Students who are currently enrolled at Union College and who have done research at Union have the opportunity to present their results to a regional, national or international audience.  Funding up to $500 per student per year is available to offset the cost of travel, hotel, meal and registration expenses.

We are currently accepting Student Conference Travel Grant (SCTG) applications to fund attendance at both in-person and virtual conferences.

• In-Person Conferences: We accept applications to cover conference attendance. This can cover registration fees, travel, lodging, and meals, to a maximum of $500 per student per academic year.
• Virtual Conferences: We accept applications to cover “virtual conference” attendance. This can cover registration fees ONLY, to a maximum of $200 per student per academic year.

Eligibility

• You must be currently enrolled at Union College and have performed research for credit at Union College (i.e. senior thesis or project, research practicum, sophomore project) or received pay for your research at Union College over the summer.
• You must be enrolled in the third term of the research practicum or second term of a Scholars project or have completed the practicum or Scholars project.
• You must be making a presentation at an academic conference and provide proof of acceptance for your presentation, abstract, paper, or poster.
• Each student requesting funds must be making a separate presentation at the conference and submit separate SCTG applications.  In the case of large, multi-student projects, it is possible for more than one student to receive funding to attend the conference. It must be clear that each student has made an equivalent contribution to the work and that all are participating in the presentation.
• Terms abroad are not eligible for SCTG travel funding.
• If, in the past, you received a Summer Research Fellowship from the UGR Office, but did not completed an exit survey and a final report that has been approved by your advisor, you are ineligible for SCTG travel funding.

Funding Rules

• A maximum total SCTG award of $500 per student is allowed per academic year (July 1 to June 30).  Funds can be used for travel, lodging, meal and conference registration expenses.
• Funds are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis throughout the year.
• The College pays reasonable expenses incurred for ground and/or air transportation. It is expected that students will avail themselves of the most economical and reasonable method of transportation, e.g., taking public transportation rather than taxis.
• You must complete the Off-Campus Travel Application for all SCTG-funded travel, before you travel.  Work with your research advisor to ensure that you comply with Union College’s “Policy for Traveling Off-Campus with Students“.

Application

Applications, which must included an itemized summary of expenses, may be submitted at any time, but it should be completed at least one month before any fees associated with your conference travel need to be paid, this includes registration fee deadlines.

Accessing your Funds and Documenting your Expenses

Your award letter from the UGR Office will contain instructions for how spend your funds and report those expenses.   See the Undergraduate Research Award Guidelines for general guidance.