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Graduate Student Travel Award

The Travel Award is a competitive award that provides funding to support graduate students' travel for presentation of research or creative activity. All applications must be supported by matching funds as described below, contain all required documentation, and be signed by all parties before the deadline to be considered for this award. 

Please review the instructions below before submitting your application and contact us at travel.grants@unt.edu with any questions.

To be eligble, graduate students:

  • Must have a $100-$500 match already secured from the applicant's department, college, or another appropriate source. These funds are matched on a 1:1 (or dollar-for-dollar) basis. Maximum travel award amount is $500. 
  • Must be presenting research or a creative activity that you have authored/co-authored. It must have been peer-reviewed and accepted for presentation. If acceptance is pending, students can still apply, but the final award is contingent upon acceptance for presentation. Students who are merely attending a meeting without any active participation are ineligible for travel award funding. 
  • Must attend a minimum of 3 GS Professional Development Graduate Workshops within one year before application submission. Workshops can be found on the Graduate Studies Events and on theOn-Demand Workshops pages. Quiz completion is required for all On-Demand workshops. The name and completion date of the workshops attended must be provided in the appropriate application field.

Applying for a Travel Award

  1. Gather your application materials. Applications and all Graduate Travel Award requirements must be completed in full before the deadline to be considered. 
  2. Completethe Graduate Student Travel Award Department Pre-Approval form along with the Travel Award Budget Proposal (both items will need to be included when acquiring department signatures).  Completed forms will then need to be attached to your travel award application.
  3. Start your application: Spring 2026 Travel Award Application.
  4. Once your application is submitted, you'll receive a confirmation message. Your application will be reviewed during the next evaluation period, and you'll be notified of acceptance or denial by the designated deadline below. 

Evaluation Periods

Travel award applications may be submitted during the following three evaluation periods. Applications must be submitted, and travel must occur within the same academic year (Fall through Summer).

Fall Awards, Evaluation Period #1
For travel occurring after September 1 and before August 31:
Application opens August 15
Deadline to apply October 31
Announced by November 30
Spring Awards, Evaluation Period #2
For travel occurring after September 1 and before August 31:
Application opens February 2
Deadline to apply April 15
Announced by May 15
Summer Awards, Evaluation Period #3
For travel occurring after September 1 and before August 31:
Application opens April 15
Deadline to apply May 31
Announced by June 15

*All requirements, documentation, and signatures must be completed before the application deadline to be considered for an award.

Priorities & Limitations

  • Preference will be given to students who are first authors, have significant publication/professional development potential, public performance/exhibition of artistic work, and high academic/research productivity, as measured by GPA.
  • Maximum award is $500. These funds are matched on a 1:1 (dollar-for-dollar) basis.
  • Students may only receive one Travel Award for the academic year.
  • Students must apply to receive a travel award within the same academic year (September 1 – August 31) in which the travel takes place.

Here are a few common mistakes: 

Note that this process is competitive, and applying does not guarantee an award.

Unsigned Faculty/Administrator Sections

Make sure that you submit the appropriate departmental personnel contact information on the application including your major professor/faculty advisor and departmental administrator.

All signatures must be obtained by the deadline for the application to be considered for the current evaluation period.

Missing Workshop Requirements
Must attend a minimum of 3 GS Professional Development Graduate Workshops before submitting the application. The workshops must be completed within one year prior to the application submission date. Workshops can be found:

Quiz completion is required for all On-Demand workshops. The name and completion date of the workshops attended must be provided in the appropriate application field.

FAQs

How do the matching funds work?

Students must secure $100 to $500 in matching funds from their department, chair, advisor, or another appropriate source. Division of Research & Innovation (DRI) will match these funds on a 1:1 basis.  This means that students who have $100 in matching funds can receive $100 from DRI, whereas students who have $500 in matching funds can receive up to $500 from DRI.

I already attended my conference. Can I still apply for funding?

Yes - students can potentially receive retroactive funding for a conference that they have already attended, but travel must have occurred within the same academic year. For example, you may retroactively apply for funding during the February (Spring) and June (Summer) award periods for a conference that you attended during the fall semester.

Where do I submit my reimbursement form and receipts?

Students will turn in all receipts and documentation to their department for reimbursement. Please do not submit forms to DRI.

I was awarded a travel award; when will I receive my funds?

Follow the instructions detailed in your award letter to facilitate payment. You will need to contact your department for reimbursement instructions. You will need to submit receipts to your department no later than 2 weeks (14 days) after you return from your conference. Travel Awards are always reimbursed after you return from travel; we do not send funds in advance. If advance funding is needed, please contact the Student Money Management Center.

How are travel award funds disbursed?

You will receive your travel award as a reimbursement processed by your department. Please contact your department representative for questions about your reimbursement status.

I was not awarded a travel award during the previous award period. Will my application be automatically rolled over to the next evaluation period to be considered?

No, you must apply during each period (within the same academic year that your travel occurred) if you wish to be considered for a travel award.

Other Funding Opportunities

The Division of International Affairs administers the UNT International Travel Grant. The UNT International Travel Grant provides funding to UNT graduate students who receive a DRI Travel Award to participate in a professional meeting abroad.
Read more about the International Travel Award.

Questions?

E-mail us: Travel.Grants@unt.edu

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