Academic Conference Fund

We are now taking applications for Jul 1 - Sep 30, 2013 travel.

About ACF Grant Reimbursement Process
Application Process Review Process
Awards ACF FAQs
Eligibility See Where ACF Students Have Been
Grant Requirements Abstracts from ACF Funded Presentations

About ACF
The Student Senate, the Provost's Office, and the Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence have established a fund to support student travel to academic conferences. The Academic Conference Fund (ACF) is available to all students, including non-traditional and graduate students, who may be looking for one time funding to present/perform at an academic conference that is related to their major, minor, and/or professional goals.

Presenting an academic project, a creative exhibit, and/or a performance at an academic conference can be a valuable experience which enriches a student’s understanding of a discipline and subsequent professions. ACF is intended to assist students in presenting/performing such projects.

Undergraduate and graduate students are able to apply for travel grants that range up to $500 for conference presenters (up to $750 for international travel). The purpose of these grants is to encourage student presentations at academic conferences by offsetting the cost of attendance.

The ACF grants are divided into 4 allotments which are distributed equally over the fiscal year (July-September, October-December, January-March, April-June). Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis each quarter (provided proposals meet established guidelines) until funds are exhausted for the quarter. Although grants are non-competitive, each application will be reviewed by the Executive Director of the Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence and the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship.

Students who are making oral presentations, poster presentations, exhibiting their work, or performing may apply for a grant up to $500 (up to $750 for international travel). Students are eligible for funding only once per fiscal year. Please note: the ACF grant cannot be combined with the APEF grant.

Questions? See our ACF FAQs

Application Process
PLEASE NOTE: The application form has changed beginning with the 2014 Fiscal Year.

Applications will be accepted on a per quarter basis for the July 1-June 30 fiscal year until funds are depleted. Funding awards will be on a first come, first served basis. Applications may be submitted 30 days prior to the beginning of each period and no later than 30 days prior to the end of each period (please see the table below).

The student applicant needs to complete the online application form. Be sure to go through each screen of the application process. There will be space to upload your resume and proof of acceptance to present at the conference. The applicaiton system will also ask you to identify a faculty mentor who can provide a recommendation on your behalf. The application system will generate an automatic email to your identified faculty mentor where s/he will login to provide your recommendation.

Applications are due to the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship no later than 30 days before the intended travel.

If travel is between: You should apply:
July 1 - September 30 June 1 - August 31
October 1 - December 31 September 1 - November 30
January 1 - March 31 December 1 - February 28
April 1 - June 30 March 1 - May 31

Apply Online

Awards
Awards of up to $500.00 (up to $750.00 for international travel) will be given to those invited to present or perform at a conference/meeting.

It is common practice to acknowledge those who have helped you present your work. Logos for the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship can be found here. 

Eligibility
Funding eligibility is open to all students who meet the following:

  • Are at least a halftime student of Grand Valley State University at time of travel (6 credits for undergraduates and 3 credits for graduate students)
  • Have the written support from a faculty member who can attest to the quality for the student’s work or the academic benefit of attending the conference/meeting
  • Are in good financial and judiciary standing with the University
  • Are in good academic standing with the University
  • Have had their research accepted for a poster or presentation at a professional conference, or whose creative work is accepted for an exhibition or performance at a state, regional, or national competitive, juried event.

Students may be awarded one conference grant per fiscal year.

Grant Requirements
To ensure each grant follows the purpose stated in this proposal, funded students will be required to submit the typed ACF Conference Report and Reflection to the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship within 10 business days from the last day of the conference, in addition to reconciling the monies from the grant. There will be no reimbursement to the student until their submitted Report and Reflection has been approved as meeting the requirements.  ALL REPORTS AND FORMS MUST BE TYPED.  ACF Conference Report and Reflection examples can be found here.

Students with the reimbursement option must fill out a Travel & Expense form.  Please allow 12-15 business days for reimbursement checks to arrive.

Students who are eligible for the Stored Value Debit Card (SVDC) option must fill out a reconciliation form and print a statement from the National City website.  Students who do not complete the required forms will be required to reimburse the total cost of the grant.

Students are expected to adhere to GVSU's Student Code.  Failure to meet these requirements may result in loss of funding by ACF.

Grant Reimbursement Process
The student must submit to OURS within 10 business days from the last day of the conference the following (ALL FORMS AND REPORTS MUST BE TYPED):

  1. ACF Report and Reflection Form, Activities Summary, and Reflection Essay
  2. Reimbursement Form:

Grand Valley State University complies with the IRS regulations on reimbursements. Please be sure to review the GVSU Travel Policy and Procedures.

Watch the ACF Grant Reimbursement Process instructional video.

Students who may have a hardship in waiting for a reimbursement may review the Stored Value Debit Card page for eligibility.

Review process
Although this is a non-competitive grant, grants will be reviewed by the Executive Director of the Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence and the Director of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship. Please allow 10 business days for grant application review.

Page last modified June 12, 2013