Professional Development and building a professional network is an important component of our students’ education. This award program provides financial support for graduate students to travel for academic activities, including research, presentations, exhibitions or performance and professional development related to their program of study. Travel is an essential experience that enhances the academic and professional development of graduate students through networking and exposure to scholarly activities underway in their field by other institutions, and provides opportunities to share in-progress research and scholarship with regional, national and global communities.
Equal (1-for-1) cost-sharing from another source, such as College/Departmental/Program or external funding, is required for travel approved after January 1, 2020, unless already approved. Examples of travel eligible for support include:
- Travel for presenting one’s academic work or for professional development
- Travel for research, scholarship, artistic exhibitions or performance
- Travel for archival, collections-based, field or clinical research data acquisition
- Virtual conferences – Please input “VIRTUAL CONFERENCE” as the city location when applying for award to easily designate the conference format.
The deadline for application for a travel award is one month prior to the beginning of travel. Students may apply for more than one award, but the total award permitted during the course of a student’s graduate study at UD is $1,500 from the Graduate College. So with the 1:1 match requirement, the student is eligible for up to $3,000 in travel support. The student must conform to University Travel Policy on allowable travel reimbursements.
Policies and Procedures
- Students should document any paper, poster, presentation, exhibit, performance, research, or professional development planned. This documentation may be an acceptance letter or other confirmation for the destination; an invitation from a laboratory, archive or collection, field or clinical site to allow the student to do research at their location; confirmation of a performance or exhibit; or an email from a faculty advisor supporting participation an event for professional development.
- The Graduate College will support a maximum of $1,500 total during a student’s graduate study. So with the 1:1 match requirement, the student is eligible for up to $3,000 in travel support, full funding is not guaranteed. Matching may come from internal university sources or external grant funding.
- Applicants should budget for the least costly mode of travel and lodging. Students are encouraged to pool resources whenever possible; for example, if a number of students within a department/program are attending the same conference. Travel expenses may include items such as: parking, airfare or train ticket, roundtrip mileage at current IRS rate, poster printing fee, registration fee, food, lodging, and taxi/bus/shuttle fares. Alcoholic beverages are NOT an allowable expense.
- Within two weeks of the completion of the conference or approved travel, an uploaded report of actual expenses using the summary section must be submitted. A link will be sent to your email to update the original entry and complete the summary section. Original receipts are to be submitted to your department.
- Students must submit an engaging 300 word summary statement/testimonial that may be used to develop a student profile. This should be written for a public audience, and should highlight the benefits of professional development in regard to the student’s experience at the University of Delaware.
- Upon processing of the travel summary, the student’s academic department will be notified of the funding source (account) and the amount of financial support from the Graduate College. Reconciliation of charges in Concur should be completed within three weeks of return from travel.
Have you obtained prior routing information and departmental support?