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Graduate Student Professional Development Grant (GSPDG)
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Description
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The Graduate Student Professional Development Grant (GSPDG) was established to support graduate student academic progress and foster professional growth by encouraging students to present, perform or compete at significant conferences or exhibitions. Funds are subject to availability.
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Grant Guidelines
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Student Eligibility (Please see Eligible Expenses for more details.)
Graduate students are eligible to apply for an award if the following conditions are met:
- The student is in good academic standing in a DU traditional, graduate, degree-granting program and within the time limit of his/her degree at the time of the activity. Sturm College of Law, University College, and non-traditional program students are not eligible.
- The student has been accepted to present, perform or compete at a significant conference or exhibition.
- The proposed activity directly relates to and advances progress towards the student’s degree.
- The student has received partial funding from their Graduate Student Association (GSA) in the current or prior academic quarter.
Award Priorities
- Preference is given to students participating in conferences with the greatest impact on professional development and that provide the greatest opportunity for public dissemination.
- Priority is given to applicants who have not received grants in the current or previous academic year.
Award Period
The Grant Committee will review applications fall, winter, and spring quarters. The grant is designed to provide reimbursement for expenses incurred in presentation of scholarly and creative work at professional conferences.
Selection Criteria
Criteria for funding will include the clarity and coherence of the rationale for the project, the significance of the venue, the value of the project for the student's graduate school and career goals, the student’s academic standing, and the relevance and reasonableness of the budget request for the activities proposed. If the number and amount of requests exceed available funding, priority will be given to students who have not received funding in the past.
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Application
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Contact Information
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Application Deadlines and Process
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In order to be considered for funding, GSPDG applications must be:
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- previously approved for funding by the applicant's Graduate Student Association (GSA),
- forwarded to the Office of Graduate Education by the DU staff member who processes the GSA reimbursement, and
- received by the Office of Graduate Education by the GSPDG Application Deadline below.
Incomplete applications will be returned to the GSA without being considered for funding.
Conference Travel Dates
GSPDG Application Deadline
GSPDG Reimbursements Begin
September - November
January 15th (after conference)
January 22nd
November - March
April 1st (after conference)
April 8th
March -September
September 23rd (after conference)
As received, by September 30th
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Eligible Expenses
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Supported activities include the following:
- Presenting a paper or poster or serving on a panel or as a session chair at a professional conference.
- Performance or exhibition as required by the graduate program.
- Competing at an academic competition in which participation is limited to students enrolled in graduate programs at nationally accredited higher education institutions.
- The presentation or performance must be central to the student's graduate studies and serve to contribute directly to his or her degree.
- Students may receive reimbursement for the following: airfare, train/bus fare, car rental, fuel, conference registration fees, presentation materials, transfers between hotel and airport, and hotel room costs.
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Ineligible Expenses
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Grants may not be used to fund the following:
- Attending a conference without making a presentation.
- Presentations unrelated to the graduate program.
- Travel expenses to gather research material.
- Travel or other expenses associated with a course taken for academic credit.
- Insurance for rental car, meals, telephone charges, room service, valet, laundry services and movie rentals.
- Expenses that have not already been incurred or for which receipts are not available.
- Tuition or fees.
- Normal living expenses such as rent, transportation child care, and utilities or personal emergencies.
- Books, photocopies or materials to prepare for program requirements (e.g., courses; oral, qualifying, or comprehensive exams; language preparation).
- Computers, computer equipment, cameras or camera equipment.
- Stipends