The URCI Travel Grants are for travel to give oral or poster presentations, juried shows or performances at external conferences or competitions by ACU undergraduate students* and their faculty mentors. Beginning in 2024, there is a single combined application for faculty and student travel. While students are not required to be accompanied an ACU faculty member to the funded event, an ACU faculty member must apply on behalf of the student. ACU faculty may apply to:
1. Accompany students that are giving oral or poster presentations, juried shows or performances.
OR
2. Give an oral or poster presentation, a juried show or a performance in which an undergraduate student made substantial contributions to the work.
To receive funding, the ACU faculty member is not required to take the student with them to the presentation event. However, if the student is not attending, the faculty member should provide a reasonable justification why the student cannot attend and explain the student’s participation in the project.
These grants are for up to $1000 per project. Faculty mentoring more than one project should submit a separate application for each undergraduate research/creative project requesting travel funding. For any one project, mentors can send one representative student or divide the award and send more than one presenter. Any awarded funds will be transferred to a departmental FOAP provided by the faculty member on the budget page. The department then can pay for the expenses or reimburse the faculty member or student as appropriate.
The Fall grant cycle is valid for travel to conferences from September 1 – February 14, Spring for January 1 – May 31, and Summer for June 1 – September 30.
- Funding of early and late applications is not guaranteed.
- Applications submitted outside of regular funding cycle deadlines cannot be considered until the following cycle.
- Please find the complete funding cycle policy here.
Scoring criteria for grant awards can be seen in the URCI Travel Grant Rubric. You may preview a pdf of the application form here. To apply visit URCI Travel Grant Application.
*Undergraduate travel grants may be awarded to students who have graduated in the previous year but are presenting their ACU undergraduate research or creative products following graduation. Students must present during their first year following graduation. Their undergraduate research/creative mentors must apply for the funding; mentors must be ACU faculty members. Funding is not guaranteed and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.