Career & Professional Development

• • • • Funds for Scholarly Travel

        These funds support individual graduate students invited to attend or present their research or work at a conference or meeting by covering the cost of registration, lodging, meals and/or transportation. The maximum grant is typically $500. Preference is given to students in programs with limited financial resources for this type of activity and to students whose work is not already supported by a faculty research grant that may provide similar funding support.

        All available funds are normally allocated during each review period, and therefore requests received after the deadlines are not usually considered. However, if funds remain for that funding period, late requests may be considered.

      • Professional Development Travel Funds

        This fund supports individual graduate students who wish to attend professional development workshops or programs of a professional interest that are not venues for the students to present their own research or scholarly work. Maximum grant is typically $500.

        All available funds are normally allocated during each review period, and therefore requests received after the deadlines are not usually considered. However, if funds remain for that funding period, late requests may be considered.

      • Funding for Interdisciplinary Symposia, Seminars and Workshops

        This fund supports groups of students who wish to organize symposia, seminar series and workshops. The maximum grant is typically $2,000. The fund’s intent is to encourage student-initiated events that enrich the Western graduate student experience by providing opportunities to present ideas and research to audiences across disciplines. Students should participate as presenters, speakers and moderators, as well as organizers. Successful proposals might include, for example, symposia that expose the work of graduate students to groups outside the University, workshops that bring faculty and students from other campuses to interact with Western students on a focused topic, or works-in-progress colloquia. Preference will be given to interdisciplinary programs that provide students the opportunity to engage with others outside their discipline.

        Funds may be used for reimbursement of reasonable event related expenses. The School of Graduate Studies policy is to reimburse for expenses up to the awarded amount. Students who have been awarded with funding for interdisciplinary symposia, seminars or workshops may choose the frequency in which they submit receipts. Funding may not be used to compensate student(s) for services related to work.

        Proposals are reviewed twice per year.

      • Funding for Professional Development Initiatives

        This fund supports graduate programs and groups of students in receiving professional development through their own initiatives. Maximum grant is typically $2,000. The fund’s intent is to encourage graduate programs and students to pursue professional development experiences that will enrich the student experience and prepare students for careers after graduate study. Funds may be used for programming and events that fill a professional development need not currently met through the department or other campus resources. Proposal could include, for example, industry networking events, alumni panels on careers, and group workshops on transferable skill development.

        Awards may be used to fund:

        • Honoraria and/or travel costs for guest speakers
        • Operational costs (refreshments, food, room and equipment rental, etc.)
        • Publicity and/or printing

        The School of Graduate Studies policy is to reimburse for expenses up to the awarded amount. Students who have been awarded funding for a professional development initiative may choose the frequency in which they submit receipts. Funding may not be used to compensate student(s) for services related to work.

        Proposals are reviewed twice per year.

Applying for Travel Funds

should be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies (graduatestudies@western.edu) by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the submission deadline. Proposal documents should be submitted as a single PDF file and must include the following:

• • 1. Summary Page. This form requires the signatures of your graduate advisor/mentor and program director.
    2. Narrative. Briefly describe (not to exceed one page in length) the purpose of the travel and the benefits to you and/or the graduate program.
    3. Budget. Please include a detailed budget. The budget must include all expenses and include other sources of funding subsidizing your activity. The amount and the source of available matching or in-kind contributions must be documented.

Applying for Funding for Professional Development Initiatives or Interdisciplinary Symposia, Seminars, and Workshop

Proposals submitted to the School of Graduate Studies (graduatestudies@western.edu) by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the submission deadline. Proposal documents should be submitted as a single PDF file and must include the following:

• • 1. Description and Event Details
       Provide a description of the proposed program(s) or event(s).
       Include plans for timing of events, location and number of graduate students likely to participate. Explain what successful event attendance would look like for this type of program (e.g., number of graduate students attending, number of faculty attending, graduate programs represented, how distance students will be served, etc.).
       Provide a marketing plan for the event or series.
    2. Key Personnel
       Name those individuals who will be responsible for planning and logistics of the program or event, and indicate their roles in the process.Identify any other campus partners or resources that may be useful in making the event successful.
    3. Need and Impact
       Explain the need for the event and the intended impact on graduate student professional development or academic experience.
       Identify existing programming and resources the program currently provides to support graduate students.
       Explain the potential for long-term impact beyond the award period.
    4. Budget
       Include a detailed budget for how funds will be spent.
       List other anticipated sources of funding for the program.
    5. Interdisciplinarity
       Will the program(s) be open to students from more than one department/program?
       If so, how will events be marketed to students across programs/departments?
    6. Assessment
       How will you measure the event/series’ success? (Examples: total number of attendees, proportion of department faculty attending, an average evaluation rating of at least 4 on a 5-point Likert scale, etc.)
       All events/series funded by this grant should include participant evaluation feedback. Include the evaluation instrument you will use.