The GSC understands the importance of conferences to graduate career development and is offering financial support to graduate students to attend conferences. If you are a graduate student, have been invited to present your research, and are ineligible for financial assistance from other sources (Graduate School, your department, or external sources) you may request up to $200 from the GSC.
Please download a funding request form (at the bottom of the page) and either fill it out electronically or print it out and fill it out by hand. Then return it to the GSC Treasurer at least one week prior to a meeting of the GSC Finance Committee. Note that the budget for conference funding is limited and requests are approved on a first-come, first-served basis. Please make your request as far in advance as possible! The funding request must include:
- A description of the conference and how your participation advances your education or career development
- An explanation of your ineligibility for departmental or Graduate School support
- The amount of money requested, which must not exceed $200
- A complete budget.
The Treasurer will review the request and determine if it meets the requirements of funding from the GSC. The Finance Committee will then vote on the request and notify you of its decision.
Upon approval by the Finance Committee, the GSC will provide a Certificate of Funding in the amount requested to the student. The student must submit an expense report (use the form from the Controller’s Office, linked below) for the use of the funds to receive reimbursement, for no more than the amount specified by the Certificate of Funding, from the GSC. This can occur before or after the conference, or even accompany the original request; we just need an expense report.
Upon approval and receipt of an expense report, the funds will be reimbursed as a Check Request through the University Purchasing Office. Check Requests must be accompanied by receipts for the use of the funds, and the receipts must match the expense report. The reimbursement will be enacted as soon as the Finance Committee approves the expense report and receives receipts, but may take 1-2 months to clear.
If the funding request is denied, the individual or organization may attempt to alter their funding request and re-apply to the Finance Committee, or appeal the decision at the next general GSC meeting. However, only one additional application will be allowed per fiscal year (July-June). If declined twice in the same fiscal year, the individual must wait until the next fiscal year to apply for funding.
All individuals who receive GSC funding are required to submit a short testimony describing the outcome of their conference along with one or more photos, for use on the GSC website.
Please also note that the GSC reserves the right to retract support at any time if the applicant is ineligible for funding in any way. An initial approval or Certificate of Funding does not guarantee funding; if the applicant fails to meet the criteria above, support will be retracted.