The Graduate Student Senate (GSS) has established a Traveling Graduate Student Funding mechanism to support graduate students traveling to a professional event, such as a conference, to present a project related to their academic or professional goals. Presenting an academic project, creative exhibit, or a performance can be a valuable experience that enriches a graduate student’s understanding of their discipline and future profession. The GSS’s Traveling Graduate Student Funding is designed to encourage and assist graduate student presentations at professional events related to his/her goals by off-setting the cost of registration, travel, and lodging.

To be eligible for the GSS’s Traveling Graduate Student funding, you must meet ALL of these criteria:

• A UMass Dartmouth graduate student from any college, school, department, or program
• Registered as full-time
• In good standing
• Traveling to a conference, exhibit, seminar series, training program, or similar professional event

Students seeking GSS funds for travel to present their work MUST first apply for the $500 Graduate Student Travel Grant (GSTG, awarded by the Office of the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies) if eligible, BEFORE submitting the Traveling Graduate Student Funding Request form.

• The GSTG application can be found by clicking on the “Travel Grant Application (PDF)” link on this webpage: https://www.umassd.edu/graduate/studentresources/
• Note that as stated in the application, you must apply for the GSTG at least 21 days prior to the beginning of travelto be considered!
• All GSS funding requests without a prior GSTG request (or an explanation of GSTG ineligibility) will be denied.

To apply for GSS funds, the graduate student must fill out the Traveling Graduate Student Funding Request form and submit it to the GSS.

1. 1. Each applicant must submit their own funding request, even if another applicant is going to the same event; combined funding requests will not be considered.
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   2. The Traveling Graduate Student Funding Request form must be submitted to the GSS at least SEVEN DAYS BEFORE the first date of travel, or their application will be ineligible. Extenuating circumstances may still be considered, contact gss@umassd.edu for questions. Note that most applications are typically processed in ~1 month, see below for details.
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   3. A graduate student should apply for funding as soon as they have confirmed their travel dates and developed a rough estimate of expenses.
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   4. >>>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE TRAVELING GRADUATE STUDENT FUNDING REQUEST FORM (EXCEL SPREADSHEET).<<<
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   5. All grey fields must be filled in by the applicant prior to submission. The form will be returned to the applicant if any grey fields are empty.
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   6. For the university’s official documentation about expenses and reimbursements, see the “Allowable Expenditures” section of the UPST Travel Expenses website.
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   7. Meals should be expensed using the standard Meals per diem rates, which vary by city and fiscal year. If traveling after June 30th, select the following year’s rates (to match the university’s fiscal calendar).
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      To look up the Meals per diem rate for travel within the US, visit https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates and enter the correct fiscal year and the destination zip code. Then click on the Meals & Incidentals (M&IE) Rates tab, and use the M&IE Total for each full day at the destination. For the first and last day of travel, use 75% of the M&IE Total.
      1. • Do not request more than the Meals per diem rate for food; you cannot be reimbursed for more than this rate.
         • Food will always be reimbursed at the total daily per diem rate, regardless of actual meal expenses.
         • Receipts are not needed for food reimbursement.
         • For international travel, use https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp
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   8. Hotel/Room Rental fees may be expensed directly (not as per diem).
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   9. If using a personal vehicle for travel, mileage may be expensed using standard rates based on https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/standard-mileage-rates/.
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   10. GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE PRESENTING THEIR WORK AND HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE GRADUATE STUDENT TRAVEL GRANT (GSTG) MUST ALSO SUBMIT THE APPROVED GSTG APPLICATION, SIGNED BY THE ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR GRADUATE STUDIES (see the “Graduate Student Travel Grant Requirement” section above for more info).
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   11. GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE PRESENTING BUT HAVE NOT (YET) RECEIVED THE GRADUATE STUDENT TRAVEL GRANT (GSTG) MUST SUBMIT IN ADDITION TO THE FUNDING REQUEST: 1) THE CONFIRMING NOTICE THAT THEIR PAPER OR CREATIVE WORK HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR PRESENTATION, AND 2) A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THEIR ADVISOR OR THE CHAIR OF THEIR DEPARTMENT.
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   12. GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT PRESENTING THEIR WORK, BUT STILL TRAVELING TO ATTEND A CONFERENCE, EXHIBIT, SEMINAR SERIES, TRAINING PROGRAM, OR SIMILAR PROFESSIONAL EVENT, MAY SEEK GSS FUNDS PROVIDED THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE TRAVELING GRADUATE STUDENT FUNDING REQUEST FORM, THE STUDENT ALSO SUBMITS: 1) A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THEIR ADVISOR OR THE CHAIR OF THEIR DEPARTMENT, AND 2) A STATEMENT OF NEED OUTLINING THE VALUE OF THE ACTIVITY AND HOW THIS ACTIVITY WILL FURTHER THE STUDENT’S STUDIES OR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
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   13. The Traveling Graduate Student Funding Request form and all required supporting documentation must be submitted via email to gss@umassd.edu.
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   14. Incomplete applications will be returned.

Click here for an example of a properly filled-out Traveling Graduate Student Funding Request form.

All awarded funds will be issued in the form of reimbursement after travel.

• ITEMIZED receipts for all expenses (except food, which is reimbursed at the per diem rate) must be submitted to your department Administrative Assistant (or the Grad Studies Office if you also received the GSTG) WITHIN 30 DAYS of return of travel (or 30 days after GSS funding approval, whichever is later) in order to be reimbursed.
• If the GSTG was awarded in addition to GSS funds, your reimbursement will be provided through the Graduate Studies Office. Work directly with this office for reimbursement.
• If only GSS funds were awarded (not a GSTG), your Administrative Assistant will need to complete a Travel Authorization before your travel, and Expense Report after your travel. Work directly with your Administrative Assistant for reimbursement.

All questions can be emailed to gss@umassd.edu.