The Graduate Student Travel Fund is established by the Office of the Provost to help University of Delaware graduate students attend and participate in professional conferences pertaining to their field of study. Conference travel plays an essential role in the academic growth and development of graduate students by providing opportunities for presentation of student work in a professional setting, as well as opportunities for networking and exposure to the latest academic research.

The Office of Graduate Studies is charged with the responsibility of administering funds for this purpose. The deadline for application for a travel award is one month prior to the time of travel. The student will be reimbursed upon the submission of appropriate receipts and must conform with University policy on allowable travel reimbursements.

The policies and procedures for these funds are as follows:

1) A student must have a paper accepted for presentation (a copy of the acceptance letter should be provided) along with a tentative title and authors of the presentation (the student listed as first author takes precedence over others).

2) The student should provide a written statement as to the value of the conference and presentation for the his/her training and career.

3) The student's dissertation or thesis advisor must submit a letter of nomination and explanation of the significance of the student's participation.

4) The amount of support will be based on the type of participation in the conference up to a maximum of $300 and the department or college must match the amount of the award offered by the Office of Graduate Studies. The departmental match must not be from research grant travel monies but must be from other departmental resources.

5) A student may apply for funding only once each fiscal year according to the announced schedule of deadlines for applying.

6) The student must submit a budget for the proposed travel and include information about all sources of funding being provided for the travel.

7) The student is required to fill out a "Graduate Travel Fund Award" application form and submit it and the required enclosures to the Office of Graduate Studies. To download the application form click here.