The Department of French and Italian Studies appreciates that many of our graduate students wish to present papers at professional conferences and encourages them to do so. Since FIS has limited funds to support conference travel, we want the allocation of these funds to be as fair and transparent as possible. Accordingly, we use the following procedures to help sustain available funds from the Department while meeting student conference travel needs.
To be eligible for FIS funding, graduate students must also apply for funds from The Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS). GPSS offers awards of up to $300 for domestic conferences and up to $500 for international conferences. Find information on applying for GPSS funding here.
See the FIS department administrator for the GOF budget number that GPSS requires for the application and transfer of funds if awarded. FIS’s application cycles follows GPSS’s: for instance, for conferences in autumn quarter the GPSS deadline will be in late October; the expectation is that you would submit the FIS application shortly thereafter. Please consult the GPSS site for current deadlines.
To apply for conference funds from FIS, as soon as possible before your conference please send confirmation of your GPSS application and a short statement with the conference, paper title, and how it connects with your graduate studies to the Graduate Program Coordinator with a copy to the Administrator. In reviewing applications for FIS conference funding, the department gives preference to students who have not received prior conference support, advanced students, and students whose applications seem particularly meritorious. To support approved travel, FIS applies for funding from the Graduate School and/or supplements from FIS endowment funds.
If your funding will completely cover the cost of airfare, please have the department arrange and buy your ticket. If your funding does not completely cover your airfare, or you have already bought your ticket, submit your receipt to the department administrator to be reimbursed. Reimbursements will be made through direct deposit to the same account as your twice-monthly UW paycheck.
For students approved for FIS funding, FIS will apply the following amounts of funding to airfare:
- A supplement to bring total funding up to $600, if the student receives GPSS funding*; or
- Up to $400, if the student does not receive GPSS funding
*If GPSS funds international travel for more than $300, FIS will add up to $300 to supplement the GPSS funds.
If travel funds remain in FIS graduate endowments at the end of the academic year they may be used to further compensate those graduate students who did not receive full airfare funding.
FIS would also like to offer travel support (airfare) for advanced Ph.D. students seeking to attend the MLA Convention for job interviews. This offer of support is one time only; the student must have scheduled interviews at the MLA Convention and must attend the interviews. In exceptional cases, students may receive support to attend the MLA Convention if they are not presenting or interviewing (e.g., to attend pre-conference workshop). To apply, please consult with the Graduate Program Coordinator.
The department has some funds to support travel or other costs for advanced Ph.D. research. A request and description of the project should be given to the Graduate Program Coordinator and the Chair.