Graduate Student Travel Fund Policy | Department of English

The Department of English has three sources of funding available to support graduate student research travel, including travel to academic conferences. Policies and application procedures for each fund are listed below, followed by a non-exhaustive list of travel funding sources offered by the School of Arts and Sciences and the university.

All business travel at Penn is governed by Penn’s Travel & Entertainment Policy: http://www.finance.upenn.edu/comptroller/travel/

The Department of English defines research travel as travel undertaken for the express purpose of developing an academic project. This may include primary research (e.g. library and archive visits, interviews, fieldwork), the development of ideas and knowledge base (e.g. working meetings with collaborators, summer institutes, training workshops), and presentation of research at academic conferences and workshops. The research activity should advance the student’s academic work, whether for a dissertation or another academic project. Creative projects must be connected to the student’s academic work and supported by the academic advisor to be eligible for departmental research travel funding.

Personal travel may be tacked on to research travel, but departmental funding may only be used for qualifying expenses related to research travel.

Department Travel Funding Sources

Stuart Curran Fund for Graduate Student Travel

The Stuart Curran Fund for Graduate Student Travel was established through the generosity of our esteemed colleague Stuart Curran, Professor of English from 1974 until his retirement in 2013. The fund honors Professor Curran's deep commitment to stimulating and guiding graduate student research.

Any graduate student (M.A. or Ph.D.) may apply to the Curran Fund to help defray costs of any research travel, up to $500 per fiscal year (July-June). Applications may be submitted at any time throughout the year.

Eligibility: All graduate students in good standing who have not yet maxed out their $500 limit in the current fiscal year (July-June) are eligible to apply. Students who apply for less than the $500 maximum will have the remainder of their allotment available until the end of the fiscal year. Annual allotments do not roll over from year to year.

Procedures: To apply for the Stuart Curran Fund, please visit: https://upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9yHaX2PYNwrG6eG

Students must complete and submit the online form before the start date of their trip. Approval will be requested from the student's advisor (indicated on the form) and the Graduate Chair. Once approved, the AD of Graduate Studies will send the student an award letter by email and initiate the payment through Penn Marketplace. The process may take up to 2 weeks. There is no need to submit receipts at the end of the trip.

Library Research Fund

The Department allocates a modest budget to fund student travel for the purpose of library research. Students may apply for funds up to $250 per fiscal year (July-June). A maximum of ten students will receive these funds per year. Funds may be used to cover any eligible travel expenses they incur as part of their library research.

Eligibility: Any graduate students in good standing who has not applied for Library Research Funds this fiscal year is eligible to apply.

Procedures: To apply for the Library Research Fund, please visit:https://upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bqQyiuKkVoxmn1s

Approval will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis until the year's funds have been exhausted.

Summer Institute Fund

The Department allocates a modest budget to fund Ph.D. student participation in summer scholarly institutes and other qualifying summer research activities.

The amount per award will depend on how many students apply in a given year and the amount they are requesting. The Department typically cannot fully fund everyone who applies but will divide the funds equitably to fund at least partially all eligible applicants. Summer Institute Funding is stackable with other sources of travel funding, such as the Stuart Curran.

Eligibility: Any Ph.D. student in good standing who is attending a summer institute or has another qualifying summer research activity is eligible to apply.

Procedures: The Graduate Office will send out application instructions early in the spring semester each year, along with the total amount of funding available.

Other Travel Funding Sources

SAS Dean’s Travel Subvention

The Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences provides travel funding for one trip per year to Ph.D. students to participate at academic conferences. Only Ph.D. students who are full-time School of Arts and Sciences graduate students in residence at the University are eligible to apply for these funds. Departmental approval is contingent on good standing.

Travel funds may be used to cover eligible travel expenses consistent with university policy. Expenses may be covered up to a maximum of $600.

For full eligibility information and application procedures, please visit: https://www.sasgov.sas.upenn.edu/individual-funding

SASGov Research Grants

The SASGov Research Grant is intended to fund multiple aspects of a student’s research project. This can include funding for research activities such as field campaigns, data acquisition, experiments and laboratory tests.

Funds are limited and the applications are highly competitive. Applications will be assessed on the basis of need and merit. Funds are not guaranteed. The maximum award each applicant can receive is $2000. Departmental approval is contingent on good standing.

Applications are accepted by specified deadlines throughout the year. For full eligibility information and application procedures, please visit: https://www.sasgov.sas.upenn.edu/individual-funding

GAPSA Individual Grants

The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) administer several research and travel awards each year. For full information, application procedures, and deadlines, please visit: https://www.gapsa.upenn.edu/individual-grants. Departmental approval is contingent on good standing.