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conference funds

The Combined Degree program has funds available to support student participation in conferences (for registration fees/travel costs), though this funding is limited, and there are no guarantees that all requests can be accommodated. There are several guidelines to keep in mind:

Form to Request Conference Funds - Download

Statement of Business (REQUIRED FOR ALL REIMBURSEMENTS OVER $25) - Download

We advise you to apply for funding before you finalize travel plans and tickets.

  • You must first try and secure funds from other sources.
  • CD funds are primarily for students who are presenting, though occasionally exceptions are made.
  • The upper limit is generally $250; usually students can be funded for only 1 conference per year.
  • Funds are provided as reimbursement, not in advance - it usually takes 5 business days for the reimbursement to go through your direct deposit.
  • To receive your reimbursement, all original receipts must be submitted via the online system, Concur, after your trip. Click here for instructions.

instructions for completing the form to request travel funds from the combined degree program

  • Create a detailed budget with specific information about the conference and your travel and lodging expenses. You will want to use this budget to request funds from a variety of sources. It's best to investigate funding before you commit to going , because there is no guarantee that CD or other funds will be available.
  • BEFORE soliciting funds from the CD program, contact your PI and your graduate group and request funds. If you are on a non-MSTP training grant, also contact the PI or BA and request training grant funds. If you have cost of education funds available from an individual fellowship, contact your BA and make arrangements to use those funds for travel. You should request funds from the CD program only after exhausting all other possible funding.
  • Complete the form below and turn it to the MSTP office via email or on the 6th floor of JMEC.
  • Attach appropriate documentation. This includes:
    • Abstract if you are presenting, or letter describing the importance of the conference to you if you are not presenting.
    • Verification of amount of funds to be provided by other sources. This could be a note from your PI, a letter from you to your Grad Chair which he/she has initialed with a dollar amount, an e-mail from the BA handling an individual fellowship, etc. You should have something in writing from each source with the amount to be provided. Likewise, if you've been told that no funds are available from a particular source, you should attach documentation of that, as well.
    • You will receive a copy of the form back once Skip has reviewed it and made a decision re: funding. Most often, students are able to receive up to $250.
    • If your request for CD funding is approved, you must submit all original itemized receipts through the online system, Concur, when you return from your trip. Click here for the link to Concur along with instructions for reimbursement.

If you have questions, please contact Jill Baxter or Maggie Krall.