TRAVEL FUNDS

INTRODUCTION

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 aspect of professional travel 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!

GSS TRAVEL AWARDS

The Graduate Student Senate (GSS) offers every UMassD graduate student up to $750 per fiscal year (July 1 through June 30 of the following year). 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. Detailed information about the eligibility requirements for the application, and the application forms, can be found here: https://gss.umassd.edu/individual-travel-funding

Note that you can submit the GSS's Traveling Graduate Student Funding Request form before submitting any other travel documentation to the university, so submit the application as soon as you have confirmed your travel dates and have developed a rough estimate of expenses! If you haven't (yet) gotten the travel award from the Graduate Studies Office (see #2 below), you can still submit the GSS application; you will also need to submit a Letter of Support from your advisor.

Post-Award Instructions

Below is a typical letter issued to a recipient of a GSS travel grant. It includes helpful information about processing the travel grant and reimbursement that isn't found elsewhere.

GSO TRAVEL GRANTS

The Office of the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies (nickname GSO) offers every UMassD graduate student a sum of $500 per fiscal year (July 1 through June 30 of the following year) which can be utilized to cover the part of registration, travel, and lodging fees. According to the GSO, 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)

• 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 below for details.

• Make sure your application for travel funding is approved before you make final travel arrangements.

• The travel award value/money will not be provided 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.

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.

ADVISOR FUNDS

Talk to your advisor and let them 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 can help cover your expenses.

SOCIETIES TRAVEL AWARDS

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

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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