Per the 09/22/2025 Update from President Christina H. Paxson, Provost Francis J. Doyle III and EVP for Finance and Administration Sarah Latham;

“The campus-wide freezes on hiring, travel and discretionary spending are no longer in effect. Now that individual units have received approval for their expense reductions, the budgets provided to units are considered their official spending authority for FY26. The cost savings the University realized with the temporary freezes now are being achieved by the permanent 2.5% reductions in expenditures across units. That said, some units may choose to maintain their own measures to moderate spending as they prepare for Fiscal Year 2027 planning.”

Please refer to the Update on FY26 Budget Reduction Planning for the full announcement.

^{New Requirements for Faculty and Staff Travel}

^{Brown’s Travel Abroad Insurance Coverage and War Risk Riders}

• The cost of a war risk rider typically ranges from $1,000 to $10,000.
• The exact cost is influenced by factors such as the geopolitical climate, destination, travel duration, and the nature of the traveler’s activities.

• Since these specialized insurance costs are not centrally funded by Brown, travelers must factor them into their individual travel budget.
• Brown-related travel to the Brown High Risk countries listed above will not be approved without a war risk rider.
• Nationals from countries excluded due to war risk are ineligible for war risk riders when traveling to their home country/country of residence. Approval for such travel will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

^{Safety Plan Submission Process}

• When one of the above-listed Brown High Risk Travel countries is added to a traveler’s itinerary, they will be prompted to complete the Safety Plan questions.
• Once a traveler has submitted a travel registration and Safety Plan, it will be routed to GTRAC for review. Final approval of the travel will be made by the traveler’s cognizant dean or unit head.
• Safety Plans must be submitted for review and approval at least four weeks prior to the traveler’s expected departure date, to allow time for review by GTRAC and the traveler’s cognizant dean or unit head and to obtain a war risk rider, as applicable. No travel arrangements should be made until the Safety Plan has been reviewed and approved by the traveler’s cognizant dean or unit head.

^{Legal Assistance for Brown-Related International Travel}

Brown has partnered with immigration law firm Green and Spiegel to provide legal assistance to employees and students who: 

• are non-US citizens, and
• have been approved by their department chair or supervisor for essential, Brown-related international travel.

To learn more, visit Legal Resources for Brown-Related International Travel.

Extension of Freeze on Non-Essential Travel

As academic and administrative units across Brown continue to slow spending amid a budget deficit, and with continued uncertainty around potential financial impacts of federal government actions, we have extended the current freeze on non-essential travel through Sept. 1, 2025. As we noted in our March 13, 2025, message, “New measures to ensure financial sustainability,” travel is an area with significant unrestricted expenses across campus. The implementation of this temporary measure has been an important factor in reducing expenditures.  

“Essential travel” is that which is required to meet contractual obligations, necessary for core operations or research, or where no remote alternative is possible. Unit heads should approve only travel that is truly essential, and generally should not approve new non-essential travel unless it is already fully paid and non-refundable.

We know that this freeze has generated many questions from graduate students seeking to travel for conferences and research, and this March 25 message from Dean Thomas A. Lewis outlines examples of essential travel for PhD and MFA students. Master’s degree students should also follow the guidance provided in that letter, or email masters_studentaffairs@brown.edu with questions. 

Pre-Registration Required for Reimbursement for Brown-Related International Travel 

Effective June 1, advance registration in Brown’s TravelSafe system will be required in order for Brown funds to be paid or reimbursed for Brown-Related international travel. Registration in TravelSafe has consistently been required for any international travel by all individuals or groups traveling on Brown-related business or for Brown-related programs, in accordance with Brown’s Travel Policy. Going forward, a confirmation from TravelSafe must be attached to all reimbursement or funding requests. Registration for domestic travel is also strongly encouraged.

Brown provides all students and employees registered with TravelSafe with access to International SOS, a global travel assistance program offering medical, security, and logistical support. Travelers are encouraged to download the ISOS app before their trip.

Heads and managers of academic and administrative units may request “Department Manager” access in TravelSafe to stay informed about travel activity within their unit. This access, which is available through OIT’s Accounts and Passwords process, helps support planning, risk mitigation and policy compliance.

Requirements for Travel to High-Risk Destinations for Brown-Related Business or Programs 

As a reminder, all students traveling to destinations designated as “Brown High Risk Travel” must submit a Safety Plan to be reviewed by the Global Travel Risk Assessment Committee (GTRAC). Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to submit a Safety Plan when traveling to high-risk areas to ensure preparedness and access to support.

Brown defines high-risk travel destinations as those considered by the U.S. Department of State as a Travel Advisory Level 3 or Level 4, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Travel Health Notice Level 2 or Level 3, and/or those deemed as posing a significant health, safety or security risk to the traveler through advisories from International SOS.

For More Information

All Brown community members preparing for brown-related travel are welcome to consult privately with the Office of Global Travel Operations, Risk & Resilience for pre-departure planning assistance, whether the travel is international or domestic.

For community members traveling internationally for Brown-related business or Brown-related programs, the University maintains a number of additional resources. Additional information is available on the Policies and Procedures page on the Office of Global Travel Operations, Risk & Resilience website, and the Office of Global Engagement’s Status Inquiry FAQs page.