Professional Development Diversity Travel Award

The David T. Kearns Professional Development Diversity Travel Award encourages and enables graduate students at the University of Rochester to participate in diversity-related professional and academic conferences for their professional development. Conference travel is essential to the academic growth and development of graduate students. Students will have opportunities for presentation of their research in a professional setting along with opportunities for networking and exposure to current academic research.

Travel awards are given on the basis of merit, and are intended to partially reimburse transportation, lodging, and membership expenses. The maximum grant award is $1,000 domestic, $1,500 international. The Kearns Travel Award is funded by Arts, Sciences and Engineering. The awards committee makes final decisions concerning all awards. Not all students who complete the application will receive funding.  After attendance at the conference/professional development event, awardees must submit a Finalized Expense Report and a 1-page description of the conference experience that highlights major points, techniques learned, and benefits of the experience.

Travel Award Guidelines 

• Travel awards are granted by the committee based on the strength of the recommendation, application, and the nature of the conference being considered for attendance.
• The applying student must be an enrolled, matriculated graduate student in good academic standing in the Arts, Sciences and Engineering at UR both at the time of application and at the time of travel.
• Students must be applying for funding toward attendance at an academic or professional conference, case competition, or workshop that focuses on diversity. 
• All applicants are encouraged to request funding from other sources. Additional weight will be given to applicants who have made efforts to reduce their costs and /or find additional funding toward their travel.
• A student may not receive more than one Diversity Travel Award per academic year.
• After attendance at the conference/professional development event, awardees must submit a Finalized Expense Report and a 1-page description of the conference experience that highlights major points, techniques learned, and benefits of the experience.  A blurb about your experience may be featured in public places graduate school newsletters or on the Kearns Center website.  The expense report and descriptive summary are due within 45 days of completion of completion of travel.
• In addition, students are encouraged but not required to present on their travel to members of the Kearns Center and/or UR community. 

Timeline and Deadlines for Applications

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.  Early applications are accepted and encouraged. To be considered, an application must be submitted at least one month before the first day of travel.  Hence applications are due by 11:59pm one month before anticipated travel to conference or professional development event. 

You must begin travel before June 30 of any given year. Travel beginning after July 1 will be considered part of the next academic year.

Application

To apply for the travel award, complete the application.