Graduate Student Research Travel Grants – Application Instructions

OVERVIEW

Graduate Student Research Travel Grants provide KU graduate students with financial support for humanities-oriented research (such as archival work, fieldwork, or interviews) that requires domestic or international travel. Funds can be used for transportation, lodging, meals reimbursement, and project-related expenses (e.g., photocopying, access fees). 

The Hall Center awards ten Graduate Student Research Travel Grants of up to $3500 each per year. The money is received in the form of reimbursement for travel expenses. The grants reimburse awardees for travel-related and research expenses up to the maximum amount stated in the award letter.  Only one application per graduate student is permitted each year.

One of these ten awards is named the Andrew Debicki International Graduate Travel Award and supports travel outside the United States. (This award is provided by Mary-Elizabeth Guinness, formerly Debicki, in honor of University Distinguished Professor Andrew P. Debicki, former Dean of the Graduate School and former director of the Hall Center for the Humanities.) 

Another of these ten awards is named the Jim Martin Graduate Travel Award and supports travel inside the United States. (This award is made possible by Kathy Martin and family, in honor of Jim Martin, former president of the KU Endowment Association and former Hall Center Advisory Board member.)

The other eight are named Hall Center for the Humanities Graduate Research Travel Awards and may be used for travel inside or outside the United States. 

This program does not support travel to conferences, travel to undertake performances, costs associated with mounting exhibitions, or residencies except in cases where the applicant can demonstrate that the location of the residency is necessary for conducting research (for example, collecting archival materials or visiting locations to be featured in a novel or other creative work).

Please note that no KU funds can be used for travel to countries on the State Department warning list.

Applications from the Arts and Social Sciences are welcome, but applicants must demonstrate the ways in which their project utilizes themes and methodologies from the humanities.

DEADLINE:  Monday, November 13, 2023 at 11:59PM

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible applicants will:

1. Be KU graduate students working on a humanities-oriented research or creative project who will have successfully completed all required coursework for the MA, MFA, or PhD by the end of the semester in which they are applying;

2. Demonstrate a high level of motivation, including the ability to establish and achieve goals; and

3. Have not already received a Graduate Research Travel Award from the Hall Center for the Humanities.

REQUIREMENTS

Award recipients are required to:

1. Complete all travel by the deadline stated in the award letter.

2. Submit a brief report describing the work accomplished and its impact on the overall project. The report is due no later than four weeks immediately following completion of research travel. Failure to comply with this requirement will make the individual ineligible for future funding from the Hall Center;  

3. Register travel through the University by completing the following TRAVEL REQUEST FORM.

4. Register international travel through the Student International Travel Registry, maintained by the KU Office of Study Abroad; and

5. Submit all receipts for reimbursement within 90 days of the date the expense was incurred to: hchaccounting@ku.edu. Central accounting requires that receipts be accompanied by a travel itinerary detailing the work undertaken during each day of travel. Different processes exist for U.S. citizens and permanent residents (w/ a green card) and international students. If you receive an award, please reach out as early as possible to discuss the details.

APPLICATION PROCESS

All application materials must be submitted through the Hall Center Competitions Portal.  Paper submissions will not be accepted.  For an application to be verified as complete, and thus forwarded for committee review, applicants must:

1. Create an account or log in to an existing account.

2. Select the Apply Now button next to this competition. 

3. Complete the Applicant Information form in the Portal.

NOTE: The demographic questions in the application form are optional. We would appreciate your responses as they allow us to chart demographic data and better comprehend the communities we reach and serve through this competition and award program. This information will not be used for determining awards.