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Graduate Travel Awards

The Penn State College of Medicine, through the Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, is offering funds for graduate students to defray the travel cost of presenting their scholarly work at professional meetings, conferences or workshops relevant to their research that requires travel outside the university. The grant funding may be used for travel, lodging and/or registration.

Submission deadlines

Applications for the Office of Graduate Studies Graduate Student Travel Awards and the Dean’s Travel Awards have different deadlines depending on when the applicant is traveling for a meeting.

Summer awards: For travel from June to August, the submission period is March 15 to April 30.

Fall awards: For travel from September to December, the submission period is June 15 to July 31.

Spring awards: For travel from January to May, the submission period is Oct. 15 to Nov. 30.

Please note: Travel award applications for doctoral and master’s students are reviewed and awarded separately due to the different application requirements.

Qualifications

To receive a travel award:

  • current doctoral students (e.g., PhD, DrPH, MD/PhD) must:
    • have successfully completed the comprehensive exam
    • be presenting either a poster or talk (that is, the student should be the first author on the abstract) if the applicant is applying to attend a meeting or conference
  • current master’s students (e.g., MS, MPH) must:
    • have completed the first year of their graduate program
    • be registered as full-time students
    • be presenting either a poster or talk (that is, the student should be the first author on the abstract) if the applicant is applying to attend a meeting or conference

Students must complete the application below in its entirety, including the upload of the submitted abstract if attending a meeting, confirmation of acceptance to present at the meeting or conference or to attend the workshop; and a signed statement from the research or academic adviser stating the importance of the event to the student’s research and that the adviser will pay additional regular costs to attend the event.

  • The number and value of awards depends on the money available and the number of applications received.
  • The awards may only be used to pay for travel, registration and housing. All travel arrangements and reimbursements must utilize the PSU ERS system.
  • A student may receive this award in addition to other travel awards (either external or internal) to the same event, but the total of all awards cannot exceed total expenses for attending the event.
  • Recipients will be selected by the Travel Awards Selection Committee. Preference will be given to students how have not previously attended a meeting, conference, or workshop’ to students who have not previously received this award; to students who are first author on an abstracts and giving an oral presentation (for those attending a meeting or conference); and to senior students.
  • Recipients of the Dean’s Travel Awards must also write a letter of thanks to the Dean.

Application

Complete the online application here