SIS Graduate Research, Conference & Internship
Grant Application
School of International Service
Application Guidelines and Instructions
The School of International Service is pleased to announce a competition for travel grants funded by the School.
Graduate students may apply for this grant if they will be participating in a conference, internship or conducting
research as an SIS student. Grant recipients will be eligible to receive up to $500 for domestic travel and up to $1000
for international travel in support of the aforementioned activities.
Eligibility:
 You must be an SIS graduate student in good standing (3.0 minimum GPA).
 All activities must be directly related to your academic studies at SIS or to relevant professional development goals.
 PhD students are not eligible to apply.
The grant cannot be used to fund a semester or short-term study abroad program.
The grant cannot be used to fund an SIS Practicum.
The grant cannot be used to fund NRSD student internships.
(NRSD students should contact Dr. Judy Shapiro (shapshap@comcast.net for funding opportunities)
Application Materials:
1. Student information form
2. Statement of purpose- A detailed description of how you plan to use the proposed grant.
[between 500- 1500 words; 12 pt. font, single spaced]
Applicants will tailor their statement and provide specific information for one of the following opportunities:
□ Research Proposal
□ Conference/workshop
□ Internship
Please follow the statement of purpose guidelines in the Eligibility and Application Information section
below.
3. Itemized budget and an outline of your proposed travel itinerary
4. Letter of recommendation (preferably from an AU faculty member; professional recommendations accepted if
applicable to conference or internship travel)
5. CV/Résumé
6. Unofficial AU transcript (if you have not yet completed a semester at AU, please include an official or unofficial
transcript from a previous institution)
7. Conference registration forms (applicable for conference attendance)
8. Paper abstract (applicable for conference presentation)
9. Internship agreement [official acceptance letter from organization/supervisor or email confirmation] (if applicable)
Application Process and Deadlines:
1. Submit completed applications by email: gradresearchgrants@american.edu
2. Application deadline for late Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 semester competition: Monday, November 1, 2015.
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SIS Graduate Research, Conference & Internship
Grant Application
School of International Service
Student Information Form
Student Information
Last name: ___________________ First name: _________________ Middle Initial: ____
AU ID #: _______________________________
Gender: □ Female □ Male Date of Birth: ________________________
Daytime Phone: ___________________ Evening Phone: _______________________
E-mail address: ________________________________
Academic Information
SIS MA Program: _______________________________________________
Current cumulative GPA: ___________ Expected graduation date: _______________
Travel Information
Date(s) of travel: ___________________________
Purpose of travel: □ Research □ Internship □ Conference □ Other: _______________
Are you registering this experience for credit? □ Yes □ No
Are you a Foreign National? □ Yes □ No
AU Faculty Recommender
Please provide the name and contact information of a faculty member who will provide a reference for you.
Name of recommender: _____________________________________________________
Department: _______________________ Phone: __________________________
Student Signature
I confirm that all information included in this application is true and complete.
_________________________________________________ __________________
Signature of applicant
Date
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SIS Graduate Research, Conference & Internship
Grant Application
School of International Service
Eligibility & Application Information
Who is eligible to receive funding?
SIS MA students are eligible to apply for funding to defray the costs of attending conferences, conducting
research or participating in an internship. Undergraduate, non-SIS students, PhD Students and NRSD students are not
eligible to apply. (NRSD students should contact Judy Shapiro for funding opportunities)
Grant money cannot be used to fund travel to countries categorized as very high risk by the University. To
find out if a specific country is currently in this category, please e-mail gradresearchgrants@american.edu. Please note
that the security status of any country is subject to change; in the event that a grant recipient’s research destination
becomes very high risk, s/he may be required to attend a high risk workshop prior to departure.
Grant money cannot be used to pay tuition or to fund a SIS Summer Abroad, Semester Abroad Program or
any other formal study abroad programs. SIS graduate students accepted into an SIS Abroad Program may be
eligible to apply for the Leeanne J. Dunsmore Study Abroad Scholarship.
Grant money cannot be used to pay tuition or to fund an SIS Practicum.
Applicants with confirmed internship placements will be given priority. If an internship is unconfirmed at the time
of application submission, students selected for the award will be given a conditional acceptance until proper
documentation to confirm the internship placement is provided. Students will not be able to utilize any awarded funds
until after the placement has been confirmed. The deadline to submit proof on internship confirmation will be stated
in your acceptance letter. Failure to meet this deadline will result in a forfeiting the award.
When do I apply for a grant if I want to travel in the:
late Fall or Spring semester travellate Fall 2015, winter break, and Spring 2016 semester travel: November 1, 2015
Summer or early Fall semester travelication deadline for Summer and Fall 2016 travel: March 2016 (deadline TBA)
When and how will the grant money be distributed?
For the Summer competition:
Instructions for receiving this award:
1) US citizen who currently works at the University (e.g. grad assistant, etc.)
a. How: One time payment
b. Paperwork: Students should check and see if their direct deposit information is up-to-date on the portal
c. Timeline: Payments will be made within 15 business days from the time the SIS Budget Office submits the request.
Students will be notified directly, by the SIS Budget Office, when their payments have been submitted
d. Taxes: Students will be taxed immediately on their award
e. Notifying SIS Budget Office: Students must email the SIS Office of Financial Operations at sisofo@american.edu
confirming they work at the University before payments can be submitted
f. Pick-up: Checks can be picked up from HR directly at 3201 New Mexico Ave Suite 350. The SIS Budget Office will
notify students when checks are ready.
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2) US citizen who does not currently work at the University
a. How: One time payment
b. Paperwork: Students need to complete a W9 (attached) before checks can be processed. The W9s can be sent to SIS
Office of Financial Operations at sisofo@american.edu
c. Timeline: Payments will be made within 15 business days from the time the SIS Budget Office submits the requests.
Students will be notified directly, by the SIS Budget Office, when their payments have been submitted
d. Taxes: Students will receive a 1099 at year end
e. Notifying SIS Budget Office: Send the W9 to SIS Office of Financial Operations at sisofo@american.edu
f. Pick-up: Checks can be picked up at the SIS Welcome Center. Please refer to 'timeline' to figure out the date of their
arrival
3) Foreign National who currently works or does not work at the University
a. How: One time payment
b. Paperwork: This is a case by case basis.
c. Timeline: Payments will be made within 20 business days from the time the SIS Budget Office submits the requests.
Students will be notified directly, by the SIS Budget Office, when their payments have been submitted
d. Taxes: Students should go to this link to learn about taxes for FNs: http://www.american.edu/ocl/isss/taxes.cfm
e. Notifying SIS Budget Office: Students must email the SIS Office of Financial Operations at
sisofo@american.educonfirming they are a FN.
f. Pick-up: Please notify the SIS Office of Financial Operations at sisofo@american.edu directly where to pick-up your
checks
How much funding is available?
an internship, or conference. Students will either receive a check from AU with the awarded amount (taxable) or may
book their travel and hotels through the University’s travel agent [World Travel]. More detailed instructions on this
travel agent booking will be provided upon award acceptance.
If I have received this grant in the past, am I able to apply again?
However, each student is only eligible to receive a maximum of $1000 for this grant during their time as a student. For
example, if a student previously received $500 for this grant they are eligible to apply for the grant in another
application cycle, but will only be considered to receive up to $500. This policy stands regardless of whether or not the
proposed activity is domestic or international.
Where does the grant money come from?
School of International Service and the SIS Dean’s Office supports these awards.
When will I be notified if I’ve been chosen as a grant recipient?
to three weeks.
he deadline, and grant recipients are typically notified within two
Do I need to submit any additional forms, paperwork, or have other responsibilities after being selected as a grant recipient?
If you are planning to use your grant for travel outside the United States you will be required to complete the
Graduate Global Program (GGP) forms prior to your departure. The GGP forms are mandatory and ensure that both
students and the School have relevant contact information as well as students being covered by international
emergency health insurance for the duration of their time abroad.
Upon their return, grant recipients will be required to submit two things:
1) a short, 500 word summary of the trip that explains how the experience complimented their academic studies or
professional development goals and any relevant highlights/challenges;
2) at least two relevant photos from their experience that may be featured on the SIS Abroad website. These materials
should be submitted within one week of the recipients return to: gradresearchgrants@american.edu.
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Grant recipients are required to sign a photo release as a condition of the grant.
Application Questions
What should I include in my Statement of purpose?
your academic and professional goals, and how you specifically intend to utilize the grant. It must be between 5001500 words; 12 pt. font, single spaced.
Please follow these guidelines for the respective statement you are writing:
□ Research Proposal
Please see the desired research proposal components below in the Application Questions section.
- Research for a Substantial Research Project or an Independent Study- Please add the title, the name of your faculty supervisor
and attach a memo that describes the SRP topic OR the independent study topic and your research plans.
The ideal research proposal will address the following:
- Describe the objectives and expected outputs of your research
- What does your study seeks to answer?
- Why is this topic important and interesting?
- Explain your methodology
- How will the research conducted during your travel contribute to the broader research project?
□ Conference/workshop
Please add the title, the location, your expected role (i.e. presenter or participant), and how you hope to benefit from
the experience. Please also indicate the status of your role (i.e. confirmed, awaiting reply, etc.). If confirmed, please
provide some form of proof.
□ Internship
Please indicate where and when you are interning, the duties of your role, how the internship is counting towards your
academic program, and how the grant would support your internship. If you do not yet have an internship placement
confirmed, please describe the internships to which you have applied/are applying.
What kinds of things should I include in my detailed budget? *
n fees (if applicable)
*As an option for students, you may email gradresearchgrants@american.edu for a budget template to be used for
your application.
How do I obtain a copy of my unofficial transcript?
have not completed a semester at AU, please include an official or unofficial transcript from a previous institution
Any other questions? Please email gradresearchgrants@american.edu.
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