to Cristina Mannaioni (Room 315) together with the signed purchases and expenses form and clearly state the registration web page and the registration deadline.
3. You will be contacted to complete the online registration together with the administrative office; the payment will be made by the department’s credit card. Important: the credit card cannot be used from 25th to the end of the month, thus please start the procedure well in advance to avoid missing the registration deadline.

(Once authorized) Procedure for purchases of equipment and other hw/sw material

If the expense is up to 99,99 € and it is of urgent nature, you can ask for direct cash refunding:

1. Bring the receipt in original and the signed purchases and expenses form to Massimiliano Galli (Room 311).

If the expense exceeds 99,99 €, the purchase shall be made by the Department of Computer Science:

1. Send to Simona Barsotti a detailed description of the hw/sw (including links to online e-commerce).
2. Simona Barsotti will reply with an estimate cost of the purchase obtained by B2G channels.
3. Ask for authorization your supervisor and the coordinator (see purchases and expenses form above).
4. Send the signed authorization to Simona Barsotti, who will make the order.
5. The material arrives at the Department of Computer Science, and it is inventoried (an ID is assigned and a stamp is attached).
6. You will pick up the material from the office of Rita Cantini (Room 316) and bring it to your host institution;

Only in exceptional and motivated cases, at the time of authorization request you can ask the secretariat-ai-society@phd-ai.it;coordinator-ai-society@phd-ai.it to include in the purchases and expenses form the costs for delivering the material from Pisa to your host institution. In such a case: (1) the exact costs of delivering will not be known in advance (because due to e.g., the weight of the equipment, or due to the delivery of the inventory stamp) and thus your funds must be sufficiently high; and (2) you assume the responsibility for any damage that may occur during the delivery: if the equipment is damaged or it is not working, the administration cannot claim the supplier for any guarantee.

At the end of the PhD program, the equipment and hw material must be returned to the Department of Computer Science, because it is inventoried by the University of Pisa.

(Once authorized) Procedure for printing posters

If the expense is up to 99,99 € and it is of urgent nature, you can ask for direct cash refunding:

1. Bring the receipt in original and the signed purchases and expenses form to Massimiliano Galli (Room 311).

Urgent means that the poster is finalized and printed few days (max 1 week) before the conference or even at the conference venue itself.

For non-urgent printing of posters, the procedure is the following:

1. Bring the signed purchases and expenses form to Massimiliano Galli (Room 311), who will sign this order (print a copy and bring it with you) to a local copy shop in Pisa.
2. With the order, go to the local copy shop and print the poster. The local copy shop will counter-sign the order.
3. Return the counter-signed order to Massimiliano Galli (Room 311).

(Once authorized) Procedure for purchases of books

The purchase shall be made by the University Library (Sistema Bibliotecario di Ateneo):

1. Send to Cristina Mannaioni the signed purchases and expenses form and a detailed description of the books (including links to online e-commerce).
2. Cristina Mannaioni will transfer the funds to the University Library, which will make the purchase.
3. The books will arrive at the University Library, and they are inventoried (an ID is assigned and a stamp is attached).
4. The University Library will notify the arrival of the books to you.
5. You can borrow the books from the University Library.