International Travel Guidance for Team Leaders

International travel can be a core component of a Bass Connections team’s research experience. Team leaders who plan to bring students on an international field experience should consider the academic and research rationale for this trip, as well as the associated risks. 

All students traveling internationally with teams must sign a participation agreement to be eligible to travel. Undergraduates must also obtain the signature of a parent/guardian. We recommend planning well in advance so that you have time to collect necessary signatures before purchasing flights.

To ensure that Bass Connections projects with embedded travel run smoothly, safely and in accordance with Duke University policies, we ask that team leaders review the requirements below and consult the following guidance. Please contact your Bass Connections theme administrator with questions at any time.  

Pre-Departure Requirements

At least three months prior to your trip, please review and submit this travel form to let us know about your travel plans. This form is designed to collect important details about your team’s travel itinerary, including:

  • Primary contact for travel
  • Full list of travelers
  • Travel dates and locations
  • Key research goals
  • Specific activities to be undertaken in the field
  • Lodging and transportation
  • Access to funds
  • External partners/site-based contacts
  • Potential risks and risk mitigation plans 

The information you share in the form is vital for the preparation of participation agreements for students, and it will help us support you and your students as you prepare for your field experience. If you are not yet sure about the answers to all of these questions, please provide as much information as you can so that we can work with you as your team refines its plan. Once we receive your form, your theme administrator will reach out to you to help you assess risk and gather final travel details. 

Travel Preparation and Planning

1. Create a detailed itinerary for your trip. 

Your itinerary, which should be shared with all faculty, students and staff going on the trip, should include details such as:

  • Pre-departure orientation and planning meetings
  • When and where you are traveling
  • Who will be traveling with the group and when (including when faculty/staff/graduate student leaders will/will not be with the group)
  • Research goals and key activities the group will be undertaking
  • Information about accommodations, transportation, and meals (including how students will get to/from the airport and how they will travel to site locations while in-country)
  • A list of external partners/collaborators the team will work with in the field
  • Project-sponsored activities and excursions
  • Large periods of “free time” and any restrictions on student activity during this period
  • Risks associated with travel and team activities, as well as a list of risk mitigation strategies (e.g., buddy system, curfew, observance of cultural norms)

2. Consult travel resources and assess risk.

Assess and communicate to students the health and security profile of the region. Be prepared to manage unexpected situations and emergencies if they arise. Considerations include:

  • Physical health risks (e.g., infectious diseases (including COVID-19) and their modes of transmission, food and water safety)
  • Mental health risks (e.g., stress, culture shock)
  • Climate and environmental challenges (e.g., air pollution and common allergens, heat/flooding/storms, natural disasters)
  • Personal and group security (e.g., crime)
  • Local laws and cultural norms

Consult the following resources to learn about location-specific risks:

3. Review and submit your travel form to Bass Connections.

All teams planning international travel must submit this travel form at least three months prior to their trip. This form is designed to collect important details about your team’s travel itinerary and is vital for the preparation of participation agreements for students. The information you share will also help us support you and your students as you prepare for your field experience.

It is okay if you're not sure about the answers to all the questions to the form at the date of submission, but please provide as much information as you can so that we can work with you as your team refines its plan. Once we receive your form, your theme administrator will reach out to you to help you assess risk and gather final travel details. 

    4. Consider how you will manage your team’s finances in the field.

    Work with your theme and financial managers, well in advance, to determine the best way to cover student travel expenses and other trip expenses. Consider how you will access cash in the field and ensure that students understand how/when they will be able to access banking resources, as well as what expenses are covered by the program. (Please do not ask students to incur up-front or out-of-pocket costs for travel expenses that will be covered by your team.)

    5. Ensure students sign their Bass Connections participation agreement.

    All traveling students are required to electronically sign the Bass Connections participation agreement, which outlines policies for student participation. Undergraduates are also requires to obtain the signature of a parent/guardian. Participation agreements will be issued to students by a member of Bass Connections staff. Students must complete their participation agreement to be eligible to travel. Once signed, Bass Connections will keep this agreement on file. Students (and their parent/guardian) will also receive a copy for their records.

    Your theme administrator will share this agreement with you upon request.

    6. Create a pre-departure and on-site orientation plan.

    Create a plan for orienting students, both before departure and while you’re in the field. Students should understand and be able to articulate your team’s research goals and procedures, the trip itinerary, behavioral expectations, guidelines for collaborating with research partners, safety measures, and health precautions (including required immunizations), as well as the customs and cultural expectations particular to your travel location.

      7. Create a plan for emergencies.

      Set up a communication plan that can be initiated in case of a crisis.

      • Record the Office of Global Health and Safety's emergency phone number (click the button for "Guidance for Programs in the Field," and then consult the document titled "Guidance - Contacting OGHS (Emergency)").
      • Gather and share cell phone numbers and emergency contact information for all traveling faculty, staff and students, as well as key contacts back at Duke.
      • Identify and distribute phone numbers for local emergency services.
      • Designate primary and secondary meeting places in case of an emergency.
      • Always carry ISOS cards and a means of communication.

      8. Assess internet connectivity and data management in the field.

      Consider technical and logistical details such as internet connectivity and data management and security. For information on connectivity or protecting/transporting research materials, consult the Global IT Checklist from OIT, and check in with Duke’s Office of Export Controls.

      9. Register your trip with Duke Travel Registry.

      All students, faculty and staff are required to register international travel with the Duke Travel Registry. When an emergency occurs outside the United States, Duke uses the Travel Registry to identify individuals who might be in the affected location and determine if/how to provide assistance.

        10. Print and pack your International SOS (ISOS) card.

        ISOS provides all Duke faculty, students and staff with international medical, security and travel assistance. You should familiarize yourself with their services, download the free assistance app, and keep your ISOS contact card with you at all times.

        Sample Pre-Departure Checklist for Students

        • Locate your passport and get a travel visa, if applicable.
        • Visit the Student Health International Travel Clinic to get any required vaccinations.
        • Participate in all pre-departure meetings and trainings required by your team leader.
        • Review and e-sign your Bass Connections Participation Agreement (to be provided to you by Bass Connections); if you are an undergraduate student, make sure you obtain the signature of a parent/guardian, as well.
        • Register your travel with the Duke Travel Registry.
        • Print and pack your International SOS (ISOS) card and download the free assistance app.