TRAVEL FUNDS
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome, all graduate students!! The intended purpose of this Travel Funds page is to inform and make aware to graduate students from all departments and colleges about the availability of travel funds to increase the participation of all graduate students at professional meetings and conferences.
Professional meetings are important for every graduate student to share their work with the larger community, present their project, get feedback for improvement, and learn about the recent progress in their field. These meetings are also a great place for networking and making connections, attending conference workshops which could help you find a job, and meet collaborators in like-minded communities.
Another crucial thing is that you get a break from your school work, which is very much needed to bring new perspective (why you are doing your project and why it’s important). Sometimes, it’s important to take a break to get away from your frustration and ceaseless work!
TRAVEL FUND SOURCES
1. Graduate Studies Office (GSO)
The Office of the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies offers every student a sum of $500 per fiscal year (every July 1 – June 30, for example. July 1st 2023 – June 30th 2024) which can be utilized to cover the part of registration, travel, and lodging fees. According to the office, a student can utilize this $500 to attend more than one conference as long as this sum does not exceed $500 (i.e. you can ask for $150 as registration fee for one conference and remaining $350 for another conference), it does not matter whether you are attending national or international conference.
There are some important points to be considered when securing travel funds from the GSO, which are mentioned below:
You must be a presenter at this meeting (i.e. your abstract should be officially accepted for poster or oral presentations before you apply). The office needs an email confirmation about the acceptance of your abstract for presentation at the meeting. Only participation will not help to secure this travel award.
You must apply at least 21 days prior to travelling for your conference (office need to verify your supporting documentation for attendance to conference)
Please access the Graduate Student Travel Grant Application here to apply: https://www.umassd.edu/media/umassdartmouth/graduate-studies/documents/grad-student-travel-grant-application-2017.pdf
Note that the GSO's Travel Grant Form has some critical errors! See the GSO Travel Form Corrections section for details.Make sure your application for travel funding is approved before you make final travel arrangements.
The travel award value/money will not provide to you in advance so secure your payments of registration fee, travel fee (Uber/Lyft ride receipts, bus, train, flights receipts), hotel or Airbnb fee to ask for the reimbursement of expenses after completion of the conference.
Please submit your expense report no later than 30 days after the conference attendance.
2. Graduate Student Senate
The Graduate Student Senate (GSS) also offers every student a sum of $750 per fiscal year (July 1 – June 30, for example July 1st 2023 – June 30th 2024). As like the graduate studies office, a student can utilize this $750 to attend more than one conference as long as this sum does not exceed $750, it does not matter whether you are attending national or international conference. The detailed information about the eligibility, requirements for the application and the application forms can be found here: https://gss.umassd.edu/individual-travel-funding
3. Department Funding
Some individual departments also offer small sum of money to support their graduate students to present their work at meetings and conferences. For example. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UMass Dartmouth offers $250 to support the students to attend the conference. So, enquire about the availability of any such travel funding from your department offices which could support your travel.
4. Research Advisors
Talk to your advisor and let him know that your are interested in presenting and attending a conference organized by some society which is very closely related to research field. Maybe the grant secured by your PI or advisor could help cover your expenses.
5. Travel Awards from Scientific Societies
All the scientific societies such as American Chemical Society (ACS) and their subdivisions, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), American Society for Cell Biology, The Protein Society (TPS) and many other societies that organizes these conferences do offers travel awards to the graduate students and postdoc, also in different categories. So, please check their website, if they have such opportunity available if so, please submit the application in advance to secure the travel award.
For example, see: https://discoverbmb.asbmb.org/travel-awards
GSO TRAVEL FORM CORRECTIONS
GSO Travel Grant Form:
https://www.umassd.edu/media/umassdartmouth/graduate-studies/documents/grad-student-travel-grant-application-2017.pdf
The travel grant application form needs to be updated to correct some errors! Perhaps to something like:
"The application should be submitted first to the Graduate Program Director for her/his review, verification and signature. Then the application must be forwarded to the Department Chair and the Dean of the relevant college/school for their endorsement before it is sent to the student's department administrator for processing. The form must then be sent to the Office of the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies for final review and approval. To provide adequate time for proper review and processing, complete applications (this form as well as all required supporting documentation with all necessary approvals) must be the Office of the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies for final review and approval. To provide adequate time for proper review and processing, complete applications (this form as well as all required supporting documentation with all necessary approvals) must be sent to the student's department administrator at least 21 DAYS PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF TRAVEL."
See the green underlined text below that needs to be corrected:
GSS TRAVEL FUNDING INSTRUCTIONS
ALUM TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT
If you are graduating in May, you can still receive travel funding as an alum if you return from travel before June 30th (the last day of the fiscal year). If you are an alum traveling after June 30th, you are ineligible for travel funding even if somebody approves it!
The Graduate Studies Office is aware of this rule, and can help approve your funding reimbursement if your department administrator is unaware of this rule.
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