Travel Funding

Funding Overview

Funds from the Graduate School are available for graduate and graduate professional students to present their research at professional conferences (in-person or virtual). These funds are not available to support thesis/dissertation research projects or course work. Unlike graduate assistantships, these fellowships do not provide student health insurance or tuition/fee waivers. This funding is only for graduate students pursuing a degree program. Funding is in the form of a fellowship. Students must be enrolled for the semester in which they receive their funding.

Travel Requests

Requests for funding to travel to international meetings will be considered jointly by the Graduate School and the Office of International Studies and Programs (ISP). Since ISP signs off on the application, you need to submit only one application to the Graduate School for funding to travel to international meetings.

Requests are limited to $1000 over the course of a student’s graduate student career per degree program. Additional Financial Contribution: A financial contribution from the major professor, department/program unit and/or college is highly encouraged to accompany a travel fellowship application. In the exceptional circumstance that a financial contribution is not possible from any of these sources, a brief statement of explanation from the graduate assistant/associate dean must accompany the application for further consideration.

Submission

Domestic Travel: After completing the form and required materials, the completed forms can be emailed to fellowshipapps@grd.msu.edu.

International Travel: Eligible students should send the completed travel funding application to International Studies and Programs (209 International Center or hatche34@msu.edu). ISP will then forward the application on to the Graduate School for funding consideration. Before submitting, applicants should secure the major professor/advisor, department, and college endorsements.

Review & Disbursement

A decision on support will be made within three weeks after receiving all the necessary materials by the Graduate School. Decision letters will be emailed.

Components

• Travel Application Document: Includes a summary of cost sharing with the student’s major professor, department, college, and when appropriate—with International Studies and Programs. Whether or not these units provide funding, an endorsement (signature on form) of the request from the major professor, department and college is still required.

• Student Letter: Indicates: Student must be registered in the semester that the funding is awarded. Name of the conference or professional meeting. Title of the research to be presented and the list of authors. (The requesting student must play an important presenting role for a conference.) Date(s) and the location of the conference. Break-down of the costs of the trip.

Additional Funding for International Travel

Through the Graduate School, International Travel Grant, International Studies and Programs (ISP) offers MSU graduate students small travel grants to international professional conferences to present papers. The research presented must have an international focus. Only one request per student will be considered during their degree program.

If you have federal loans or other needs-based loans/aid, the amount of your fellowship award may cause a reduction of your loan(s) or other financial aid. You may still wish to consider the fellowship as this will most likely reduce your total loan debt at graduation. Please seek advice from your Office of Financial Aid Counselor before you turn down a fellowship.