The Graduate School

Vilas Conference Presentation Funds

Are you a dissertator or final-year Master of Fine Arts who has been accepted to present research at a conference?  If you are in need of financial support, you can apply for Vilas Conference Presentation Funds. Funding in the amount of $600 will be available to dissertators and final-year MFA students most in need who are traveling to present their research at a conference. 

On February 1, 2013 we will begin accepting applications for conference travel with a start date between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2013.  The application period will close on February 28th and we will notify applicants by March 15, 2013 regarding whether or not they have been selected to receive funding.

Because of increased demand, limited funds, and to improve fairness, we changed the way the Conference Presentation Grants are distributed. They are now distributed based on a lottery system instead of on a rolling basis. When you submit your application is no longer consequential as long as it is within the application period, from 9:00 a.m. February 1 to midnight Februrary 28, 2013.

All applications that do not fully comply with the submission requirements will be discarded and not selected for the draw.

For travel between January 1 and June 30, 2013, the application process will open February 1, and the final date for submission is February 28, 2013.

Applications may be submitted either prior to travel or retroactively, as long as all necessary paperwork is presented at the time of application and all other eligibility requirements are met.

Eligibility:

• Must be enrolled as a dissertator or final-year Master of Fine Arts at the time of application.
• Must be travelling to present research (e.g., paper, poster) at a conference.
• Must have already been accepted to the conference at the time of application for Vilas funds.
• Travel start date must fall within the date range appropriate for the application period:
  
  

  Travel Start Date		Application Period
  July 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012	→	October 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012
  January 1, 2013 - June 30, 2013	→	February 1, 2013 - February 28, 2013

• Must demonstrate need for least $600 (in addition to any outside funding you might be receiving for the same conference presentation event) by filling out an Estimated Budget Sheet.
  While filling out the budget sheet please keep in mind these changes for the Spring 2013 Competition:

  • The per diem for food is a maximum of $40 per day ($10 Breakfast, $10 Lunch, $20 Dinner). Food costs can be claimed only for the days of conference, not for travel days. If food is included in the conference fee please deduct that from your per diem.

  • If you are sharing a hotel room only claim the amount that you will be spending on the room, not the entire fee.

  • Please keep in mind that we require that all recipients of the grant submit proof of travel before we can process the check. Unlike last year, recipients must now provide receipts for all major travel related expenses. The receipts must total at least $600.

• Students may not receive Vilas funds more than once in the fiscal year, which is from July 1, 2012 to July 1, 2013. (this includes both Vilas Conference Presentation Funds and the Vilas Research Travel Award)

How to apply:

• Prepare the following documents:
1. Proof of acceptance to present at the conference (e.g., letter of paper/poster acceptance, conference program where you are listed as a presenter). Please highlight the portion of the document which lists you as a presenter if it is not immediately apparent. This document must show that you are presenting a paper or poster, not simply attending the conference.
2. Abstract of paper or poster to be presented.
3. An Estimated Budget Sheet that includes all outside funding sources (if any) and shows that at least $600 of additional funding is needed. This must be signed by your academic advisor. Smaller amounts of funding cannot be allocated. Please be accurate in your estimations.
4. Completed electronic application. Documents 1-3 above must be submitted in the application as PDF files, with the applicant's last name and first name as part of the file name. (ex: Smith_John_Abstract.pdf) Incomplete applications and those that do not comply with the above specifications will be rejected.

Common Mistakes that Have led to Disqualification

• Wrong Campus ID (make sure to check your campus ID before submitting your application)
• Incorrect File Naming (make sure to include your first and last name on all of your uploaded documents; files without name identification will not be reviewed).
• Ineligible Dates (dates of travel to and from the conference, and the conference itself, must fall within the specified range)
• Inflated budget sheet (make an accurate accounting of your expenses, keeping in mind the guidelines about per diems for food, shared hotel rooms, not claiming per diem for travel days, not including food expenses when the conference includes meals, etc., and remember that receipts will need to reflect actual costs)

All students who submitted an application will be notified by March 15, 2013 as to whether or not they will receive funds. A check will be sent to the applicant by U.S. mail within 4-8 weeks after notification.

Before checks are sent, international students will need to submit additional forms. Do NOT submit these forms until notification of approval. For details, see Documentation for International Students.

Questions? Contact vilasconference@grad.wisc.edu.