phd conference travel grants

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Travel funding opportunities.

The Graduate School is pleased to provide research degree students (M.A./M.S., Ph.D., J.S.D., D.M.A., M.F.A.) the opportunity to travel the world to enhance their scholarship. Eligible students are encouraged to apply for grant funding related to professional conferences, research travel, or summer language education.

• Conference Grant
• Research Travel Grant
• Summer Foreign Language Grant

Conference Grant – Application Form (Online)

The Graduate School offers Conference Grant awards of up to $700 to research degree students to attend a professional conference at which they are presenting. Online conference presentations are eligible for a grant of up to $200. Grant amounts are detailed in the  Locations and Awards PDF . See the application form for more information about eligibility requirements and instructions. Conference grants are reviewed by the 9th of the month preceding the month in which the conference occurs, and grants are awarded to eligible students by the 15th of the preceding month. Applications are accepted up to 30 days following the end of the conference date.  

Students are eligible for one conference grant per year and must be within time to degree limits. Masters students are eligible for conference travel grants starting in their first semester until the end of the eighth semester of enrollment.  Ph.D. students are eligible for conference travel grants starting in their first semester until the end of the fourteenth semester of enrollment.

Research Travel Grant – Application Form (Online)

The Graduate School awards grants of up to $2,500 for Ph.D. degree students and $1,000 for master’s degree students for travel that is directly related to dissertation and thesis research, not conference travel. Recipients must be enrolled (full-time or in absentia) in a graduate research degree program (M.A./M.S., M.F.A., D.M.A., J.S.D., or Ph.D.) through the Graduate School and be registered at the time of the award. Master’s degree students up to their eighth semester of study and Ph.D. students up to their 14th semester of study are eligible to apply. (Note that the post-A exam requirement has been waived beginning with Spring 2022 submissions.)

In a typical year, the Graduate School awards 50-65 grants. Applications are due annually on October 1, February 1, and April 1 with a call for applications circulated a month prior to the deadline. Decisions will be announced by the first of the month following the application deadline. For example, decisions will be announced by November 1 for the October 1 deadline. See the application form for more information about eligibility requirements and instructions.

For students managing mental health while away from campus, please visit the Mental Health While Away from Campus page.

Learn more about graduate students who have received travel grants:

• MacKenzie Pierce, Musicology
• Jiai Zhang, Food Science and Technology
• Mariano Sanchez Talanquer, Government
• Kalia Bistolas, Microbiology

Summer Foreign Language Grant – Application Form (Online)

Grants of up to $1,000 are offered to research degree students for summer travel to foreign countries for intensive (non-English) language instruction. See the application form for more information about eligibility requirements and instructions. Applications are due by April 15 with a call for applications occurring a month prior to the deadline.

Important Notification:  To ensure the safety of all Cornell students traveling on university-related activities, students traveling internationally must enter their travel itinerary and contact information into Cornell’s International Travel Registry . In addition, those traveling to high-risk countries must get approval for such travel from the International Travel Advisory and Response team (ITART).

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THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

• Fellowships and Grants
• Internal Fellowships and Grants

Conference Travel Grant

The Conference Travel Grant (CTG) provides funds to assist PhD and MFA students attending virtual (remote) academic/professional conferences or traveling to/attending in-person academic/professional conferences on behalf of Northwestern University.

Applications are accepted on a quarterly basis. The application form for a particular quarter will remain open until the funding cap has been reached and the maximum number of CTGs has been awarded for that period.

• The application portal will open on April 29, 2024 for conferences that begin in June, July or August of 2024.

Applications must be submitted at least one week prior to the conference start date, but students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as funds are limited and there is no guarantee that funding will be available for the entire quarter. Under no circumstances will approval be given retroactively if an application is submitted after the conference has begun.

Funds awarded for travel in the 2023–24 academic year (Fiscal Year 2024) are available for use until August 31, 2024. Funds awarded in the current fiscal year do not carry forward and cannot be used in the next fiscal year (after August 31, 2024).

Eligibility

• Students must be active (not discontinued, graduated, or on leave) in PhD or MFA programs administered by The Graduate School (TGS) and within their degree time limitation at the time of the conference travel . Should students graduate or otherwise depart the University prior to travel and/or expenditure of funds, funds will not be available.
• CTG awards may only be used for voluntary attendance at academic/professional conferences in furtherance of a student’s own academic/career interests. CTG awards may not be requested or used to attend conferences that are required as part of a graduate student’s employment, or to attend courses, trainings, or extended programs.
• Students are eligible for a maximum of two grants , each up to $600/$800 (depending on discipline—see Award information below), over the entire course of their graduate career in The Graduate School and subject to availability of funds.
• A student is eligible to receive only one travel grant award during a fiscal year and cannot have already received a CTG in the current fiscal year.
• Students traveling outside of the United States must adhere to all graduate student travel policies .  Failure to do so could result in revocation of the Conference Travel Grant.
• International Students: F-1 or J-1 students must obtain work authorization before accepting any payment, honorarium, or compensation (such as travel or lodging reimbursements) from external sources outside of Northwestern for conference attendance. Compensation from Northwestern does not require work authorization and is considered on-campus employment. Contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services with questions at [email protected] .
• all PhD programs in the McCormick School of Engineering and Feinberg School of Medicine
• the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences PhD programs of Astronomy, Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Physics, and Plant Biology and Conservation
• the IBiS, Applied Physics, and NUIN interdisciplinary PhD programs
• all PhD programs in the Bienen School of Music, Kellogg School of Management, and School of Education and Social Policy
• all PhD and MFA programs in the School of Communication
• all Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences PhD and MFA programs not listed above
• the Computer Science & Learning Science and Technology & Social Behavior interdisciplinary PhD programs

Awards must be expended prior to the end of the fiscal year in which they are awarded. Expense reimbursement requests not properly submitted and approved by the end of the fiscal year (August 31) cannot be processed

• Expense reports must be submitted within 60 days of the last date of travel (or by August 15, whichever comes first) and include prepaid expenses such as Egencia.  Failure to submit expenses within 60 days of the end of travel will result in cancellation of the award, barring exceptional circumstances.
• Conference registration fees
• Airfare/airline fees at the most reasonable and economical rate. Travel for Northwestern purposes should be booked through a preferred provider.
• Ground transportation: Taxi fares or ride shares (e.g. Uber, Lyft), including tips, are reimbursable where public transportation is not practical. Rail transportation is reimbursed if it does not exceed the cost of the least expensive airfare. Private automobile transportation is reimbursed per mile at a rate set by the University for trips up to 300 miles.
• Meals: Travelers should use reasonably priced restaurants and dining options. Alcohol is never an allowable expense. A p er diem may be used for meals instead of  tracking itemized receipts.
• Commercial rental vehicles: Commercial rental vehicles (economy, compact or subcompact) should be used only when it is impossible to use other forms of ground transportation, and when car rental does not exceed the cost of the least expensive airfare.
• Lodging: Travelers must book standard accommodations in reasonably priced, commercial class hotels, motels, and Airbnbs. Conference site hotels will be reimbursed at the actual cost. To verify the conference site hotel rate, attach the conference literature to the expense report when requesting reimbursement.
• Tolls and parking fees: Tolls and reasonable parking charges will be reimbursed.
• First class, business class, or economy plus airfare
• Airline, hotel room, or car upgrades
• In-flight Wi-Fi
• Books, magazines, newspapers
• Childcare, babysitting, house sitting, pet-sitting (see the  Dependent Care Professional Development Grant  for information on funds for dependent care during conference travel)
• Clothing, gifts, luggage, haircuts, laundry, dry cleaning
• Passports, vaccinations, visas
• Personal entertainment (in-flight movies, headsets, social activities)
• Meals and hotel stay during local (Chicagoland) conferences within a 25 mile radius of Evanston
• Non-refundable fees that result from trip cancellation
• Fees/costs related to attending or traveling to courses, extended programs, trainings , or other meetings/ events that do not fall into the category of professional or academic conference s .
• Other expenses not directly related to traveling to/from and participating in the specific conference for which the CTG was approved

Application instructions

Students must submit a Conference Travel Grant application as outlined in the Deadline information above.

Review process

The Graduate School will review Conference Travel Grant applications within 5 to 10 business days.  Students will receive a notice via email once a decision is reached.  If a Conference Travel Grant is awarded, the student's program will be copied on the email notification.

For more information, please email:   [email protected] .

Travel grants for early career researchers

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UCLA Graduate Programs

UCLA Doctoral Student Travel Grants for Conferences, Professional Development and Off-Campus Research (DTG)

The purpose of the Doctoral Travel Grant (DTG) is to encourage eligible UCLA doctoral students to present their work and network at conferences in their field, to support travel associated with off-campus research and to enable students to take advantage of off-campus professional development opportunities

Eligibility

• Doctoral students with PhD, DEnv, and DMA degree objectives are eligible. Students enrolled in the Medicine MD, Dentistry DDS, and Law JD programs are not eligible. Students in self-supporting programs (e.g., EdD, MBA) are not eligible. Doctoral students who seek a classification change to a Master program are not eligible for this award once the classification change has been approved.
• US citizens, permanent residents, international or registered California AB540 students. For international students, funding is subject to eligibility in regard to visa type. For those under AB540, funding will be provided only if AB131 is still in effect for the duration of the award.
• Doctoral students may or may not be advanced to candidacy at the time of travel.
• Students must engage in the activity and seek reimbursement within seven years of entering the doctoral program. This time period includes those terms when students were engaged in master’s-degree study during the course of their doctoral program.  Students in their eighth doctoral year and beyond are not eligible for this funding.
• Student must not have any unresolved incompletes (I grades) on record at the time the travel took place.
• Student must have been registered/enrolled in a minimum of 12 units during the academic term in which the research/travel/professional activity took place and for which reimbursement is being requested. For summer travel, the student must have met this requirement in the previous Spring quarter and register/enroll in the subsequent Fall. In absentia registration is acceptable. Students are eligible to request funding that occurs in the last week of the term prior to filing their dissertation, if they have registered and enrolled for the term.
• $1,000 ($100 minimum for each reimbursement request)
• Funds are reimbursed in the form of a financial support award. For international students, this means that appropriate taxes will be withheld
• Each eligible new and continuing UCLA doctoral student will be provided up to $1,000 total reimbursement that can be used, in whole or in part, at any time through the student’s seventh year in the doctoral program, as long as the student and the activities meet the eligibility requirements
• Past recipients of the Dissertation Year Award (DYA) are no longer eligible for this program.

Allowable Expenses

Expenses may include:.

• Transportation
• Lodging (at a commercial venue; no stays at someone’s home)
• Conference/Workshop registration and fees (which may include meals for participants)

Expenses may not include:

• Computer or other electronics or equipment (e.g., MP3 player, camera)
• Alcoholic beverages
• Transcription services
• Dissertation editing
• Tuition and/or fees for credit-bearing courses
• Recreation/social events
• Incidentals during trip
• Supplies, materials & other costs associated with the research or professional development activity (e.g., software, flash drive, etc.)
• Payment to participants or research study subjects

Funds must be requested within a reasonable amount of time, no earlier than 30 days prior to travel and not to exceed 30 days after travel has been completed. Please allow up to two weeks for processing.

Student Procedures

By participating, students understand that they are giving their consent to disclose application information to University officials and to relevant funding committees.

• Click on the link for the DocuSign form.
• Enter Full Name – Department in the name field. Please note that a copy of the completed form will be sent to the email address.
• Do not edit or delete the [email protected] Sending the form to askgrad email is required for processing.
• Select all types of activity that are applicable – Conference Travel, Professional Development, Field Research.
• Students can submit multiple forms if they have more than ten items.
• Provide details about the expenses in the additional information field, such as the name of the professional organization, conference or other information about the expenses.
• Students who are presenting at a conference must attach proof of invitation or proof of attendance.
• A form cannot be edited once it is submitted. Students can submit a new form to correct a mistake. Be sure to include a note about the new form in the additional information section.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I request for the Doctoral Travel Grant in advance, before my trip occurs?

Can travel for eligible activities through the Doctoral Travel Grant originate from anywhere in the world to my selected destination or must travel originate from Los Angeles?

We place no restrictions upon where travel starts.

I am applying for the Doctoral Travel Grant. My travel may include a stop to visit family or friends or for other personal purposes. Given this, which portion of my travel would be covered?

Only the portion(s) that directly pertain to conference, research and/or professional development activities.

I have $500.00 left in my Doctoral Travel Grant fund and no future need to use these remaining funds. Can I transfer my balance to another UCLA doctoral student?

No, funds are exclusive to the student and are non-transferable.

I’ve learned that I’m ineligible to participate in the Doctoral Travel Grant program. How can I appeal for funding?

There are no avenues for appeal. We encourage you to reach out to your home academic department for resources.

How do I ask for funding beyond the $1,000 maximum under the Doctoral Travel Grant program?

The maximum a student may receive from the DTG funding is $1,000. If you need additional  funding, please contact your home academic department.

I have expenses for multiple trips. How do I submit these requests for the Doctoral Travel Grant?

You can submit one docusign and notate under the “Additional Information” section where you are going and the types of activity that will be done during your trips.  The minimum request must be at least $100.00.

Will I need to provide documentation of the conference or receipts/invoices for the trip?

No. The form will allow you to list your expenses. No receipts, invoices, or documentation will be needed.

Is there a minimum amount of reimbursement necessary to apply for the Doctoral Travel Grant?

The minimum award amount must be $100.

What constitutes off-campus professional development reimbursable under the Doctoral Travel Grant?

Workshops or summer research institutes designed to promote research knowledge, skills, mentorship and networking opportunities that are short-term and non-credit-granting/non-grade-based.  Academic-based courses are not eligible.

Eligible: www.nursing.upenn.edu/live/news/529-penn-nursing-hosts-the-15th-annual-summer-research  

Not Eligible: www.mbl.edu/education/courses/neurobiology/

Do conferences, professional development and/or research activities conducted on campus qualify under the Doctoral Travel Grant program?

Yes. However, you are encouraged to participate in activities that are external to UCLA.

Will conferences, professional development and/or research activities conducted off-site but administered via UCLA qualify for the Doctoral Travel Grant program?

Yes. However, you are encouraged to participate in activities that are not affiliated with UCLA.

Can I request for funds through the Doctoral Travel Grant for attending a conference?

Yes, if you meet all eligibility criteria.

May a UCLA doctoral student be reimbursed through the Doctoral Travel Grant for registration costs of workshops or seminars offered by the conference?

May a UCLA doctoral student who is on a Leave of Absence or who withdrew during the quarter they attended the conference receive funds from the Doctoral Travel Grant?

No, a student must be registered or enrolled in a minimum of 12 units or be  in-absentia when they travel.

If a UCLA doctoral student is registration  in-absentia during the quarter they attended the conference, research or professional development, will a Doctoral Travel Grant request be permitted?

Yes, the student may apply for reimbursement.

A UCLA doctoral student attended a conference in the summer and is not registering for the following fall term. The student has filed or is on leave of absence. Can this student receive the Doctoral Travel Grant?

Does the UCLA doctoral student have to be considered a domestic student in the United States to qualify for the Doctoral Travel Grant?

No, both international and domestic students who are registered and enrolled in the quarter they travel are qualified for reimbursement.

Does the Division of Graduate Education reimburse the student directly for approved Doctoral Travel Grants?

I’m a dual degree candidate at UCLA. Am I eligible for Doctoral Travel Grant funding?

You are eligible only if you were under a qualified doctoral degree track while undertaking conference, research and/or professional development activity. This applies to students with PhD, DEnv, DrPH and DMA degree objectives at UCLA. If you happen to be under a degree track such as MD at the time you engaged in conference, research and/or professional development activity, you would not qualify for funding.

Graduate School

Doctoral research travel grant.

• Financing & Support
• Internal Funding & Appointments
• Graduate School Travel Funds

The Doctoral Research Travel Grant provides funding for doctoral students traveling to conduct scholarly research, either within the US or internationally.

Doctoral students can apply to the Graduate School for up to $1000 to cover travel and related expenses for scholarly research. Given funding limitations, an application does not guarantee support. Some programs have independent funds to support such travel; students should check with their Director of Graduate Study (DGS) for more information.

*Please note that in an effort to more equitably meet the current travel funding needs of graduate students, starting Summer 2022, the Doctoral Research Travel Grant  will not be a matching award and no longer requires that students receive funding from outside sources to be eligible to apply.

All applications and associated documentation must be submitted online through  UFunds . Please email  [email protected]  with any questions. 

Award Eligibility

Doctoral students in years 1 - 6 or on a COVID Appointment Extension Students are eligible to apply for doctoral research travel funding if they are active doctoral students in years 1-6 or doctoral students on a COVID Appointment Extension during the entire duration of the travel associated with the award. Students currently on leave are not eligible. Master’s students are not eligible. Students enrolled in degree programs in the Division of Biology and Medicine are not eligible; please see the  BioMed Travel Awards .

Traveling for research The Doctoral Research Travel Grant is available for both domestic and international research travel. Students must provide a one-page summary of proposed research activities. Please note that travel to attend courses, workshops, meetings, or conferences is not eligible for this award.

Provide a copy of your Graduate Student Digital CV (GSDCV) Students must provide a current copy of their Graduate Student Digital CV. More information about the GSDCV can be found on the Graduate School’s  GSDCV page .

One successful Doctoral Research Travel Grant per academic year Students can receive one Doctoral Research Travel Grant per academic year (June 1 through May 31) as determined by the end date of  travel.

Apply at least 14 days before the start of your travel Applications must be submitted through UFunds at least 14 days before the start of travel. Students not able to make this deadline should email  [email protected]  to see if an exception can be made. This requirement allows the Graduate School time to process applications and notify students whether they will receive funding or not prior to the start of travel.

Provide an approved Safety Plan, if applicable All students are required to register their travel plans in  TravelSafe  and, in addition, some international travel destinations require completion of a Safety Plan in  TravelSafe and approval from the Global Travel Risk Assessment Committee (GTRAC). Find current US DOS travel advisory levels in  TravelSafe  by clicking on the 'Travel Advisories' tab (destinations at Level 3 or 4 - designated at High Risk - require GTRAC approval). Check Brown’s current travel guidelines and requirements on the  International Travel Risk Management  webpage. Additionally, transactions with  comprehensively embargoed countries , including certain academic collaborations and the exchange of research materials, may require authorization from the government. If you are considering collaborating with or traveling to an embargoed country, you must contact Brown's  Export Control Team  well in advance.

Using your Doctoral Research Travel Grant

The Doctoral Research Travel Grant is processed as a reimbursement through a student’s home department. Prepaid expenses such as airfare and prepaid hotel rooms can be submitted for reimbursement prior to travel. Expenses that are not paid for in advance, as well as per diem meals, can be submitted once the student returns from travel. All documentation should be submitted to a student’s home department for processing within 30 days of the completion of travel. 

Please refer to the  Graduate Travel Fund Reimbursement Guidelines  for details about the reimbursement process and what documentation to submit.

Other Funding Opportunities

• Graduate School Travel Funding Summary
• Joukowsky Summer Research Award
• Conference Travel Fund
• International Travel Fund
• Graduate Student Council Conference and External Travel Funding
• Research Mobility Fellowship
• Student Research Grants in Judaic Studies

Conference Travel Grants

Academic master’s and all doctoral students may apply for Conference Travel Grant funding to attend professional conferences or to participate in professional development activities; however, students in professional degrees and self-sustaining programs are not eligible. For professional conferences, grant amounts will depend on the location of the conference (up to $600 within California, $900 elsewhere in North America, including Canada and Mexico, and $1,500 outside of North America). The amounts provided for professional development support will vary depending on the actual costs, but in no case will a grant exceed $1,500. Master’s students are eligible for only one travel grant per academic career. Doctoral students are eligible for two grants per academic career, regardless of how many degrees they earn. To be eligible to apply, applicants must:

• Be registered for the term in which they are planning to attend the conference, which also includes payment of fees/tuitions. Note: students on filing fee are not eligible.
• Be in good academic standing.
• Be presenting a paper or poster at the conference.

Please note that grant requests to support travel to professional conferences must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor; grant requests to support professional development activities may be approved by the student’s faculty advisor or the Associate Dean for the Graduate Division. Approvals are obtained through the Slate application portal.

Skill Areas: Oral Communication Skills, Disciplinary Professional Participation,

PROVIDED BY:

Graduate Fellowships Office

The Graduate Fellowships Office coordinates many extramural fellowships and serves as a resource center for students seeking information on fellowships funded by the University and outside sources. For more information, contact the Fellowships Office , or visit the Graduate Fellowships & Awards section of this site for applications and deadline information.

Partner Website

• Graduate Fellowships & Awards
• Research & Travel Awards

Conference Travel Grants

The Graduate School is pleased to support the professional development of graduate students by providing Conference Travel Grants to both master’s and doctoral students on the Main Campus and at the Medical Center.

These grants may be used toward travel and other expenses associated with participation in a professional meeting, and may be requested in advance or retroactive one semester.

Number of Awards Available: Approximately 70, depending on individual award amounts

Maximum Award: $500

Eligibility

• Doctoral and master’s students only
• Student must have received an official invitation to present a paper or poster, or to participate in a panel discussion at the conference indicated
• Support is only for travel to major academic conferences, excluding graduate student-organized conferences
• One conference travel award per student, per academic year
• Fall 2023: 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, October 7, 2023
• Spring 2024: 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, February 10, 2024

Required Application Materials

• Online Application
• Official invitation to participate in the conference  (e.g., letter of invitation, web page with student’s name as a participant)
• One-page statement of travel plans and relevance to thesis or dissertation completion
• Travel budget of projected costs or incurred costs if retroactive
• Department funding statement on travel support, if any, that will be provided to help defray the cost of attendance
• One (1) letter of recommendation from a faculty member (e.g., a thesis advisor or Director of Graduate Studies) no more than one-page in length submitted separately by the faculty member ** 

**It is the student-applicant’s responsibility to ensure timely submission of the letter of support.

The completed application must be submitted electronically by the relevant competition deadlines.

Letters of support should be submitted separately to [email protected] .

Review & Award

Completed applications received by each deadline will be reviewed by a committee consisting of two to three members of the Graduate Research Steering Committee and the Associate Director of Graduate Fellowships and Awards.

Decisions will be emailed to each applicant’s Georgetown email address. Awards will be processed through Accounts Payable and paid directly to recipients in accordance with university policies.

For more information, please email [email protected] .