Graduate College

The Graduate College
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5242 USA
(269) 387-8212

Graduate Student Travel Grant

a photo of a graduate student sitting on a wall with a city stretching out behind and below him in the background.

Graduate Student Travel Grant  

Purpose 

The Graduate Student Travel Grants are established to support graduate students engaged in independent scholarly research, scientific inquiry, inventive technology, and artistic/creative activity. The grants support graduate students to travel in-person to meetings or events sponsored by professional organizations for the purpose of sharing the results of their research, exhibiting or performing creative works, or otherwise disseminating the results of their scholarly activity. These grants do not cover conference attendance for other purposes (e.g. as a non-presenting attendee or workshop participant). 

WMU graduate students may receive a maximum of two Research Grants, or two Travel Grant, or one of each grant type at these degree levels: master’s, specialist. Doctoral students may receive a maximum of three Research Grants or Travel Grants, or a combination of both, up to three total. Because these are competitive grants, students are eligible to receive up to the maximum allowed in their degree level, but these are not guaranteed awards for each student. Note: the typing of theses, dissertations, and project paper, as well as the purchase of computers or supplies and equipment commonly provided by departments or by other existing grants or funds do not qualify as legitimate budget expenses under a Graduate Student Travel Grant.

Spring 2025 Travel Grant: Feb. 18, 2025 before 5 p.m.

The online application will open in early January.  Note: you must be a currently enrolled student in the semester you apply. 

The online portal closes at 5 p.m. ET on day of the grant deadline. Submit well in advance to avoid missing the deadline due to technical issues.

Award Amount

Grants range up to $1,000 for the travel grants

Eligibility 

WMU graduate students MUST be:

  1. Admitted to a graduate degree program 
  2. In good academic standing (3.0 GPA) 
  3. Enrolled in the semester that the application is made (one credit hour only if at dissertation/thesis hours) 
  4. The invited presenter via a letter/email of invitation from the conference/exhibit officials 
  5. The sole or principal investigator of the research project (PI) but for the purposes of research compliance, listed as student investigator, author or performer of the artistic/creative activity and the individual invited or selected to make the presentation

Guidelines For the Application Process

  • Access the online application for the Graduate Student Travel Grants (Check the deadline information above for the active link to the application or for details on when the link opens for the next award cycle)
  • In addition to this online application, applicants are REQUIRED to have an advisor or another faculty member familiar with your project write a Letter of Support for your project and upload it in InfoReady (instructions will be emailed to the individual you identify as writing the Letter of Support). The letter must clearly address the following elements: 
  1. Student's name 
  2. Please ensure the student is currently enrolled 
  3. The purpose that the letter of support is for an application for a Graduate Student Travel Grant 
  4. The significance of the project 
  5. The student’s role in the project 
  6. The significance of the conference or event where the project will be presented 
  7. Selectivity level of the conference or event (e.g., the main national conference in our field, highly competitive with less than half of submissions accepted, etc.)

Future Award Deadlines

The Graduate Student Travel Grant is offered once in the fall and spring semesters during the academic year. There is not an award cycle in summer.


Contact

If you have questions about the application process for this award, please contact Diana Berkshire-Hearit.