Conference Travel Award

The Conference Travel Award provides financial support for WashU undergraduate students to present inquiry-based, faculty-mentored research projects at professional, academic conferences. Such opportunities enable students to synthesize their learning, communicate and receive feedback on their work, and network among peers and senior scholars.

Students must be nominated for a Conference Travel Award (up to $500) by a WashU faculty mentor. Priority is given to students who have not previously utilized OUR funding. Eligibility for the Conference Travel Award is not restricted based upon race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex or gender. 

Eligibility

  • Open to all continuing WashU undergraduate students. (Graduating seniors are eligible only if the conference precedes graduation.)
  • The nominee must be the LEAD PRESENTER (i.e., majority of presentation responsibility) and an author on an inquiry-based research presentation at an upcoming conference.
    • Due to funding constraints and to ensure fair distribution of funding:
      • Funding will not be granted for undergraduate-only conferences.
      • For a given conference, only one undergraduate student will be funded per presentation, research group or panel.
    • Conference travel that has already taken place will NOT be funded.
  • Students must be nominated by a WashU faculty mentor who has actively engaged in oversight of the research project.
    • NOTE: the nomination form comprises several short answer questions rather than a traditional letter of recommendation.
  • Awardees must receive explicit permission from their faculty mentor to present their findings.
  • For research involving human subjects, nominees must have received approval from the university's Human Research Protection Office. 

Application Timeline & Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated on a monthly basis, with submissions due by 11:59 pm on the 15th of each month and award decisions released by the end of the month. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible, including prior to an acceptance decision. Conferences that occur before that month's decision date will not be funded (e.g., if a student applies September 5 for a conference September 22 - 25, an award will not be granted).

Because funds are limited, submission will be a competitive process, and we will not be able to fund all applications. Instead, we will grant a limited number of awards each month. Priority will be given to seniors and students who have not previously utilized OUR funding. Strong applications will clearly convey how the student made significant contributions to the project and how participation in the target conference will advance the student’s academic and professional goals.  

Students should apply for the Conference Travel Award only once per conference presentation. If your initial application is unsuccessful, please do not resubmit the following month. The OUR will automatically reconsider your application among the next month’s applications, as appropriate (e.g., if your conference is still upcoming). However, funding is not guaranteed. 

Payment Logistics

Award funds will be distributed via reimbursement for paid expenses. Students should retain all original, itemized receipts for submission to the OUR. Receipts should be scanned or photographed and emailed as individual files to the OUR (undergradresearch@wustl.edu).

Ready to apply?

Applications are open and will be reviewed on the 15th of each month.

Submit an application

Application Components

Overview

A Conference Travel Award application includes the following elements:

  1. A basic eligibility check (e.g., will you be the lead presenter?) and a student information form (e.g., major, field of research, conference details)
  2. A nomination form from your faculty research mentor
  3. A copy of the abstract submitted to the conference organizers, plus two short answers
  4. An itemized budget and budget justification (NOTE: the OUR offers free poster printing for award recipients)

Detailed Descriptions of Application Components

Faculty Mentor Nomination

Awards are made on the basis of the faculty nomination. Faculty mentors must complete a nomination form that comprises the short answer questions below. Traditional letters of recommendation will not fulfill the nomination requirement. 

  1. Student contribution: Briefly describe the student’s specific contributions to the research project they will present. What were the student’s roles in the development, execution and progress of the project?
  2. Impact for student: Explain how attending this conference at this stage of the student’s undergraduate education will contribute to their academic and professional development.
  3. Mentoring: Briefly outline your role in the project, how you have supported the student in reaching project objectives and how you will help the student prepare for this conference presentation and experience.
  4. Presentation permission: Affirm that the student has your explicit permission to publicly present data, results, techniques, etc. from this research project, describing any training or conversations that familiarized the student with issues of confidentiality and intellectual property.  

Student Abstract and Short Answers

  1. Provide a copy of the abstract you submitted to the conference organizers.
  2. Briefly describe your specific contributions to the research project that you will be presenting. What were your roles in the development, execution and progress of the project?
  3. Briefly describe how attending this conference at this stage of your undergraduate education will contribute to your academic and professional development. Identify at least one specific conference session or opportunity you plan to leverage and explain how you expect to apply the insights you gain. 

Itemized Budget and Budget Justification

Provide an itemized budget (e.g., specific items and quantity) of all anticipated conference travel expenses (e.g., transportation, registration fees, accommodations; note: the OUR offers free poster printing for awardees). A justification must accompany each cost that describes how the expense was estimated and demonstrates the student’s efforts to minimize costs (e.g., choosing flights with layovers, sharing hotel rooms, booking in advance).  

Students should report any other sources of funding, such as mentor or department matches, fellowships (e.g., Kling or Mellon Mays), or resources from the Taylor Family Center for Student Success. The OUR Conference Travel Award may only be used to cover costs not already available through other sources of funding; duplication of funding is not permitted.

Award Recipient Expectations

  1. Awardees should proactively communicate with their WashU faculty mentor(s) and the OUR about any changes or disruptions to their conference travel plans. If they do not attend the conference as planned, they will not receive or must remit the award.
  2. For research activities involving human subjects, nominees must verify that their project received approval from the University's Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) prior to award payment.
  3. Awardees should retain all original, itemized receipts for submission to the OUR; awards will be paid via reimbursement.
  4. Awardees must submit a 1-2 paragraph reflection on the impact of the meeting on their academic and professional development following the conference.
  5. Awardees are expected to present at an upcoming OUR Undergraduate Research Symposium. 
     
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