The Dean’s Student Travel Fund program provides grants for undergraduates and graduate students to present original research at professional and academic conferences.

Eligibility & Award Stipulations

  • These awards are available to undergraduate and graduate students actively pursuing a major within the College of Letters & Science.
  • The award supports students who present a paper or poster at conferences.Eligible expenses include airfare, lodging, mileage, and conference registration fees.
  • Students may apply for one award up to $1000 to cover one or more conferences.
  • Please note that the College does not provide funding for students who only plan to attend a conference without presenting. Additionally, these awards cannot be used for research trips or shadowing opportunities.
  • Decisions regrading applications will not be made until a few weeks into each semester, so plan accordingly and have a backup plan if you are not approved for funding.

Application

Students must submit the following packet to clsawards@montana.edu: 

  • A cover sheet.
    • Full name, major, phone number, email address, number of credits completed, and cumulative GPA.
  • Overview of the research opportunity.
    • Research topic, conference name, dates, and location.
  • Budget.
    • Estimated travel, lodging, and registration fees. 
  • Essay on how this award will advance the applicant’s research and/or professional goals.

Also required:

  • One recommendation letter from a faculty member speaking to the applicant's potential and their specific research opportunity.
    • Applicants: please reach out to your chosen faculty member as soon as possible to give them an adequate amount of time to writethe letter of recommendation.
    • Faculty: Letters of recommendation are held to the same deadline as the student's application and can be sent directly to clsawards@montana.edu.

Award Periods

Fall Application Period

This period covers opportunities occurring between July 1 and December 31. Any travel occurring between July 1 and notification of award will be considered for retroactive reimbursement.

2024 Fall

Applications for Fall 2024 are closed.

Spring Application Period

This period covers opportunities occurring between January 1 and June 30.  Any travel occurring between January 1 and notification of award will be considered for retroactive reimbursement.

2025 Spring

Applications for Spring 2025 are currently open! Please submit all the above application materials to clsawards@montana.edu by Tuesday, February 18th. 

Acceptance

Students will work with their home department on spending their awards. Award recipients are encouraged to attend and participate in the College of Letters & Science Annual Awards Ceremony at the end of the academic year. 

Contact

Sheridan Peña
Academic Services Manager
College of Letters & Science
(406) 994-4288
sheridan.pena@montana.edu