The College of Arts and Sciences provides funds to support undergraduate and graduate student travel for research, presentation of research or other educational purposes. Although the funds available are limited, students are encouraged to submit proposals to the College. The college’s Support of Teaching and Research Committee (a committee of faculty and students) will review the applications. Travel funds will be provided within the limits of the total money available and based on a ranking procedure using information provided in the proposal materials.

Requests will be considered up to a maximum of $500 per student per trip for educational or research activity travel (as distinguished from travel to make a research presentation). Undergraduates or graduate students who are traveling to present research at a professional meeting or conference may request up to $750.

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Cover Sheet
Travel Guidelines

Eligibility:

Applicant must be a graduate or undergraduate student with a declared major in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students must be traveling for research or educational purposes. More than one application per fiscal year may be submitted, but the total of all money spent in a fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) cannot exceed $750. 

Deadlines:

Requested forms and supporting material must be submitted to the Dean’s office no later than 30 days prior to the date of travel.

Application Procedures:

Applications must be submitted electronically in PDF form to Connie Cooper at cccooper@ou.edu.
Submit the following items, in one PDF file, in this order, as applicable to your request:

1. Application cover sheet (download by clicking here: Cover Sheet
   
2. One-page justification of travel
3. Endorsement letter from the chair of your major department
4. Information on conference (two pages maximum) taken from a brochure or from the internet
5. If presenting research, a copy of confirmation that research has been accepted for presentation (such as email or letter)
6. Graduate Students, who will be active presenters, are also required to apply for travel funding from the Graduate College. (Specify amount applied for under “Funding Requested From” column on application.)

Requirements are explained in detail below:

1. The student must complete the “Student Request for Travel Funds” cover sheet.
   • Travel budget: See your major departmental travel coordinator for specifics on these items. Students must follow all departmental and university policies and procedures regarding travel and reimbursement. Departments are responsible for ensuring that students comply. Details are available in the department and at http://www.ou.edu/controller/fss/procedures/travel.html.
   • The amount requested from the College of Arts and Sciences: this amount must be filled in. It can be any amount up to the limits mentioned above. It is not a “matching amount” to any funds provided by your major department but may be a “matching amount” to the Graduate College funding.
   • The amount(s) requested and/or obtained from other sources:
   • All students are required to seek money from another university source, including but not limited to the student’s major department. If you are not able to obtain these funds, you must include information in your travel justification (see Item 2 below) regarding other funding requests you have made and what the results were.
   • Graduate students are also required to submit a request for funds to the Graduate College to support the travel at least equal to the amount requested from the College of Arts and Sciences. (Note: The Graduate College does not have to match the $750 request.) If you do not qualify for this funding source, you must include an explanation in your travel justification (see Item 2 below).
   • The total amount of funding requested may exceed the total amount of your expenses if one or more of your sources of funding have not yet been confirmed. If multiple sources are approved, expenses can be distributed among the available funding sources. (Example: Your total expenses are $1,000. You are able to request $750 from Arts & Sciences; you request $500 from the Grad College and your major department has committed to $200. All funding gets approved. You would use $200 of the department funding, $400 of the $750 requested from the Arts & Sciences and $400 of the $500 requested from the Grad College funding.)
   • This form must be signed by you and the chair of your major department.

2. On a separate sheet, the student must provide a one-page justification of travel for funding of the proposed travel-related activity, explaining how it entails travel connected with research, the presentation of research, or other educationally valuable activity. Any explanations (as mentioned in Item 1-c above) would be included here, as well as specifics on travel arrangements and any other information you feel the committee should know to explain the importance of your travel.

3. The student must obtain an endorsement letter from the chair or director of the student’s major department. An endorsement from one additional faculty sponsor may also be included but is not required. The chair or director will attach the endorsement letter(s) to the PDF application and electronically submit it to Connie Cooper (cccooper@ou.edu in the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's office.

4. Additional items:

   • For students traveling to present research at a professional meeting, it is strongly preferred that they provide documentation that the research presentation has been accepted. Also include information about the conference (preferably one page) copied from a brochure or printed from the web.

   • Optional: Items such as CVs and abstracts are accepted but not required

5. The college’s Committee for Support of Teaching and Research (a committee of faculty and students) will review the applications for funding through this program throughout the year. The Dean’s office will notify the chair or director of the major department of the decision, and the chair or director will notify the student.

6. Students must follow all departmental and university policies and procedures regarding travel and reimbursement. Departments are responsible for ensuring that students comply. Details are available in your department and at http://www.ou.edu/controller/fss/procedures/travel.html.

7. Funds are not issued prior to travel. Students must pay for their expenses and then request reimbursement from their department. Departments will pay for the approved travel expenses and submit copies of paid invoices/receipts and monthly financial statements to the Dean’s office for reimbursement to the departmental account.

Questions about the Student Research Travel and Educational Travel Funding program should be directed to the College of Arts and Sciences by phone (325-2077) or by e-mail to Connie Cooper (cccooper@ou.edu).