The Graduate School

Vilas Research Travel Grant

Vilas Research Travel Award

Applications for the Spring 2012 Vilas Research Travel Award competition will be accepted between 9:00 AM, February 1 - 4:30 PM, February 29.

Do you need money to support travel related to your research? Apply for the Vilas Research Travel Award.

This spring, awards in the amount of $600 are available to dissertators and final-year MFA students traveling to conduct research supporting their dissertation or thesis. These $600 awards may be applied to travel within or outside of the 48 contiguous states. This competition is also held each fall semester, during which time applicants travelling outside of the 48 contiguous states may also be considered for one of five $1500 awards.

The spring competition will take place between February 1 and February 29, 2012. Eligible spring-semester applicants will be considered for $600 awards.

Eligibility

• Must be officially enrolled as a dissertator or final-year MFA at the time of application.

• Must be travelling to conduct research supporting dissertation/final project. The Vilas Research Travel Award cannot support conference travel.

• Travel must begin during the fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) in which application is made. (For the current competition, travel must begin between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012). Applications may be submitted either before or after travel.

• To be considered for the $1500 award, students must apply in the fall application period, and must be travelling outside of the contiguous United States.

• Students may not receive Vilas funds more than once in the fiscal year (this includes both Vilas Conference Presentation Funds and Vilas Research Travel Awards).

How to apply

• Prepare the following documents:

1. Synopsis - Justify how you will use a Vilas Research Travel Award in no more than two pages. Your synopsis should include the following information:

• the importance of this travel to your dissertation research and professional advancement

• the significance of this research to your field of study

• a clear description of travel plans

• a budget for travel and research

• demonstration of financial need

• the synopsis should be clear, professional, and well-written

* There are no formatting guidelines for the synopsis other than the two-page length limit.

* Your application will be evaluated by a committee of graduate student readers. Please note that your application may be read by a student from any discipline; strong applications are able to convey the importance of an applicant's research and travel to a non-expert.

2. Letter of support from your faculty advisor - Reviewers look for the advisor's enthusiastic recommendation of the student and clear support of the student's research as a worthwhile contribution to the field of study.

• Complete the electronic application by 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 29, 2012. The synopsis and advisor letter mentioned above must be submitted in the application as PDF files. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. [Note: The application will go live only on February 1, 2012]
  

Applicants will be notified via email when the review committee has made its decisions. Spring applicants will be notified in late March.

Once an application has been approved, international students will need to submit additional forms. Do NOT submit these forms until you have been notified of approval. For details, see Documentation for International Students.

All winners must submit proof of financial commitment to travel before checks can be received.  (Note:  It is not necessary to include this with your application).  For award checks to be processed in time, proof must be shown before May 11th, 2012.

Questions? Contact vilasresearch@grad.wisc.edu.