- Conference- These grants are intended for students presenting results of research (either as a poster or oral presentation) or scholarly activities (e.g., art portfolios for M.F.A. students, performances for music and theatre students) at professional conferences or gatherings. They CANNOT be used for publication costs associated with attending a conference.
- Professional Development- These grants are intended for any scholarly activity that is NOT a presentation of research or graduate work. Typical uses include:
- Attending a professional conference without presenting
- Study abroad activities DIRECTLY related to the student’s program or research
- Attending other reasonable activities directly related to the student’s program that can be shown to have a benefit for the UF community as well as the individual student
We can not fund travel for fieldwork or coursework required by a student’s curriculum. Additionally, final approval of professional development grants for study abroad trips is provided by SG Finance and the UF Student Body Treasurer.
They CANNOT be used for: food, incidentals (laundry, phone calls, internet, etc.), poster printing, passport/visa fees (for international travel) or any other expenses.
They CANNOT cover anything purchased by a UF PCARD, or that you are reimbursed for by other UF funding. You may use other means of purchasing, such as credit card, cash, and check.
Note: In years past, SG Finance only reimbursed 50% of expenses up to a total reimbursement of $350. This is NO LONGER the case. Reimbursements are now 100% up to a total reimbursement of $350 for eligible expenses.
Home and Condo Rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.)
As with all lodging expenses, proper documentation is required. Adequate supporting documentation must contain the address of the location and the dates of the rental. An invoice (receipt) should also contain the name of the landlord/rental company and the renter. The documentation must also show how the rental was paid (credit card, check, cash, PayPal, Venmo, etc.) A cost comparison is needed to ensure the cost of the rental is more economical than normal available lodging. If the cost is higher, it will not be allowed. If a contract has to be signed, Procurement Services should be contacted.
If your application was denied then you are still eligible to receive a grant that fiscal year and encouraged to apply again as long as your next application is submitted according to the guidelines. For example, your next application must be submitted in the correct application window and your department must still be eligible.
If you are traveling to multiple separate conferences in the same month and have not yet received an award for the fiscal year, you may apply for both conferences during the same application window. However, at most only one award can be granted.
- General information: e.g., college, major professor’s email, etc.
- Conference information, presentation title and author string
- For conference travel: both a technical and non-technical abstract
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- The technical abstract is what you have submitted to the conference, if you are presenting research results.
- The non-technical abstract should be easily understood by an educated person outside your field, similar to what might be found in the Science & Technology section of a major newspaper, such as the USA Today or New York Times. It should include the major components of an abstract: an introduction/motivation, methods, results (or anticipated results), conclusion. Importantly, it should also include a statement on the impact of the work. The statement of impact, like the rest of the non-technical abstract, should be compelling to a non-expert.
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- For professional development travel: a professional development essay and a statement of benefit
- The professional development essay should be a clear, detailed and convincing essay describing the activities you will undertake and their unique benefit to your professional development
- The statement of benefit essay should be a clear, detailed and convincing essay describing how the activities you will undertake will benefit the broader UF community, beyond you.
- For both types of travel: a budget, with other funding sources listed and described.
- Budget Explanations should be concise, but as detailed as possible (e.g., which dates, methods, company will be used, exact costs wherever possible, where these were found or how they were calculated, how they compare to other rates/methods)
After submitting the application, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. Please do not email us asking if your application was received. If you received an email confirmation, we have it. If you did not receive the confirmation, resubmit it. NOTE: The email you provide in your application is the only method GSC has for contacting you regarding the status of your application. Ensure it is correct!
Previous successful research descriptions (non-technical abstracts) and professional development essays are available here.
- criteria similar to those used in the awarding of professional research grants, i.e.,
- quality and clarity of the technical abstract
- description of research for the non-expert, which should be compelling to a general audience and include
- background information
- general methods
- results (expected or obtained)
- general (non-technical) discussion and conclusions
- potential impacts and applicability of the work for people, community, society, or globe
- budget with detailed, clear, and complete explanations
- accurate and timely completion of the application
- factors unique to graduate students, such as availability of funding from SG, and departmental eligibility
- attention to detail, grammar, and completeness
Please note that this is a competitive application process. It is recommended that applicants complete their applications with attention to the points above.
GSC receives and processes more than 1,200 grant applications per year from over 150 degrees, departments, and specialties. However, we receive funding for fewer than 400 awards.
This means that in any given grants cycle, many quality applications must be denied due to falling below of the top 30% of high-quality applications. Additionally, you may receive a line in your denial email providing additional information, such as “Ineligible department” or “Incorrect travel/application dates”. Please consult the grant overview tab for appropriate travel and application dates, and e-mail us if you feel your department is wrongly listed as ineligible on the ineligible departments page.