Undergraduate Travel Fellowships

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All Central Washington University undergraduate students who are admitted to degree programs may apply for fellowships in connection with travel to conferences, meetings, exhibits or performances where the results of their faculty-mentored research/creative activity will be presented. Normally, this fellowship will be provided to help defray the costs of travel, per diem, and registration. The nominal maximum fellowship is $500. Due to limited travel funds, the award process is highly competitive.

Students in all disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Each student who is applying for a fellowship must submit their own application; group applications are not accepted. The Undergraduate Research Advisory Committee will evaluate the applications and decide whether to provide full, partial, or no fellowship based on the individual merit of each application. Criteria for meritorious applications are described below. Incomplete applications will not receive a fellowship; it is the responsibility of the student to make sure that the application has all the required elements.

Note that each application must include a letter of support from a faculty mentor. Faculty mentors can only support up to three travel applications. Faculty who wish clarification on this policy should contact the Director at the address below. Students will be notified of the outcome as quickly as possible after each deadline.

There are three opportunities during the school year for students to apply for Travel Fellowships:

Please note that if a student learns that his/her work has been accepted to a meeting/performance/exhibit after the above recommended deadlines, s/he may still apply for a fellowship, but there is no guarantee that the committee will be able to make a decision before travel commences. (For example, if a student learns that his work has been accepted for a February meeting, he can still apply to the January deadline).

To apply, send the original and 8 copies of the complete application to:

You may also deliver the application package in person to Peggy Hill in Barge 305.

A complete application consists of the following:

1. Completed cover page. Click here to download the cover page.
2. Typed 200-word explanation of the purpose of the travel. This should describe the work being presented and articulate how the student will benefit professionally by presenting. Click here to download a sample purpose of travel explanation.
3. Detailed budget form, including costs of the trip (e.g., airfare, registration fees, meals) and amount requested from the Undergraduate Research Advisory Committee (URAC). Describe any a funding applied for and/or received from other sources.
   • Click here to download the budget form.
4. Copy of the acceptance letter for the presentation/performance/exhibit, or similar proof of participation. If evidence of acceptance is not available by the deadline, indicate that it is pending. For successful proposals, a fellowship will be released upon receipt of this evidence.
5. A copy of the abstract of your presentation if applicable.
6. Written and signed endorsement from your sponsoring faculty mentor. Research mentors should write a letter to the committee that includes the following information. Failure to address all of the points indicated could result in a reduction in the score of the student's proposal, and possible reduction of funding.
   1. verify the student's role as author and presenter,
   2. justify the travel request based on the quality and readiness for presentation of the research findings,
   3. describe the type of meeting and it's value to the student presenter, and
   4. indicate whether the faculty advisor will be attending the meeting, and/or if there will be any other faculty attending,
   5. indicate any other sources of funding, especially if the cost of the meeting exceeds the $500 award limit.
7. Completed Travel Authorization signed by the traveler (student). This may be downloaded from http://www.cwu.edu/~acctng/forms_index.html.

Criteria for meritorious applications include:

• A well-written project description that conveys a high degree of student responsibility and effort. Projects done as part of a class assignment, for example, are less likely to receive a fellowship than an independent project done in collaboration with a faculty mentor. If the project has received OUR fellowship for research, mention this. One of the goals of providing fellowships for research projects is to encourage students to present their results; the Committee will look favorably on travel requests to present the work of OUR-funded projects.
• The requested amount is reasonable and specific costs are justified. An effort has been made to economize, such as sharing hotel rooms, carpooling, or using conservative meal budgeting.
• The faculty endorsement is strong.

When you have completed your travel

To receive reimbursement, you must submit the following items to Ms. Peggy Hill in Barge 305 (Office of Graduate Studies, Research and Continuing Education, MS 7510):

1. a travel expense voucher (http://www.cwu.edu/forms/)
2. appropriate receipts (air/bus fare, registration, hotel) -- none needed for meals (per diem)
3. a copy of the program or abstract book in which your presentation/performance is listed

Click here for Undergraduate Research Travel Fellowship Regulations

Click here to download a .pdf of this page.