The Dean's Office administers the Faculty-Sponsored Student Research Travel Fund for the purpose of supporting students presenting at research conferences and is advised by the Research Committee in the awarding of grants.
Please Note: Funding has historically been limited to students that are first author or second author to a faculty member on a research presentation. If your request does not fit that criteria, please also seek support elsewhere (other possible sources of funding: your academic department, the Dean of Students Office, the Oldenborg Center and other offices/programs on campus). This policy is in revision but funds are limited.
The faculty member who is the author on the paper or presentation will need to apply on behalf of the student presenting at the conference, and students should contact the faculty member if they intend to seek travel funding. Faculty can apply for student funding using the Faculty Travel Grant.
The following guidelines apply:
- Limitations: Grants funds are limited, so it is advantageous to submit applications as early in the academic year as possible. If choices must be made because of limited funds, preference is given to those who did not receive a travel grant the previous academic year.
- Air travel: Because of great variability of fares, students are reminded that careful purchasing can actually save enough for an additional trip for themselves or another student. To ensure use of lowest fares, the Dean's Office will monitor quoted fares, using the departure and return dates given by the applicant, and may reduce the amount of an award if a lower fare is available.
- Other primary modes of transportation: You may also drive, take a train, boat or bus to travel to conferences. However, the amount claimed may not exceed the cost of flying.
- Lodgings, per diem and other support: The College will also provide funding to help defray lodgings, meal and ground travel expenses. (Note: Students officially participating in local meetings within 50 miles of campus can apply for reimbursement of registration fees only; travel and housing and food expenses are not eligible for reimbursement.)
- Registration: While there is no official limit on registration fees, it is requested that students register early and refrain from incurring late registration penalties. For particularly expensive conferences, students may not receive the full amount of registration fees and may be asked to look for other sources of funding.
- Meals/per diem: Meals and incidentals are reimbursed using a per diem rate.
- Domestic per diem rates: To find the applicable per diem rate for your travel destination, go to the (GSA) website. Print a copy of the web page to submit with your Travel Expense Report.
- International per diem rates: To find the applicable daily rate for your travel destination, go to the website. Print a copy of the web page to submit with your Travel Expense Report
- Per diem for the first and last days of travel: For both the day travel begins and the day travel ends, the per diem meal allowance pays 75% of the per diem rate for each of those days. All travelers will be required to provide proof of the travel period for which per diem coverage is requested.
- Terms of per diem: Per diem is paid only for meals and incidentals (M&I) – not hotel rates. Per the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), incidentals include fees and tips given to porters, baggage carriers, bellhops, hotel maids, stewards or stewardesses and others on ships, and hotel servants in foreign countries; incidentals do not include expenses for laundry, cleaning and pressing of clothing, lodging taxes, or the costs of telegrams or telephone calls.
- Avoiding out-of-pocket expenses: Airfare, lodgings, registration and other expenses may be paid on a Â鶹ӰÊÓ purchasing card or through approved College vendors without incurring out-of-pocket expenses by the traveler. Please check with your department's Academic Coordinator or the Grants Administrator in the Dean's Office for assistance to avoid out of pocket expenses.
- Reimbursement: Reimbursement for out of pocket expenses will be processed only after travel has been completed. Please submit a completed Travel Expense Report form with all applicable documentation and original receipts to your department's Academic Coordinator for review and submittal for reimbursement within 30 days of your return.