Travel Grants

The Graduate School offers a limited number of competitive awards to selected graduate students who are in good academic standing. The 2022/2023 Travel Grants will support the cost of conference registration to professional meetings that are relevant to their degree. Please see the abbreviated list of changes to travel grant eligibility instructions and requirements, effective August 2019. All applications must be completed before the deadline to be considered for a travel grant award. We are now accepting applications for conferences that occur during the 2022/2023 academic year. Please read through the instructions on this page before submitting your application and contact us if you have any questions.

To be eligible, 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 basis. Eligible graduate students may apply for a maximum of $500 with matching funds (for a maximum total of $1,000). 
• Must be presenting research or a creative activity that they 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 of a travel grant is contingent upon acceptance for presentation. Students who are merely attending a meeting without any active participation are ineligible for travel grant funding.
• Must have an approved degree plan on file in the Graduate School.
• Must attend at least 3 TGS Professional Development Graduate Workshops per academic year for which you are applying. You can attend these workshops in person or live online stream. If you are unable to attend a workshop, videos are available online.  Please list the name and date of the workshops you attended or watched on the appropriate application field.
• Must complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. This requirement can be met in one of two ways:
  • Online CITI Training – Please follow this link provided by the UNT Office of Research Integrity and Compliance (ORIC) to register for the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) course. Registration is free for all UNT affiliated students. Students will receive a certificate after completing the course, and TGS will keep a record on file to verify completion.
  • Designated RCR Workshops – Students may use attendance at one of our designated RCR professional development workshops for credit. Please check workshop descriptions to ensure that they meet the requirement. Attendance at one of these workshops can also be used towards the professional development workshop requirement. Note: RCR Workshops do not count towards the 3 workshops requirement when applying for the travel grant.

Applying for a Travel Grant

1. To begin, download the required forms:
   • Faculty Evaluation for Travel Grant Applicants: Give this to the appropriate faculty members who will verify matching funds and provide a quick evaluation. This form must be completed with the appropriate signatures, match information, and rating, and attached to your application.
   • Download a current copy of the UNT Travel Budget Authorization (TBA) form. This form should be completed by the department authorizing your matching funds and must be attached to your application. It must be signed by you (the student), a faculty member, and the financial officer or individual who is a financial decision-maker.  
   • This form will not be used for reimburesment through UNT System. It's strickly for the Travel Grant application's purpose
      
2. Gather your conference acceptance and workshop requirement information. Applications and all Toulouse Graduate School requirements must be fully completed before the deadline to be considered. Next, please log in and fill out the online application.
   
   
    
3. 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 within four weeks of the submission deadline. 

Evaluation Periods

Travel grant applications can be submitted at any point throughout the academic year. The grants are awarded on a rolling basis with three evaluation periods throughout the semester. We notify students of their acceptance or denial 3-4 weeks after the evaluation deadline. Applications must be submitted and travel must occur within the same academic year (Fall through Summer).

Priorities & Limitations

• Preference will be given to students who are first-authors of scholarly research or creative presentations.
• The maximum amount awarded will range between $100 - $500.
• Students may receive only 1 Travel Grant for the academic year.
• For projects that involve more than one student, a maximum of 2 travel grants may be awarded. The application must identify the student's co-author, and the co-author must complete their own application.
• Virtual conferences occurring in the current evaluation period will be given higher priority.
• Students may no longer retroactively apply for funding for up to 1 year after traveling, but may still apply to receive a travel grant within the same academic year that the travel takes place.

Here are a few common mistakes.

Please keep in mind that the process is competitive and applying does not guarantee an award. 

• Incomplete Faculty Evaluation forms
  Make sure that you have every section of the Faculty Evaluation form completely before submitting it. This includes the Match Approval (chart string must be listed) and the “ranking” at the bottom of the page. Appropriate faculty/staff signatures are required.
• Incomplete Travel Budget Authorization (TBA) form
  Make sure that you have every section of the TBA form complete before submitting it. You, your primary instructor or supervisor, and the funding account holder must sign the TBA. 
• ​Missing degree plans
  Students must have an official degree plan on file with the graduate school. Please take care of this before applying for a travel grant.
• Missing workshop requirements
  Please attend at least 3 professional development workshops during the academic year you're applying to meet the workshop requirement. If you cannot make it to campus, you can watch workshop videos online. Note: RCR Workshops do not count towards the 3 workshops requirement.

Please remember that a degree plan must be on file, and 3 workshops must be completed before the application deadline in order to be considered for an award.

FAQ’s

• How do the matching funds work?
  Students must secure $100 to $500 in matching funds from their department, chair, advisor, or another appropriate source. Toulouse Graduate School will match these funds on a 1:1 basis.  This means that students who have $100 in matching funds can receive $100 from Toulouse, whereas students who have $500 in matching funds can receive up to $500 from Toulouse.

• How do I receive matching funds from my department, chair, advisor, etc.?
  Effective for 2020-2021 Academic Year: The full travel grant award will be administered through your department or college.

• 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?
  Effective August 2019: Students will turn in all receipts and documentation to their department for reimbursement. Please do not submit forms to TGS.
   
• I was awarded a travel grant; when will I receive my funds?
  Please 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 and complete the online evaluation form no later than 2 weeks (14 days) after you return from your conference. Travel grant 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 grant funds disbursed?
  You will receive your travel grant award as a refund from Travel Accounting. Please contact your department representative for questions about your reimbursement status.
   
• I was not awarded a travel grant during the previous award period. Will my application be automatically rolled over to the next evaluation period to be considered?
  We do not roll applications over to the next evaluation period. You must apply during each period (within the same academic year that your travel occurred) if you wish to be considered for a travel grant award.
   
• For questions on the Travel Budget Authorization (TBA) form, contact your Department Travel Coordinator.

Other 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 Toulouse Graduate School Travel Grant to participate in a professional meeting abroad. Read more about the International Travel Grant.

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

This page contains PDF documents.  You can download a free PDF reader here.

Updated Travel Grant Eligibility Requirements and Other Information for Faculty and Staff Use