Guidelines for Travel Grants for Professional Meetings
The department normally has college RGSO and departmental funds for students to travel to professional meetings. Students should contact the department’s GAC about the availability of funds. The GAC will evaluate proposals according to the following criteria.
Purpose: The fund was established to facilitate student travel to professional meetings. There is no limit to the number of times a student may apply for travel funds during their graduate career. Students can also apply for funding to attend more than one meeting in an academic year.
Requirements: To be eligible you must meet the following requirements.
- Be enrolled in the graduate program
- Present written confirmation of acceptance to present a paper at a conference
- Submit a proposal in paper and electronic form to the Graduate Secretary
- The paper version must be signed by the student’s advisor
Deadlines: There are two deadlines. Students must submit requests for funding to the graduate staff assistant by:
- First Friday of October
- First Friday of February
Awards: Students can apply for up to $400 for domestic meetings and $600 for international ones.
Priorities: The grants are competitive, and not every request will be funded. Judging from the college-wide RGSO competition several years ago, about one-half of all requests will be successful. Travel request evaluations will be based on, but not limited to, the following priorities. These priorities listed below in no particular order, are consistent with the ones used previously by the RGSO.
- Students close to finishing their degree who are on the job market • Students who have defended their proposals (i.e., completed the comprehensive exam)
- Students who present the paper or poster (either as sole author or the individual who presents a co-authored paper) • Students who are presenting their own work at a major meeting
- Students who are presenting research of high quality (preferably work completed while at Penn State)
- Promising new students pursuing topics directly related to planned doctoral research
- Students who are in good standing in the department and are making rapid progress towards their degree • National meetings rather than local or regional meetings
- Meetings that specifically advance the student’s research
Successful Proposal Requirements: Successful applicants will occasionally be requested to present their research at either a Department Colloquium or a subfield’s Journal Seminar. Poster presenters may be requested to provide a poster for display in the department or museum.
Accounting: Save receipts for reimbursement. If traveling within the United States, you must keep receipts for airline tickets (airline tickets must be purchased through Penn State, so students should see budget officer in 415 Carpenter Building, as soon as an award has been made). If traveling outside of the United Sates, you will use standard Federal M&IE to claim reimbursement. If you anticipate incurring expenses other than car rentals, airline tickets, lodging, and meals, see budget officer. If desired, students with assistantships can receive a travel advance but, you will need to see the budget officer, on the process. Students must fill out a travel support form on their return to request a reimbursement or settle an advance. Updated 04/30/2008
Anthropology Professional Meeting Travel Request
Name:
Student Id#:
Email:
Highest Degree:
Institution:
Degree Sought:
Coursework for the Master’s Degree Completed (semester):
Coursework for the Doctoral Degree Completed (semester):
Dissertation Proposal Approved (semester):
Comprehensive Exam Passed (semester):
Conference Name:
Justify why conference is important (to your graduate career and field in general):
Location of conference:
Travel Dates:
Presentation format (paper, poster, etc.):
Title:
Authorship (sole, senior coauthor, junior coauthor):
Is the paper Invited or Volunteered:
Is the work is related to your doctoral research:
Abstract (no more than 400 words, and include research significance, methods, and results):
List all previous or current grants from Penn State or external sources:
Budget:
- Personal vehicle:
- Air:
- Other:
- Lodging (__ days @ __ per day):
- Meals (__ days @ __ per day):
- Other expenses:
- Total:
- Amount requested:
