Student Funding to Professional Conferences
Guidelines for student attendance at professional conferences
Each year the School of Information Sciences (The iSchool) is able to provide a limited amount of funding to support student attendance at professional conferences. Students' expenses are partially underwritten by the iSchool or the SIS Student Organizations. No student will receive funding to cover all expenses. Students are eligible for this funding one time per academic year. Therefore, please consider your applications carefully, and prioritize your requests.
Because more students want to attend the meetings than the iSchool will underwrite, selection criteria have been developed. These include the following:
For consideration, the students must:
- Submit an application by the FIRST of the month, at least one month in advance. For example, if you’re going to a conference on September 15, your application will be due on August 1.
- Hold membership in the association which is holding the conference or have a paper/poster accepted for presentation. (Attendee must show evidence of the paper being accepted.)
- Ask your advisor to send
an e-mail to Brandi Belleau at bbelleau@sis.pitt.edu,
endorsing your application for funding.
Priority is given to students who meet one or more of the following:
- Are invited to participate in a conference (e.g. present a paper or poster, serve as a speaker, moderator, panelist, etc.);
- Hold committee assignments within the association;
- Are nearing the completion of degree requirements, but will not have graduated at the time of the conference;
- Have maintained a high scholastic average;
- Are active members of student, local, regional, or national professional organizations (e.g. SISGO, Doctoral Guild, Diversity Student Organization, or the student chapters of ALA, ASIST or SLA).
Students are encouraged to submit requests in groups which share expenses, such as lodging and travel. The Committee will try to match students attending the same conference as a means of reducing expenses and leveraging existing funds.
Several responsibilities accompany the privilege of attending the meetings with financial support from the iSchool.
EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT -- The University has very stringent policies about reimbursement for travel expenses; the procedures will be explained prior to the conference.
Please note: to be reimbursed, you must present original receipts for your expenses, including proof of travel.
If you are planning to book TRAVEL arrangements prior to receiving confirmation of your request, you should use a Certified Travel Agency approved by the University.
If you are able to book a flight at a lower rate on-line, please give a copy of the "electronic ticket" to Brandi Belleau, Room 500B IS Building with a note stating that the airfare was reduced by purchasing the ticket on-line.
WORK ASSIGNMENTS -- If the iSchool should have a booth at the conference you attend, attendees are expected to assist SIS faculty or staff for a minimum of two hours per day throughout the conference. Duties vary, but may include setting up or staffing the SIS booth, assisting at social events, running errands, contacting alumni, dismantling the display, etc.
Other possible sources of funding: GPSA Travel Grant Application, Pitt's University Center for International Studies