Graduate School Conference Travel Grant
Nature of the Grant: Students are encouraged to present their research at major regional, national, and international conferences. The Graduate School Travel Grant to Present Research will provide up to $1,000 in travel support for graduate students presenting their research at major meetings and conferences. Students may apply for one travel grant per budget year (July 1-June 30) for domestic or international travel. Students are allowed a total of three travel grants during their tenure at Vanderbilt.
Please include your Estimated Travel Grant Budget with your application.
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Eligibility
To apply the students:
- Must be a Graduate School student (PhD, MA, MFA, MLAS, & MS).
- Must be first author and presenter of research conducted at Vanderbilt.
- Must be attending a major regional, national, or international conference.
- Must have travel authorization from their department prior to travel.
- Must begin their travel in the year the grant is awarded (grants are awarded per budget year July 1-June 30).
- Must use the award for the conference listed in this application.
- Cannot have received a prior travel grant during the academic year.
- Cannot have received more than 2 prior travel grants during their tenure at Vanderbilt.
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Guidelines
Complete all parts of the InfoReady application, attach a copy of your abstract with the full author list included, and upload documentation from the conference organizers confirms your abstract has been selected.** Applications must be completed at least two weeks before you travel. Grants are limited to $1000. Additionally:
- Airfare must be booked in World Travel/Concur.
- International travel must be registered: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/global/travel-registration/
**Graduate students in the Creative Writing program: In lieu of presenting original research, students must be a Vanderbilt representative at a premiere creative writing conference (ex: The Association of Writers & Writing Programs) as (1) a presenter at the Bookfair or (2) a current editor of The Nashville Review. In place of an abstract, the student must submit a statement of purpose (1-page) that outlines their role at the conference and how participation will benefit both them and the University. For conference documentation, please provide documentation of participation in the conference and/or proof of participation on The Nashville Review.
Dissertation Enhancement Grants
The GLI provides awards of up to $2,000 for research expenses related to a student’s dissertation. These funds are granted on a competitive basis and are designed to support PhD Students with outstanding potential to accelerate progress on their research, adding depth or breadth to their work.
| Grant Schedule | Spring RFA | Fall RFA |
|---|---|---|
| Funding Period | Jan 1st – July 31st | July 1st – Jan 31st |
| Application Opens | November 1st | May 1st |
| Application Deadline | November 22nd | May 22nd |
| Awards Announced | mid-December | Early July (updated 5.28.24) |
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Eligibility
- Preference will be given to PhD candidates engaged in full-time dissertation research. However, all Ph.D. students in good academic standing are eligible to apply.
- Student must have authorization from their department’s Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).
- Students are allowed one GLI Dissertation Enhancement Grant per academic year and they may receive this award no more than twice during their career at Vanderbilt.
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Guidelines
- Grants are limited to $2,000, and all charges must comply with Vanderbilt finance policies.
- The GLI reserves the right to award less than the full sum requested by successful applicants, based on the degree of need demonstrated by the proposal and budget, the number of successful applications, and the total available funds.
- These awards are not a substitute for, nor a supplement to, graduate stipends, and they may not be used to fund credit-bearing coursework.
- Award funds will either be provided directly to award recipients or directly to vendors via the Oracle procurement system.
- Awards cannot be applied retroactively.
- Funds may only be used as proposed in the application.
- Proposed research activities must be completed within the funding period outlined above.
- Applicants MUST be prepared to move forward with the proposed work if awarded a grant.
- We ask that students be responsible stewards of GLI resources. If the awardee cannot move forward with the proposed work, they must notify the GLI immediately. Recipients who fail to use their funding, barring extenuating circumstances, will be ineligible for future GLI DEGs.
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Previous Awardees
Spring 2025 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Amanda Addison, Leadership and Policy Studies
Marco Barbero Mota, Biomedical Informatics
Allison Chan, Epidemiology
Sophia Kekes-Szabo, Hearing and Speech Sciences
William Krause, History
Mary Macedonia, Chemical and Physical Biology
Hannah Richards, Chemistry
Kaleigh Ruiz, Political Science
Robert Skinner, Health PolicyFall 2024 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Deeksha Adiani, Electrical Engineering
Rebecca Adler, Psychology and Human Development
Darra Boyer, Biological Sciences
Corinne Curry, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Michelle Gomez, Biomedical Informatics
Catherine Gonzalez, Community Research and Action
Jennifer Markfeld, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Preeti Namiar, Political ScienceSpring 2024 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Joseph Benthal, Human Genetics
Cody Christensen, Leadership & Policy Studies
Sarah Hagaman, English
Allison Lake, Human Genetics
William Lowery, Chemistry
Lindsay Martin, Biological Sciences
Catherine McCormack, Anthropology
Alexander Tripp, Political Science
Perry Wasdin, Chemical & Physical BiologyFall 2023 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Jessica Fletcher, History
Monika Grabowska, Biomedical Informatics
Krista Haapanen, Human & Organizational Development
Lauren Kasper, Physics & Astronomy
Sara Kirshbaum, Political Science
Leigh Anne Tang, Biomedical Informatics
Katherine Turk, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Olawunmi Winful, AnthropologySpring 2023 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Bryce Belanger, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Yunli Chu, Cancer Biology
John Gillespie, History
James Held, Biological Sciences
Sarah Jessup, Psychology
Anne Kruse, Economics
Taralynn Mack, Human Genetics
Mariana Ramirez Bustamante, Political ScienceFall 2022 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Jeremy Espano, Interdisciplinary Material Sciences
Payam Fathi, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Richard Hall, Leadership, Policy, & Organizations
Graham Johnson, Biomedical Engineering
Margaret Shavlik, Psychology & Human Development
Trevor Thomas, History
Simon Ward, Electrical Engineering
Heesun Yoo, Political ScienceSpring 2022 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Shashwat Dhar, Political Science
Vineet Gupta, Religion
Dylan Irons, Political Science
Kathryn Marshalek, History
Emily Overway, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Brayan Serratos Garcia, Spanish & Portuguese
Elizabeth Teeter, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Emily Thompson, Hearing & Speech Sciences
Linh Thi Thuy Trinh, Cell & Developmental BiologyFall 2021 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Elvira Aballi Morell, Spanish & Portuguese
Rachel Brown, Cancer Biology
Taylor Engdahl, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Nathan Frisch, Anthropology
Shounak Ghosh, History
John Gillespie, History
Richard Hall, Leadership, Policy, & Organizations
Srivatsav Kunnawalkam Elayavalli, Mathematics
Daniela Osorio Michel, Political Science
Kathryn Peters, Anthropology
Steven Rodriguez, History
Martina Schaefer, History
Martin Schmitz, Economics
Katerina Traut, Political ScienceSpring 2021 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Kensey Bergdorf, Pharmacology
Amanda Brockman, Sociology
Christopher Khan, Biomedical Engineering
Matthew Knowles, Economics
Qimin Liu, Psychology & Human Development
Eli McDonald, Chemistry
Guangtao Nie, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Mohsin Rahim, Chemical & Biomolecular EngineeringFall 2020 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Darwin Baluran, Sociology
Ellen Casale, Special Education
Genna Chiaro, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Maria Luisa De Melo Tupinamba Jabbur, Biological Sciences
Walter Ecton, Leadership, Policy, & Organizations
Kyle Garland, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Phyllis Johnson, Anthropology
Sangeun Kim, Political Science
Gabriela Ore, Anthropology
Katherine Snyder, Biological Sciences
Paige Vega, Cell & Developmental BiologySpring 2020 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Kaitlen Cassell, Political Science
Kellie Cavagnaro, Anthropology
Azadeh Hadadianpour, Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology
Alison Hessling, Hearing & Speech Sciences
Sangeun Kim, Political Science
Alexander Korsunsky, Anthropology
Justin Marinko, Biochemistry
Michaela Peterson, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Terren Proctor, Anthropology
Facundo Salles Kobilanski, Political Science2019 Dissertation Enhancement Grant Awardees
Keitlyn Alcantara, Anthropology
Bradley Baker, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Kaitlen Cassell, Political Science
Gabriella DiCarlo, Neuroscience
Brandt Gibson, Earth & Environmental Science
Lydia Harmon, Earth & Environmental Science
Lauren Henry, Psychology and Human Development
Phyllis Johnson, Anthropology
Yu-ri Kim, Sociology
Shih Liang, Hearing & Speech Sciences
Jessamyn Perlmutter, Biological Sciences
Lam Pham, Leadership, Policy & Org
Derek Price, German, Russian and Eastern European Studies
Katherine Snyder, Biological Sciences
Jennifer Stewart, Clinical Psychology
Yan Yan, Biological Sciences
Dissertation Enhancement Grants FAQs
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What is the selection criteria for the GLI Dissertation Enhancement Grants?
Dissertation Enhancement Grants are available to students for adding a unique element to their dissertation that enhances the work by increasing its depth or breadth beyond the basic requirements of their dissertation committee. The most important component of the application is to demonstrate that the award will support work that goes beyond the scope of the dissertation committees requirements. Funds should not be used to support fundamental components of the dissertation. Student should ask themselves, “If I did not add this component to my thesis would it still be accepted?” If the answer is no, it will not be a strong application. The selection committee will evaluate applications based on the following criteria (1) a succinct and digestible overview of current dissertation work written for an interdisciplinary audience; (2) a clearly articulated proposal to enhance the dissertation beyond the essential requirements of the dissertation committee, including clear project goals, a feasible timeline and a strong justification for how the work adds a special element to the dissertation; (3) a budget justification that demonstrates planning, an understanding of costs, responsible use of funds, and a need (no other funds available).
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If I am not a PhD Candidate, can I apply?
Yes, all PhD students in good academic standing are eligible to apply. However, the dissertation enhancement grant does not support fundamental dissertation research. For this reason, preference will be given to PhD candidates – students who have an approved dissertation proposal – engaged in full-time dissertation research, as it is expected that candidates have a clear understanding of what is fundamental to completing their dissertation and what is an extra element that will enhance the essential elements required by their committee. All PhD students are eligible to apply, to accommodate students who are well into their research but who have not completed their candidacy requirements. In these cases, the applicant should address their candidacy status in the rationale section of the application, or they can ask their letter writer can do so in their recommendation (preferable as the rationale is a critical part of the application and space is at a premium).
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How can Dissertation Enhancement Grant funds be used?
Examples of appropriate uses for a Dissertation Enhancement Grant include:
- Travel to sites of unique sources of research material, archives, and libraries.
- Consultation or collaborative work with experts in the area of the student’s research when such support is not available at Vanderbilt, for example, learning a new research methodology or interviewing an author whom the student is studying.
- Participation in a non credit-bearing specialty course or short course that will broaden the students understanding of research techniques, methods, or concepts that will enhance current dissertation work.
- Unique services not available at the university, such as sophisticated data or chemical analyses.
- The purchase of specialized small equipment items, supplies, and data sets; only if funds for such items are not available from other sources (adviser’s grant, departmental funds).
- A research assistant or other personnel to carry out work that the student could not reasonably be expected to conduct (extensive analysis of data, computer programming, etc.), but whose inclusion will greatly improve the dissertation.
- Payment of subjects participating in a research project, if the project is in addition to the basic dissertation research (e.g., is not required by the PhD Committee) and if a strong rationale is provided to show that subject payment, although not required, will enhance markedly the quality, scope, reliability, etc. of the data collected.
Please note that personnel and gift cards are not an allowable expense.
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Can the Dissertation Enhancement Grant be used for travel?
If travel is heavily focused on the applicants dissertation AND it adds an element that enhances their dissertation work, they should apply for a Dissertation Enhancement Grant. Please note, the purpose of travel must add to the dissertation (short course, traveling to archives, etc.) it cannot be a fundamental part of the dissertation. Students should ask themselves, “If I did not add this component to my thesis, would it still be accepted?” If the answer is no, they should not apply. If the primary purpose of travel is for professional or academic development (leadership workshop, learning skills, a conference that broadly applies to their research work, etc.) that will build the applicant’s skill set beyond their dissertation work, this travel would be better suited for a GLI Professional Development & Training Grant. Conference travel where students will present their research is supported by the Graduate School Travel Grant and the Graduate Student Council Travel Grant.
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Can grant funds be used for Vanderbilt Internal CORES services?
Yes, grant funds can be used for CORES services. However, students need to be aware of the lag time for expensing in the CORES system. It may take a month or two for charges to be expensed and all costs must be expensed within the fiscal year their grant is awarded. Therefore, all CORES services must be completed and expensed by April 30th.
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Can I apply for a GLI Dissertation Enhancement Grant and a GLI Professional Development & Training grant in the same grant cycle?
Students can submit an application for a GLI Dissertation Enhancement Grant and a GLI Professional Development & Training grant in the same grant cycle. However, they must fund different activities. If they are traveling, they must select the grant that is most aligned with the purpose of travel (see “Can the Dissertation Enhancement Grant be used for Travel?”).
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Are references required in the dissertation research description? If, so do they count toward the page limit (2 pages)?
There is no formal requirement to include references. The use of references is largely dependent on the content applicants include in this section of the application. If you choose to use them, they will count toward the page limit. In the past applicants have used highly abbreviated citation formats.
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Can figures be included in the research or enhancement description? If so, do they will they count toward the page limit (2 pages)?
Figures may be used. If you choose to use them, they will count toward the page limit.
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How will the award funds be dispersed?
Award funds will either be dispersed directly to the award recipient as a stipend or they will be provided directly to vendors via the Oracle procurement system (lab supplies, CORES analysis, etc.). The grant administrator will coordinate with recipients regarding disbursement at the time of the award. If you are an international student, there may be tax implications for stipend payments. Please contact ITO to determine tax obligations.
GLI Professional Development & Training Grants
The GLI Professional Development & Training Grants will provide up to $1,000 of support for graduate students seeking non-credit bearing professional development and training opportunities to further develop their academic and professional skills. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to, training workshops, short courses, conferences (where the student has not submitted an abstract), etc. Additionally, opportunities that will broaden the applicant’s skill set beyond their academic field of study (i.e. leadership training, project management short course, etc.) are encouraged.
| Grant Schedule | Spring RFA | Fall RFA |
|---|---|---|
| Funding Period | Jan 1st – July 31st | July 1st – Jan 31st |
| Application Opens | November 1st | May 1st |
| Application Deadline | November 22nd | May 22nd |
| Awards Announced | mid-December | Early July (updated 5.28.24) |
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Eligibility
- Be a registered Graduate School student (PhD, MS, MA, MFA, MLAS) in good standing.
- Have completed one full academic year in the Graduate School.
- Have authorization from your department (application will require DGS approval).
- Training/professional development opportunity must occur within the funding period outline in the RFA.
- Students are allowed one professional development & training grant per academic year.
- During their Graduate School tenure masters students are eligible to receive one professional development & training grant and PhD students are eligible to receive two professional development & training grants.
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Guidelines
- Grants are limited to $1,000 and all charges must comply with Vanderbilt finance policies.
- Award funds cannot be used for credit-bearing coursework.
- Awards cannot be applied retroactively.
- Proposed professional development & training activities must be completed within the funding period outlined above.
- Award funds will be provided directly to grant awardees.
- Funds may only be used as proposed in your application.
- If traveling, airfare must be booked in World Travel/Concur (hotel accommodations do not have to be booked through the Concur system).
- We ask that students be responsible stewards of GLI resources. Students who apply for the grant must be prepared to use the funds as proposed. If the awardee cannot move forward with the proposed travel, they must notify the GLI immediately. Recipients who fail to use their funding, barring extenuating circumstances, will be ineligible for future GLI travel awards.
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Previous Awardees
Spring 2025 Professional Development & Training Grant Awardees
Phoebe Ahn, Special Education
Jamisha Francis, Microbe-Host Interactions
Emily McCabe, Mechanical Engineering
Jiaxin Jessie Wang, Special Education
Abbie Weeks, Biomedical Engineering
Kevin Zhang, Neuroscience
Hannah Ziegler, Learning, Teaching, and DiversityFall 2024 Professional Development & Training Grant Awardees
Derek Doss, Biomedical Engineering
Omair Khan, Neuroscience
Andrew Kittleson, Neuroscience
Gabrielle Reimann, Psychology
Cherie Saffold, Molecular Pathology and Immunology
Rachel Siegman, Learning, Teaching, and Diversity
Paige Vega, Cell and Developmental BiologySpring 2024 Professional Development & Training Grant Awardees
Lucas Borba de Miranda, Political Science
Micaela Harris, Learning, Teaching & Diversity
Miguel Herranz Cano, Spanish & Portuguese
Junyi Ji, Civil Engineering
Matthew Krantz, Biomedical Informatics
Yunzhen Liang, Psychology & Human Development
Arijit Sengupta, Electrical Engineering
Kenton Shimozaki, Leadership & Policy Studies
Kelly Tingle, Earth & Environmental SciencesFall 2023 Professional Development & Training Grant Awardees
Khrysta Baig, Health Policy
Kimberly Bress, Neuroscience
Jessica Collins, Biochemistry
Natalie Favret, Molecular Pathology & Immunology
Joseph Holden, Neuroscience
KeShawn Ivory, Astrophysics
Sara Kirshbaum, Political Science
William Lamb, Astrophysics
Catherine McCormack, Anthropology
William Smith, Astrophysics
Ashley Spirrison, Biomedical Engineering
Minh Tran, Chemical & Physical Biology
Jiaxin Jessie Wang, Special EducationSpring 2023 Professional Development & Training Grant Awardees
Audry Arner, Biological Sciences
Chaeun Cho, Political Science
Kell Cunningham, Philosophy
Rossirys De La Rosa, Anthropology
Marlna Eanes, Learning, Teaching & Diversity
Micala Harris, Learning, Teaching & Diversity
Ludwg Beethoven Jones Noya, Religion
Oliva Nunn, Biological Sciences
Johnn Peters, Mechanical Engineering
Fangheng Yuan, EpidemiologyFall 2022 Professional Development & Training Grant Awardees
Allegra Anderson, Psychology & Human Development
Sarah Burriss, Teaching & Learning
Casey Butrico, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Sarah Glass, Cell & Developmental Biology
Ebony Hargrove-Wiley, Basic Sciences
Samantha Marshall, English
Margaret Shavlik, Psychology & Human Development
Alexander Tripp, Political Science
Sarah Williams, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Bethany Young, Nursing ScienceSpring 2022 Professional Development & Training Grant Awardees
Jeffrey Boon, Nursing Science
Sharice Clough, Hearing & Speech Sciences
Sahai Couso Diaz, Spanish & Portuguese
Danielle Dorvil, Spanish & Portuguese
Amy Hill, German, Russian & East European Studies
Sarah Jessup, Psychology
Amina McIntyre, Religion
Ludwig Beethoven Jones Noya, Religion
Courtney Rehkamp, German, Russian & East European Studies
Barbara Rodriguez Navaza, Anthropology
Nathaniel Tran, Health PolicyFall 2021 Professional Development & Training Grant Awardees
Jennifer Barnes, Political Science
Katherine Bryan, Hearing & Speech Sciences
Everett Durham, Psychology
Maura Eveld, Mechanical Engineering
Mariia Gorchichko, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Jennifer Gutman, English
Thomas Horseman, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Samantha Pegg, Psychology & Human Development
Gabrielle Reimann, Psychology
Margaret Rox, Mechanical Engineering
Rachel Siciliano, Psychology & Human Development
Rachel Teater, Mechanical Engineering
Janiece Williams, Divinity School
Jennifer Zachry, PharmacologySpring 2021 Professional Development & Training Grant Awardees
Jose Luis De Ramon Ruiz, Spanish & Portuguese
Kelsey Dillehay, Special Education
Azadeh Hadadianpour, Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology
Sara Jones, Teaching & Learning
Heather Meston, Teaching & Learning
Derek Price, German, Russian and East European Studies
Michael Rudloff, Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology
Camille Wang, Neuroscience
Mingli Yang, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Anna Young, HistoryFall 2020 Professional Development & Training Grant Awardees
Maria Paula Andrade Diniz de Araujo, History
Cleothia Frazier, Sociology
Sarah Glass, Biochemistry
Dasom Lee, Sociology
Vladislav Lilic, History
Natalie Noll, Biomedical Engineering
Kody Wolfe, General Engineering
Madison Wagener, PsychologySpring 2020 Travel Grant* Awardees
Stephanie Castillo, Communication of Science & Technology
Sara Eccleston, Human & Org. Development
Maura Eveld, Mechanical Engineering
Richard Hall, Leadership, Policy, & Organizations
Laura Hesse, Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology
Alison Hessling, Hearing & Speech Sciences
Joseph Luchsinger, Basic Sciences
Emily Matijevich, Mechanical Engineering
Tin Nguyen, Special Education
Gloria Pérez-Rivera, Anthropology
Terren Proctor, Anthropology
Julie Sriken, Community Research and Action
Bryan Steitz, Biomedical Informatics
Rachel Teater, Mechanical EngineeringFall 2019 Travel Grant* Awardees
Sarah Arcos, Biochemistry
Kymberly Byrd, Human & Org. Development
Kelsey Dillehay, Special Education
Stephanie Dudzinski, Biomedical Engineering
Nicole Fisher, Pharmacology
Elizabeth Flook, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Karin Gegenheimer, Leadership, Policy, & Organizations
Mariia Gorchichko, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Benjamin Hardy, Physics & Astronomy
Cody Heiser, Basic Sciences
Tempest Henning, Philosophy
Kuniko Hunter, Biomedical Engineering
Geena Ildefonso, Basic Sciences
Caitlyn Kirby, Biological Sciences (https://caitkirby.com/blog/2019-12-CIRTL-forum.html)
Lindsay Kozek, Neuroscience
Aaron Lim, Medicine
Garrett Marshall, Mechanical Engineering
Kayleigh McCrary, Economics
Zachary Tripp, Mathematics
Allie Utley, Religion
Zhiyu Wan, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Kayleigh Whitman, HistorySpring 2019 Travel Grant* Awardees
Julianne Adams, English
Laura Adery, Psychology
Keitlyn Alcantara, Anthropology
Joshua Allen, Interdisciplinary Program in Materials Science
Baig Al-Muhit, Civil Engineering
Mehnaaz Asad, Physics & Astronomy
Megan Ashley Aumann, Neuroscience
Sean Bedingfield, Biomedical Engineering
Rudraprasad Bhattacharyya, Civil Engineering
Luis Bichon, Physics
Pietra Bruni, Psychology
Sahai Couso Diaz, Spanish & Portuguese
Karen de Melo, Spanish & Portuguese
Courtney Edwards, Cancer Biology
Benjamin Hacker, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Gloria Han, Psychology
Ella Hoogenboezem, Biomedical Engineering
Ying Ji, Human Genetics
Chris Ketchum, Creative Writing
SangEun Kim, Political Science
Kishundra King, Religion
Kristine Koutout, Economics
Alison Lutz, Religion
Lisa Madura, Philosophy
James Martes, Political Science
Jonathan Martin, Biomedical Engineering
Victoria Martucci, Human Genetics
Ray Matsumoto, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Curtis Maughan, German, Russian & East European Studies
Haley Mendoza-Romero, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Ayan Mukhopadhyay, Computer Science
Kathryn Peters, Anthropology
Eric Ritter, Philosophy
Barbara Rodrigues Navaza, Anthropology
Eulogio Kyle Romero, History
Martina Schaefer, History
Dylan Shaul, Philosophy
Megan Ashley Skaggs, Latin American Studies
Yi Song, Mechanical Engineering
Alexander Thiemicke, Chemical & Physical Biology
Lenie Torregrossa, Clinical Psychology
Mariann VanDevere, English
Paige Vega, Cell and Developmental Biology
Amanda Wicks, English
Jordyn Wilcox, Neuroscience
Alexander Yang, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Laine Walters Young, Religion
Amy Zheng, Chemical Engineering*In the summer of 2020 the GLI Travel Grant was rebranded as the GLI Professional Development & Training Grant in an effort to support a wider variety of opportunities for students.
Professional Development & Training Grants FAQs
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What are the selection criteria for the GLI Professional Development & Training Grants?
Professional Development & Training Grants are available to students pursuing unique opportunities to further their professional development and/or scholastic goals and interests. This includes opportunities to explore their broader field of study (beyond the focused scope of their current research projects), to explore related fields of research, and/or to acquire new skills (professional development).
The most important component of the application is to demonstrate how the award will broaden the student’s skill set, provide professional development, and/or further scholarly goals beyond the dissertation. The selection committee will evaluate applications based on the following criteria:
- a strong justification for how the proposed activities will benefit the student’s professional and academic development
- the students academic and service/leadership background.
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Is travel supported by the GLI Professional Development & Training Grant?
Yes. The GLI Professional Development & Training Grant was developed to support academic and professional skill development among graduate students. This includes training workshops, short courses, attending conferences where the student has not submitted an abstract, etc. Additionally, opportunities that will broaden the applicants skill set beyond their academic field of study (i.e. leadership training, project management short course, etc.) are encouraged. If students need to travel to attend the proposed activities, travel cost should be included in the grant proposal.
Examples of successful applications include:
- Conference Attendance
Lasers & Electro-Optics, SACNAS National Diversty in STEM, SciPy, ASCE Younger Member Leadership Symposia, and Society for Pastoral Theology Annul Meeting - Workshops & Trainings
fMRI Wksp, Longitudinal Structural Equation Modeling Wksp, Seamus Heaney Centre Poetry Wksp, Training in Survey Methodology, Training Symposium on International Archives, Oral History Training Wksp, NSF Finding Your Inner Modeler III Wksp - Short Courses (non-credit bearing)
Predictive Multi-scale Design, International Critical Theory Summer School, Social Conditioning, Center for Astrostatistics summer course for astronomers
- Conference Attendance
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What grants are available to Vanderbilt graduate students that support travel?
- The GLI Professional Development and Training Grant: $1,000 available support for graduate students seeking professional development and training opportunities to further develop their academic and professional skills.
- Graduate Student Travel Grant to Present Research: a $1,000 grant available through the graduate school for students traveling to conferences where they have submitted an abstract and they will be presenting.
- Travel grant through the Graduate Student Council: a $500 grant available to active members of GSC who are traveling to conferences where they have submitted an abstract and they will be presenting.
- If a PhD student is traveling in a capacity that will enhance their dissertation beyond the work outlined in their PhD proposal, they may be eligible for a Dissertation Enhancement Grant.
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How do I determine which grant is best aligned with my purpose of travel?
Travel for professional or academic development (leadership workshop, learning skills, a conference that broadly applies to their research work, etc.) that builds the applicants skill set beyond their dissertation work is best suited for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant.
Conference travel where students have submitted an abstract and will be presenting their research is supported by the Graduate School Travel Grant and the Graduate Student Council Travel Grant.
Travel is heavily focused on the applicants dissertation AND it adds an element that enhances their dissertation work, is best suited for a Dissertation Enhancement Grant.
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I am traveling to a conference, which grants should I apply to?
If you are presenting (submitted an abstract) at the conference:
- The Graduate Student Travel Grant to Present Research
- The GSC Travel Grant – if you are an active member of the GSC
- Also, professional societies affiliated with the conference may offer financial support.
If you are NOT presenting at the conference:
GLI Professional Development and Training Grant – if you can provide a strong justification for how this conference will benefit your professional and academic development.
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Can I apply for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant if I am traveling to a conference to present my research (I have submitted an abstract)?
No. If a student has submitted an abstract to present at a conference, that travel is not eligible for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant. The GLI Professional Development and Training grant was developed to provide support for travel that is focused on supporting skill development beyond the dissertation, for which funds are not as readily available. For travel to present at a conference there are several funding mechanism available, including funds available through the Graduate School and the Graduate Student Council (for active members). Additionally, departments and professional societies may offer financial support for traditional conference travel.
Note: If there is a workshop, short course, etc. associated with the conference where you are presenting that is available at an additional cost (above the basic conference registration fee), a student could apply for the workshop registration fee, but only the registration fee. Students must decide is this is a prudent use of one of their two available opportunities to receive a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant.
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Can I apply for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant if I am traveling to an internship?
Applicants can apply for travel to and from internships. HOWEVER, they must make a compelling justification for the benefits of travel AND financial need (unpaid internship).
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Can I apply for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant if I am travel to a field location for research?
The GLI Professional Development and Training grant was developed to provide support for professional and academic skill development beyond the dissertation, which tends to have less funding mechanisms available. Field research is narrowly focused on a student’s research and for that reason would not be a compelling application. If the proposed field work is enhancing your dissertation, you may want to consider the Dissertation Enhancement Grant.
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Can I apply for both the GLI Professional Development and Training grant and the Graduate School travel grant to fund the same travel?
No. The GLI Professional Development and Training grant and the Graduate School travel grant support different travel purposes. The Graduate School travel grant is for traditional conference travel to a conference where a students has submitted an abstract and will be presenting their research. That type of travel is not eligible for funding under the GLI Professional Development and Training Grant.
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Can I apply for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant and a GLI Dissertation Enhancement Grant in the same year?
Students can submit an application for a GLI Travel Grant and a GLI Dissertation Enhancement Grant in the same year. However, they must fund different activities. If a student is traveling, they must select the grant that is most aligned with the purpose of travel (see above).
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If I received a GLI Travel Grant in 2019 or 2020, does that count towards the GLI Professional Development & Training Grant limit?
YES. GLI Travel Grants were re-branded as Professional Development & Training grants in the fall of 2020, in an effort to include a wider array of professional development and training opportunities that do not necessarily require travel. Therefore, these grants are part of the same grant program and count towards your grant totals.
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How will the award funds be dispersed?
Award funds will be dispersed directly to the award recipient as a stipend payment. If you are an international student, there may be tax implications for stipend payments.
*In the spring of 2020 GLI Travel Grants were re-branded as Professional Development & Training Grants in an effort to support a wider variety of opportunities for students.
GLI Graduate Student Programming Grant
The Graduate Leadership Institute Programming Grant was established to support student-organized programs and events that will enhance the graduate student experience at Vanderbilt. Priority will be given to proposals that support the following core objectives:
- Create leadership and professional development opportunities for graduate students.
- Strengthen interdisciplinary networks on campus and promote collaboration.
- Build diverse and inclusive communities.
- Create meaningful opportunities for graduate student engagement.
Awards of up to $2,000 will be granted through this funding opportunity. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until funds are expended. Once an application has been submitted, decisions will be communicated within one month of submission.
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Eligibility
Students can apply as individuals or on behalf of a student organization on campus. To be eligible the primary applicant must:
- Be a registered graduate school student (PhD, MS, MA, MFA, MLAS) in good standing.
- Have a co-sponsor(s) that will match at least 10% of the GLI amount awarded in the form of direct funds or an in-kind match (non-cash contribution of value: event space, food, etc.).
- Submit a complete application at least 6 weeks prior to the start of the program/event.
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Guidelines
- Grants are limited to $2,000, and all charges must comply with Vanderbilt finance policies.
- The GLI reserves the right to award more or less than the full sum requested by successful applicants, based on the degree of need demonstrated by the proposal and budget, the program scale and impact, the number of successful applications, and the total available funds.
- Award funds will either be provided directly to award recipients or directly to vendors via the Oracle procurement system.
- Awards cannot be applied retroactively.
- Funds must only be used as proposed in the application.
- Applicants MUST be prepared to move forward with the proposed work if awarded a grant.
- We ask that students be responsible stewards of GLI resources. If the awardee cannot move forward with the proposed work, they must notify the GLI immediately (gli@vanderbilt.edu).
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Application
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis during the academic year until funds are expended. Application Materials:
- Program Proposal (2-pages): Description & Rationale
The proposal needs to explain how the proposed program meets the above core objectives, provide co-sponsor information, outline expected attendance, promotion plan, and timeline, and provide anticipated outcomes and benefits of the proposed program. - Program Budget (full event budget & specifically how the GLI funds will be used)
- Signed letter of co-sponsorship
Application materials must be submitted in PDF format via InfoReady
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please contact gli@vanderbilt.edu for application questions.
- Program Proposal (2-pages): Description & Rationale