The Graduate College's Conference Presentation Award program offers funds to assist graduate students giving a presentation at a professional conference (either in-person or online). For in-person conferences, awards will help cover travel expenses. For online conferences, awards will help cover registration fees. Awards are available only to those students who are making a presentation at the conference. Students attending a conference without giving a presentation are ineligible.
The Conference Presentation Award program provides a department with funds, in increments of $250 depending on size, and the department may disburse the funds for conference travel or for conference registration fees.
Within the department's allocation, there are no limits on the dollar amount awarded to a particular student for eligible expenses. As well, there are no limits on the number of students a department may elect to support with its allocation.
Awards may be offered as reimbursement for recently-completed conference travel/participation or for upcoming travel/participation (see “Eligible Periods” below).
Application is by department nomination only. Students do not apply directly to the Graduate College. Instead, students submit materials to their department, then the department selects applications for submission to the Graduate College using the online application system below. Read the "How-To Guide" for complete details on how to use the online application system.
Though not required by the Graduate College, departments may wish to have applicants complete this Student Application Form as part of the department’s internal review process. Students interested in applying should contact their Director of Graduate Studies to inquire about the department’s internal selection process.
Deadlines
Fall 2024 APPLICATION PERIOD:
- October 24 - Application period opens.
- November 15 - Deadline for departments to submit applications to the Graduate College.
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December 17 - Anticipated date that funds will become available. [Revised from original date of December 6.]
Spring 2025 APPLICATION PERIOD:
- February 20 - Application period opens.
- March 14 at 5:00 p.m. - Deadline for departments to submit applications to the Graduate College.
- April 8 - Anticipated date that funds will become available.
Eligibility
- Conference Presentation Awards are available only to students who will be presenting a paper, poster, or creative work at a professional conference they attend.
- Applicants must be registered and in good academic standing during both the term the application is submitted AND the term during which the conference takes place (exceptions to this are made for summer).
- Applicants may receive only one Conference Presentation Award per academic year.
- Students in non-degree, online, cost-recovery, and self-supporting programs are ineligible.
- Awards are supported by Students for Equal Access to Learning (SEAL) fees, which are part of the Student Initiated Fees. Therefore, applicants must have paid the Student Initiated Fees (currently at ~$70 per semester) in the semester during which they apply and before the department submits their nomination for a Conference Presentation Award.
Eligible Travel Periods
- For fall term awards, the conference must take place anytime from the beginning of the previous summer to the end of the following summer.
- For spring term awards, the conference must take place anytime from the beginning of the spring term to the end of the following fall term.
Nomination Instructions for Departments
- Nominations must be submitted by the department to the Graduate College using the online Conference Presentation Award application system. Note that the application must be completed by a Director of Graduate Study, a Graduate Contact, or other official acting on behalf of the department. The application may not be submitted by a student. For instructions on how to use the application system, read the "How-To Guide."
- Amount Available: The amount of funding a department may request is based on 10th day enrollment numbers as reported by DMI (report #1). See the table below to determine your department's funding level. (Note: Because students in online programs are not assessed the Student Initiated Fees, they are not counted toward the department’s number of enrolled graduate students, nor are they eligible to receive the award.)
- Account codes and disbursement of funds: Funds will be transferred to the State or ICR CFOP that is provided on the department's application form. Gift fund codes may not be used. This allows the department to determine whether the payment to the student should be processed as a reimbursement or as a grant. The determination should be based upon whether or not the University is the primary beneficiary of the student award. If the student participates in the conference on behalf of the University, the payment should be processed as a reimbursement through University Payables. Once the transfers have been processed, the application system will show the status of them.
Notification of Results
Note that the Graduate College does not email departments with results. Instead, departments should log into the application system to view results.
LEVEL OF FUNDING per Department
| Unit Size |
Maximum |
| 1-25 | $250 |
| 26-75 | $500 |
| 76-100 | $750 |
| 101-200 | $1,000 |
| 201+ | $1,250 |
Award Amounts PER STUDENT
For students traveling to an in-person conference, award amounts are based on the cost of transportation to/from the conference plus the cost of lodging. For students participating in a virtual conference, award amounts are based on the registration fees required for participation in the conference. No other fees (such as membership fees) or costs (such as printing or meals) are allowable.
Submission of Receipts
Students who are awarded a Conference Presentation Award are required to submit to their department receipts showing all requested expenses. The Graduate College does not require these receipts; however, the department should keep copies of them for audit purposes.
Questions
Please direct all questions to the Graduate College’s Fellowships Office at gradfellowships@illinois.edu.