DDA Meeting - Dependent Care Grants

Why does the DDA offer dependent care grants?

The financial burden of child and adult dependent care affects the Division's members. The impact can be so great that it often prevents attendance at meetings, which has detrimental effects for the professional development of those affected as well as the Division-at-large. This is especially true for early career scientists or those at small institutions with limited funding. The Division on Dynamical Astronomy is committed to helping members with dependents attend meetings. Therefore, members may apply to subsidize dependent care services during a meeting, for use either at the meeting location or at home.

Qualifications

Who is eligible to apply?
DDA or affiliate membership at the time of award selection is required. Members must pay for their meeting registration on or before the dependent care application deadline.

Who qualifies as a dependent?
A dependent is defined as 1) a minor who resides with the applicant and for whom the applicant provides primary support, or 2) a disabled person regardless of age who spends at least eight hours per day in the applicant's home and for whom the applicant has responsibility.

Eligible Expenses

Which expenses will be eligible for reimbursement?
Dependent care grants are intended to reimburse the following categories of expenses:

• Airfare for a caregiver (e.g., family member, au pair, nanny, sitter) to fly to the meeting location to assist with dependent care for child(ren) age, elderly, ill, or disabled family members able to travel
• Airfare for child(ren), elderly, ill, or disabled family members traveling to the meeting
• Costs for dependent care at the meeting (e.g., onsite babysitting, daycare or elder care service local to the meeting venue; local custodial child care, elder care, and/or expenses for care of elderly or other family members that the applicant usually provides; or paying for a nanny or other caregiver's labor)
• Costs for additional dependent care at home incurred due to member's absence during the meeting (e.g., caregiver's labor, before and after school or extended day programs, late pick-up fees, day camps that are custodial in nature and not educational, daycare centers, custodial child care / elder care, or expenses for care of elderly or other family members that the applicant usually provides)

Dependent care grants are NOT intended to reimburse the following categories of expenses:

• Childcare, elder care, or dependent care expenses at home that would normally be incurred (e.g., aftercare at school, dependent care that is provided on an on-going basis)
• Meals or groceries for the attendee, dependent(s), or the caregiver while at the meeting location
• Meeting registration
• Other expenses not associated with the additional care or travel of the dependent(s) or caregiver

Application Process

Division members are limited to one (1) dependent care grant per family per meeting. To apply, complete and submit the online form for the meeting that you will attend before the application deadline.

Reimbursement Requests

For Division Meetings:
Reimbursement will be made after all travel is completed. All expenses must be justified with a receipt to claim the award. All receipts must be submitted to the appropriate Division's treasurer within one month of the end of the meeting.