Graduate Student Travel/Research Bursary
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs provides funds to students in financial need who require assistance to conduct or present their research. The fund may cover a portion of the cost related to field travel and supplies, long-distance telephone charges, questionnaire publication, translation, mailing, and the cost of copying journal articles. It may also cover costs related to attend a scholarly conference at which the graduate student is presenting a paper.
This fund is intended to cover modest costs where other sources of support are not available. Costs not covered under this bursary include: costs associated with interview subjects, honoraria, the cost of copying the graduate thesis, and attendance at scholarly conferences where no paper is being presented. The bursary account contains a limited amount of funds. Approval of each application is dependent on the availability of funds. It is not possible to fund all applications in any given term.
Applications are considered on a case-by-case and first-come-first served basis. Students are restricted to one application and one conference per academic year (September to August). However, if funds are available, a second application may be considered within the same academic year.
Deadline for Applications
Application forms must be submitted to your department (c/o Kristopher Waddell, 423A SP) at least one month in advance of the expected travel activity. Retroactive applications will not be approved.
Registration Requirement and Eligibility
Students requesting funds for either research or travel must be registered full-time in the term in which the bursary is approved (for research) and the travel occurs. Students conducting research will normally be registered in the thesis, research essay or major research project course.
Report Requirement
Students are required to submit a report after attending the conference or research, to include proof of attendance (e.g., boarding passes, registration fee receipt). Please submit these documents to your department (c/o Kristopher Waddell, 423A SP). If the travel is not completed for any reason, the amount of the bursary must be reimbursed in full.
Application Requirements
The following constitutes a complete application:
- General Checklist (see checklist below for public affairs);
- Checklist for Faculty of Public Affairs;
- Completed Graduate Student Travel / Research Bursary application form;
- A complete budget and rationale for requiring the bursary;
- A letter of support from the student’s thesis supervisor; and
- Official confirmation from the conference organizer that the student’s paper has been accepted for presentation if the bursary is to assist with the costs associated with presenting a paper at an academic conference.