The University of Alabama Graduate Student Association Research and Travel Committee Funding

Transcription

1 The University of Alabama Graduate Student Association Research and Travel Committee Funding APPLICATION GUIDELINES **This is not a paper application. All applications must be submitted through the online process. These are strictly guidelines to follow.** Fiscal Year (October September) *Please note that failure to fully comply with all guidelines, procedures, and deadlines could result in disqualification or postponement of your request. Table of Contents I. Terms and Conditions II. Application Guidelines III. Priority Guidelines When Awarding Funding IV. Funding Caps V. Eligible and Non eligible Expenses VI. R&T Application Deadlines and Decision Dates VII. Receiving Allocated Funds VIII. Further Questions I. Terms & Conditions Thank you for your interest in the Research and Travel Fund. The Graduate Student Association Research and Travel Fund (R&T Fund) was established as a way to help University of Alabama students involved in conference presentation and research. GSA feels that conference presentation and research is essential to the academic growth and development of students attending The University of Alabama. The following items are included within this online application process and must be completed in full before your application will be processed or evaluated. Once your application has been completed, please save all confirmation s for your personal records. Questions regarding Research and Travel applications can be forwarded to the Office of the Dean of Students Graduate Student Services (230 Ferguson Center; ). The following steps must be taken to ensure your successful completion within the application process: Agree to the Terms and Conditions section and check the box indicating you have read the guidelines and procedures Completed application form including contact and department information. (You MUST get name and of the Accounting official for your department. This assists with any matching funds process that your department might have.) Complete budget of all expected expenses that must be confirmed by your advisor through a confirmation that they will receive after you register.

2 A typed statement of purpose not to exceed one page. APPLICANT MUST UPLOAD THIS DOCUMENT INTO THE APPROPRIATE SECTION OF THE ONLINE APPLICATION and can be uploaded in.pdf,.doc, or.docx formats. A one page letter of support from your committee chair or advisor. APPLICANT MUST UPLOAD THIS DOCUMENT INTO THE APPROPRIATE SECTION OF THE ONLINE APPLICATION and can be uploaded in.pdf,.doc, or.docx formats. Letter of support must be signed by advisor to authenticate. II. Online Application Guidelines Any enrolled graduate or undergraduate student at The University of Alabama presenting at a conference or completing research is eligible to apply for funding. The R&T Fund is a LAST RESORT option for students; therefore, applicants must demonstrate an attempt to procure funds from other sources. The maximum individual award given for research is $500. The maximum individual award given for travel is $500. However, the R&T Committee reserves the right to allocate less than the amount requested. Groups of four or more attending the same conference are required to submit one application. The maximum award for group applications is $ If the committee assumes that students are attending the same conference but did not submit a joint application, they will be contacted by . If confirmed, the group will be required to resubmit indicating a group application, which will be considered at the next meeting. Each student is eligible to receive funding once for research and once for travel during the fiscal year (October September). This rule applies for students who apply as a group as well. Travel expenses for CONFERENCE TRAVEL are to be submitted as a TRAVEL funding request. Travel expenses for conducting RESEARCH are to be submitted as a RESEARCH funding request. All requests for funding must be made during the fiscal year in which the research or travel will occur. Funds for research or travel completed in a prior fiscal year are NOT eligible requests. If awarded funding, recipients must acknowledge The University of Alabama Graduate Student Association Research and Travel Fund and Committee for their part in providing funding when presenting at conferences or publishing your research. III. Priority Guidelines When Awarding Funding In the event that the application demand pool exceeds the funds allocated for the prescribed application period, a Priority Points System is used to rank applications and award funding accordingly. Below you will find a list of priority guidelines, as well as a Priority Points amount. a. Research Priority Research conducted for degree completion. (+4 Priority Pts.) Research conducted for coursework. (+2 Priority Pts.) Research conducted for other uses. (+0 Priority Pts.) b. Conference Priority

3 International Conferences (+4 Priority Pts.) National Conferences (+3 Priority Pts.) Regional Conferences (+2 Priority Pts.) State Conferences (+1 Priority Pts.) Local Conferences (+0 Priority Pts.) c. Conference Presentation Priority Paper presentations. (First authorship over second) (+5 Priority Pts.) Paper Presentation (NOT first author) (+3 Priority Pts.) Poster presentations. (+1Priority Pts.) Roundtable discussion. (+1 Priority Pts.) No Presentation (+0 Priority Pts.) d. Development Priority Job Search (+3 Priority Pts.) Professional Development (+2 Priority Pts.) IV. Funding Caps In order to maintain equal opportunities and as adequate funding as possible, the following funding caps have been set: a. Overall Application Funding Caps $500 for individual research $500 for individual travel $2000 for group applications (4 or more people) b. Specific Funding Caps $85 per night for lodging $0.05 per photocopy, black and white only Gas actual costs copies of receipts required (DO NOT SUBMIT ORIGINALS) V. Eligible and Non eligible Expenses Since funding comes from the FAC which receives funds from student activity money, strict policies must be followed by the R&T Committee regarding funding usage. Eligible Expenses Transcription Services Perishable items such as chemicals, envelopes, paper, etc Copying of surveys Postage for sending and/or receiving of surveys (must be bulk mailing) Registration fees for conferences, classes, workshops, etc Equipment rental fees (must have documentation of requirement for research) NON Eligible Expenses Services such as graphic preparation, subscriptions, gratuities, etc Copying costs of theses or dissertations Equipments such as permanent lab/departmental items, computers, printers, etc Reusable supplies such as pens, typing ribbons, printer cartridges, etc Paying other people to participate or assist in research Organizational membership Food for meals/snacks Software of any kind (includes online survey systems) Visas/Passports

4 VI. R&T Application Deadlines and Decision Dates R & T applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis. The Deadline for each application period will be the end of the month. Should you apply after the prescribed application deadlines, then your submission will be reviewed in the NEXT application period block. Example: Jane Doe applies for R & T on Oct. 2nd. Jane's application will be reviewed after the Oct. 31st deadline in the 2nd application period. Jane will receive notification of her application status in the 1st or 2nd week of November. FALL Application Deadlines for the Fall and Spring semesters are as follows: Application Deadline 1: Application Deadline 2: Application Deadline 3: September 30th October 31st November 30th SPRING Application Deadline 1: Application Deadline 2: Application Deadline 3: February 28th March 31st April 30th SUMMER Application Deadline: May 31st VII. Receiving Allocated Funds Once the paperwork is approved and processed; the funds will be transferred to your student account. This generally occurs within two to three weeks (sometimes longer depending on holidays and other university happenings). Due to recent changes in our award process, we ask that you review all of these action steps below so that you can properly claim your funding. We will NO LONGER send your award money to the academic department. The monetary amount will post directly to your student account, and a check will be cut and mailed to your current mailing address or you will have access to pick it up at Student Receivables. If you currently have a balance on your student account with The University of Alabama, then that outstanding amount may be deducted from your R & T award. In addition, once the student has received funding, the student must submit all documentation of receipts for travel/research expenditures to the Dean of Students Office, 230 Ferguson Center. A copy of your award notification will be sent to your advisor and the accounting official in your department. Do NOT submit original receipts to the R&T Committee when completing your documentation process. VIII. Further Questions? For further questions regarding R&T Funding, please contact Rosalind L. Moore, Director of Graduate Student Services at rlmoore@sa.ua..edu or DEAN.

5 SPECIAL NOTE: These Instructions will be seen on the ONLINE APPLICATION and you will be asked to verify that you have read, understand, and you will click the box to continue with the process. By clicking the following box, you are indicating that you have read and understand the guidelines and procedures for applying for the GSA Research and Travel Fund. You are also indicating that, if awarded, the funds given to you will be used for the specified travel and that GSA will be recognized as prescribed in the application guidelines and procedures.