GSAS Travel/Research Funds
Students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) may apply for up to $1000 each academic year from the GSAS office to cover some of the costs of travel to present at conferences or further their research. The student must be enrolled at the College at the time of application. If the conference takes place during the academic year, the student must be enrolled that semester. If the conference takes place during a winter or summer break, the student must also be enrolled during the semester prior to the travel and during the semester afterward.
Guidelines:
- Funding can be applied toward conference registration fees, travel, accommodation, food expenses, and other expenses related to necessary academic activities toward the Ph.D. degree.
- Endorsement from a faculty member supervising the research/project or serving as the applicant's mentor is required for all funding applications.
- Students will be expected to explore other sources of funding from their own research labs, academic departments, and the Graduate Group before applying for the GSAS Travel/Research Funds.
- Applicants must submit a budget showing how the award will be spent.*
- Funds do not always suffice to reimburse expenses in full. A student may receive no more than $1,000 from the GSAS Travel/Research Funds per academic year. Preference is given to students who have not previously been reimbursed and students who are traveling to present their own original scholarly research or faculty-mentored research at a conference or a workshop.
- To help equitably distribute the travel support, students should plan early and apply for the travel/research funds by October 31 for the current academic year. Applications submitted after this date are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the academic year until funding has been exhausted for the year.
- Awards will be taxed as fellowships.
Application Process:
Applications for travel/research funds during the academic year should be submitted using the form below as soon as you are aware of possible travel. To avoid delay in review, students should answer all questions as fully as possible. All requests will need to include an estimate of the expenses, an itemized budget breakdown, the conference name, and the location to be considered. After reviewing each request, the GSAS office will let each student know the amount of reimbursement available to them. Applications for travel/research funds submitted after the deadline can still be considered but are not guaranteed.
* Here is a sample itemized budget. Note that the student has found a cost-effective mode of transportation and provided an educated estimate for one expense.
Total amount requested: $300
- Roundtrip Bolt Bus Tickets (Philly-NYC): $30
- NYC MetroCard (four rides x $2.50): $10
- Conference registration fee: $75
- Meals ($30 per day x two days): $60
- Hotel for one night: $125
Reimbursement Documents Submission after Travel:
After the travel is complete, students should download and fill out the reimbursement form (pdf) below and submit it along with receipts for all expenses to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences office by email at gsas@brynmawr.edu.
We cannot reimburse any expense for which no receipt is presented. For major items (airfare, hotel, etc.) paid by credit card, in addition to the receipt, students must also submit a copy of the statement of the monthly credit card bill on which the charge appears.
After-Travel Reimbursement Form [pdf]
The IRS requires that reimbursements be counted as taxable income. Consequently, the College will withhold taxes from reimbursement made to non-Resident Aliens (i.e., student in F-1 or J-1 status). U.S. citizens and Resident Aliens are responsible for declaring reimbursements as income on their annual tax returns.