FUNDING FOR INDIVIDUALS
The following are designed for applications by individuals. They support travel for research & professional development.
Details of the major funds are:
1. The SAS Dean's Travel Subvention award is funded by the Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, gives $600 per year, and is guaranteed for all SAS students. Accordingly, this is the source that you should apply to first so that you can have a guaranteed source of funding to go ahead with your trip.
2. FALL 2023 UPDATE: The SASGov grants have been restructured and made simpler (see below).
3. In lieu of the previous SASGov Conference Reimbursement Grants, GAPSA Travel Grants have a much larger budget. They can fund up to $800 per application. You can apply twice a year for the GAPSA Travel Grants and can apply whether you are presenting at conferences or merely attending them. Considering the high availability of this grant, you should apply to the GAPSA travel grants after the SAS Dean's Travel Subvention to have higher security of funding.
International students: “Per the tax office, Gifts and prizes paid to nonresident aliens are subject to NRA tax withholding of 30% unless the payment is covered by a tax treaty.”
The SASGov Finance team, with the expressed consent of the SASGov General Body, has chosen to reformat the grant structure for SASGov this year to streamline the process and optimize the distribution of funds. SASGov research grants are available for students seeking up to $2000.
A few things worth noting about the new grant structure:
We request that your application be for a specific ask amount rather than the maximum allowed (i.e. do not artificially inflate your budget to reach the maximum).
All applications per pool will be evaluated in comparison to all other applications in that pool per semester. This means that applications for professional memberships will be assessed alongside those for travel and so on.
If you do not see a grant that suits your needs or need additional funding, we recommend looking into grants offered through GAPSA.
Email sasgov-finance@sas.upenn.edu with any questions about the application process.
Here is a list of items are not reimbursable by our grants per Penn policies.
SAS DEAN’S TRAVEL SUBVENTION
(Open all academic year)
Please apply for the Dean’s Travel Subvention for conference travel (below).
Travel funds for one trip per year will be made available to those PhD students who are invited to give papers or to serve as commentators at meetings of a professional organization. Only PhD students who are full-time School of Arts and Sciences graduate students in residence at the University are eligible to apply for these funds.
Travel funds may be used to cover any eligible travel expenses consistent with University Policy. Expenses will be covered up to a maximum of $600.
**Requests will only be considered upon the completion and submission of the Request for SAS Travel Subvention form prior to the trip; the form must be endorsed by the student's faculty advisor and Graduate Group or Department Chair. Contact sas-travel-subvention-grad@sas.upenn.edu for further clarification and the application details.
Please download the form at the bottom left of this section (“Apply here” button) and submit the completed form via email to sas-travel-subvention-grad@sas.upenn.edu or hand carry the form to SAS Administrative and Financial Services, 3600 Market St., Suite 501.
Award amount:
Up to $600
Required: Signature of Faculty Advisor and Graduate Group Chair
Submit to: SAS Finance Office, 3600 Market St, Ste 501/2649
Email for clarifications and application submission: 3600Market-RBO@sas.upenn.edu
SASGOV RESEARCH GRANTS
(Spring 2024 Application OPEN; Closes April 5th)
The SASGov Research Grant Application is intended to fund multiple aspects of a student’s research project. This can include funding for things like:
Field campaigns
Data acquisition
Experiments/laboratory tests
Please note that funds are limited and as such the application assessment conducted by the SASGov Finance committee is highly selective. Applications will be assessed on the basis of need & merit. Funds are not guaranteed.
Application components: All applicants must submit a written proposal (see below), a letter of recommendation, and a detailed budget document.
Maximum funding amount: $2000.00
Eligibility: Must be an enrolled PhD or MS student in the School of Arts & Sciences to qualify for funding. May not be a member of SASGov Executive Board.
Applicants should explain their work to a general audience (our finance committee represents students throughout SAS who will be reviewing these applications) in 1500 words or less (not including proposed budget or references). In your application, please be sure to highlight the following aspects of the project:
A) How is my project unique within my field of study?
B) How could my project advance the knowledge within my field of study?
C) How could my project impact academics and other researchers in related fields?
D) How could my project impact society at large?
E) If my project is funded, how will I spend the money?
Figures are allowed and encouraged but limited to 3 per submission.