GSA Research Travel Grant Application Description & Instructions
Purpose: The purpose of the GSA Research Travel Grants is to provide subvention for costs
associated with graduate student research requiring extensive travel. Such research might include
consulting archives, special collections, museums, or libraries; archaeological and/or on-site
forensic research, and similar. This research might lead to a thesis or dissertation chapter, an
essay or article for publication, a presentation, a performance, or some other, tangible product.
This is a RESEARCH TRAVEL GRANT. This grant is not intended to pay in whole or part
costs associated with attending a conference or other professional development event, which is
the purpose of the GSA Professional Development Fund, nor to aid in the physical creation of
the dissertation, which is the purpose of the GSA Thesis/Dissertation Fund.
Qualifications: Students applying for the research travel grants must be current graduate
students in good standing with the University, and members of departments in good standing
with the GSA. You must have completed one academic year of coursework (at least 4 classes
taken over the course of 2 terms) prior to your proposed research activity, but cannot complete
your degree or graduate prior to the time at which you will be using the award. Beyond your
membership in good standing with the University, the primary qualifications for determining the
recipients of these awards are: (1) Do you need to travel to complete this research? And (2) What
is your level of opportunity in undertaking this research (i.e. what benefits will you/your
department/the university accrue from this travel?) Finally, students who receive one of these
awards must be willing to speak about their experience and/or present their research findings at
one of the GSA General Assembly meetings during the following calendar year.
Instructions for Application: Please follow these instructions carefully. Incomplete or
incorrectly completed applications will be dismissed without comment.
1. Complete the student portion of the GSA Research Travel Grant Application, have
your faculty advisor complete the faculty portion, and make sure this document
accompanies your completed application.
2. Include a 1 page cover letter headed up with your name, address, email, telephone
number, department, program, expected date of graduation, and student ID #, that
details the following information: 1. The nature of the research you are conducting; 2.
Why this research requires travel; 3. The collections./archives/places you intend to
visit to conduct your research; 4. Your ability to access the collection(s) and/or
archives you intend to consult; 5. The faculty member who is supporting this
research; 6. The contact information of any individual(s) you are traveling to work
with/ study under, and/or proof of the event you are taking part in for research
purposes; 7. A tentative itinerary/ schedule for your research travel and 8. The
anticipated outcome of this research (“this research will lead to…”)
3. Send both the cover letter and the GSA Research Travel Grant Application in a single
email to gsa@uncg.edu and gsafinvp@uncg.edu. The email heading should state:
[First & Last Name GSA Research Travel Fund Application.