Student Travel to Professional Conferences and Workshops Application

Changes for AY25-26: Students will only be reimbursed for the ‘early’ registration fee for student members. Mileage is reimbursed at the Tier 2 rate. Students are required to apply for funding from other sources, in addition to CoSM, such as SGA. If students do not apply for funding from other sources in addition to CoSM, then the maximum they can be awarded from CoSM is $300. College of Science and Mathematics (CoSM) STEM Education Fund (AY25-26)

Each year approximately $5,000 will be available through CoSM’s STEM Education Fund to help support students to present at professional conferences or attend professional workshops.

Funding is available for two categories of students:

Students who are presenting their research or other scholarly endeavors at conferences

Students who have been chosen through a competitive application process to attend a workshop that is designed to teach skills to prepare them for success in graduate school and a career in research in their major career field

Students who fall within these two categories may apply for up to $500 to help offset the cost of travel. For presentation at conferences, travel funds are limited to the presenting student author. Students who are not the presenting author, but are attending a conference are not eligible for travel funding. Only one student presenter will be funded for a presentation.

To receive this award, students must be in programs within the College of Science and Mathematics and have a research mentor who is also in the College. Students are limited to four awards from this program during the duration of their undergraduate career. Graduate students are eligible to apply if no funding is available from the Graduate School.

Application Process

Students submit a hard copy of the following documentation to the Dean’s Office (Bailey Science Center, room 1036). Applications submitted less than 30 days prior to the travel date will not be reviewed. Incomplete applications or applications that are submitted using an outdated form will not be reviewed.

Required documents:

The following application with signatures (Do not submit instructions with your application)

A copy of the acceptance letter or email that includes the email address of the conference organizer.

The Dean’s Office may reach out to the student and the faculty mentor if there are any questions about the submitted application. Travel awards are granted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted, so students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. On a case by case basis, the student may be given approval to apply for funding while they wait for an acceptance letter from the conference organizers; in this case, the student may receive funding contingent on providing the acceptance letter. Students will be notified of an award usually within a week of receiving the completed application.

While there are no due dates, we will stop accepting applications the first Monday of March or when available funds have been used.

Funding Sources

To be eligible to receive the maximum amount of the award ($500), students are required to apply for funding from other sources. If a student chooses to not seek funding from other sources, then the maximum amount of funding the student can receive from CoSM is $300.

The SGA offers individual awards up to $300 (https://www.valdosta.edu/student/safac/student-government-association-blazer-allocation-committee-small-allocation.php). Other sources may include faculty mentor’s grants, Department, Honors College, Graduate School. The student or the student’s faculty mentor must notify Stephanie Pierce in the Dean’s office (stepierce@valdosta.edu) if additional funding is received after this application is submitted and prior to student travel.

Funding and Reimbursement

Within 30 days after travel is completed, the request for reimbursement must be submitted to the CoSM Dean’s Office (Bailey Science Center, room 1036); contact Stephanie Pierce with any questions regarding reimbursement process. It is the student’s responsibility to save all necessary receipts. The 30 days will be shortened as we near the end of the fiscal year.

Hotel: Students who are in the same major/program are expected to share hotel rooms with other same-gender VSU students who are attending the same conference or workshop. The dean’s office will communicate with students and their faculty mentors when opportunities for room-sharing are present, but not included in the budget. The funded amount may be reduced when multiple students are attending the same meeting, but hotel rooms are not being shared. Typically, cost of hotel will only be covered for the night immediately preceding the start of the conference through the night of the last day of the conference. Additional hotel costs will be covered by the attendee.

Mileage: When possible, students are expected to carpool to conferences within driving distance. The funded amount may be reduced when multiple students are attending the same meeting, and carpooling is not being used. Students will be reimbursed using the Tier 2 mileage rate.

Meals: Meals and per diem are not funded.

Registration Fee: CoSM will only cover the ‘early’ registration fee for student members.

Acknowledgement: Students are expected to acknowledge the College of Science & Mathematics for financial support in their presentation.

University Policy: It is the student’s responsibility to follow all university procedures (https://www.valdosta.edu/administration/finance-admin/financial-services/travel/) including submitting a travel authorization form. For travel to meetings within the state of Georgia, tax exemption forms (https://www.valdosta.edu/administration/finance-admin/financial-services/forms/) should be given to the hotel upon check-in. Failure to follow university procedures, including submission of a travel authorization form, may prevent reimbursement of expenses. Talk with your faculty mentor if you have any questions.

Student Travel to Professional Conferences and Workshops Application

College of Science and Mathematics STEM Education Fund (AY25-26)

I. STUDENT INFORMATION

Name: Click here to enter your name

Student ID Number: Click here to enter your 870 number

Email: Click here to enter your email address

Mailing Address: Click here to enter your address

Phone: Click here to enter your phone number

II. FACULTY MENTOR INFORMATION

Faculty Advisor/Mentor: Click here to enter your faculty advisor

Email Address of Faculty Mentor: Click here to enter email address

III. CONFERENCE OR WORKSHOP INFORMATION

A. Conference or Workshop Name: Click here to enter the conference name

Conference Webpage Address: Click here to enter the webpage address

Conference or Workshop Location: Click here to enter the city, state (city, country, if international)

Conference or Workshop Dates: Click here to enter the dates

Dates of Travel: Click here to enter the dates

If an Author on a Presentation, Type of Presentation: Choose the type of presentation

If you chose “Other” please describe: Click to enter text

If you chose “Not Applicable” because you are attending a workshop that does not involve a presentation, please attach a copy of the acceptance letter or email and provide the webpage for the workshop that includes details of the workshop: Click to enter webpage address

Presentation Title: Click here to enter the title of your presentation

Attach a copy of the acceptance letter or email to this application.

Authors and Affiliations: List the authors and their affiliations (Department, University). Underline the name of the presenter; identify undergraduate students with an asterisk (*); identify graduate students with a double asterisk (**).

Click here to list all of the authors and their affiliations who are authors on the abstract

☐ Check the box to acknowledge that you are the presenting author for a poster or oral presentation.

Abstract: Click here to enter a copy of your abstract

If funding is approved, will you allow publication of your abstract and your photo from the event? Yes ☐	No ☐ (Please remember to take your photo at the event)

Are you attending with other VSU students? Yes ☐	No ☐

If yes, please provide the names of the other VSU students, and put as asterisk (*) next to the names of other students who are also presenting at the same conference.

Click here to enter the names of the VSU students

IV. FUNDING JUSTIFICATION

Describe your contribution to the research. If you are not attending a research conference put “Not applicable.” (200 words maximum)

Click here to enter text

Please describe how attending the conference or workshop is beneficial to you. (200 words maximum)

Click here to enter text

V. ESTIMATED EXPENSES. See: https://www.valdosta.edu/administration/finance-admin/financial-services/travel/ for policy.

Transportation Cost:

Air: Click here to enter cost

Personal Car:	Click here to enter total miles

Click here to enter rate per mile

Click here to enter total cost

Click here to enter name(s) of student(s) who will be riding with you

Automobile Rental:	Click here to enter number of days

Click here to enter cost per day

Click here to enter total cost

Click here to enter name(s) of student(s) who will be riding with you

Other Transportation Cost(s): Click here to enter the description and the amount(s)

Conference or Workshop Registration Fees: CoSM will reimburse the cost for the ‘early’ registration fee for student members.

Early Registration Fee: Click here to enter cost

Hotel: Students are expected to share hotel rooms with other same-gender VSU students who are also presenting at the same conference or workshop; exceptions to this must be approved in advance. As of May 2025, State of Georgia travel policy indicates that use of lodging providers such as AirBnB, HomeAway, VRBO, etc. is not permitted.

☐ Check this box if you are the only student within your department at VSU who will be presenting at this conference or workshop. Your faculty mentor will help you determine if any other VSU students are presenting.

☐ Check this box if you are sharing the hotel room with another individual. Note: If you are sharing a room with another attendee and splitting cost, your receipt from the hotel must have your name on it for the amount you paid. If the other attendee is paying the full amount, you cannot request funding to cover hotel costs.

☐ Check this box if you are sharing the hotel room with another VSU student who is presenting at a meeting.

Enter the name(s) of the VSU student(s) with whom you are sharing a hotel room and the title of their presentation:

Click here to enter name(s) of students and the title(s) of their presentation(s)

Hotel or Motel: Click here to enter the name of the hotel or motel

Nights: Click here to enter number of nights

Cost per night: Click here to enter cost

Total Cost:	Click here to enter total cost

Cost per night per student (if you are not sharing a room, then enter the same amount as above): Click here to enter cost

Total per student (if you are not sharing a room, then enter the same amount as above): Click here to enter cost

Other Costs of Travel: Note that costs associated with presentation materials, including poster printing or shipping, will not be covered.

Click here to enter description(s) and cost(s)

Total Cost of Trip: Click here to enter total cost of trip

Amount Requested from CoSM: Click here to enter the amount you are requesting

Amount Requested from Other Sources: Click here to enter the amount you are requesting

VI. Funds RECEIVED and/or Requested from Other Sources

Fill in the Table Below. If a category is not applicable or unavailable, use N/A. If you have requested funding, but have not received a decision, put “pending” under amount received.

FACULTY MENTOR SUPPORT
Grant Funding Organization or Other Source(s) from Faculty Mentor	Amount Requested	Amount Received
DEPARTMENTAL SUPPORT
Department	Amount Requested	Amount Received
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION SUPPORT
Organization Name (do not use abbreviations)	Amount Requested	Amount Received
VSU STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION SUPPORT
Student Government Association	Amount Requested	Amount Received
Individual Award Request (https://www.valdosta.edu/student/safac/student-government-association-blazer-allocation-committee-small-allocation.php). If you have already received your allocation from the SGA for the current academic year (AY25-26) to attend another meeting, please check this box ☐
OTHER SUPPORT NOT INCLUDED IN PREVIOUS CATEGORIES
Other Source(s) of Support (internal or external to VSU)	Amount Requested	Amount Received
TOTAL FUNDS REQUESTED/RECEIVED FROM OTHER SOURCES

VII. Previous Funding Received

Have you previously received travel funds from CoSM to attend meetings? Yes ☐ No ☐

If you answered ‘yes’, please list the years you received funding and the amounts.

Click here to enter text.

VIII. SignatureS

Please acknowledge the following:

☐ All of the information submitted in this application is accurate.

☐ I understand that in order to be eligible to be awarded $500, I must seek additional funding, but if I choose not to seek additional support, the maximum amount I can receive from CoSM is $300.

☐ I agree to acknowledge the College of Science and Mathematics for funding support in poster and oral presentations.

☐ I agree to submit all necessary paperwork and receipts for reimbursement as indicated in the award letter.

Student Signature	Date

Support Signatures:

Faculty Mentor, please acknowledge the following:

☐ I acknowledge that the student has applied for funding from other sources, or if the student chooses not to seek additional funding, the maximum amount the student can receive from CoSM is $300.

☐ I support this application for funding from CoSM.

☐ I agree to assist the student with submitting a travel authorization form and to clarify policy and procedure, as needed.

☐ I will help the student determine if there are other VSU students in the department who will be attending the same conference to reduce hotel and travel costs.

Faculty Mentor Signature	Date

Department Head, please acknowledge the following:

☐ I acknowledge that the student has applied for funding from other sources.

☐ I support this application for funding from CoSM.

☐ I agree to assist the student with submitting a travel authorization form and to clarify policy and procedure, as needed.

☐ I will help the student determine if there are other VSU students in the department who will be attending the same conference to reduce hotel and travel costs.

Department Head Signature	Date

IX. Funding Decision (To be filled out by Dean’s Office)

Date	Amount Awarded