Heller Fund Grants - Guidelines

(1) Placement-related travel to the SCS (or to any other) convention within the continental United States will be automatically subsidized once in a student’s career, at 100% of airfare if funds are available, and regardless of whether the student is giving a paper at the convention.  (However, students eligible to apply for subsidy for this purpose from Graduate Division are strongly urged to do so; see details in section [3]).  Students may apply for placement-related travel subsidy more than once, but subsequent awards are not automatically granted.      

(2) Students may also apply for subsidy for non-placement related travel (i) to the SCS convention (e.g. to give a paper, or to gain experience) or (ii) to conferences other than the SCS convention.  In the latter case the student should normally be a formal participant in the conference, whether by giving or commenting on a paper, or participating in a panel.  Students may apply for subsidy for the types of travel listed in this section more than once, but priority is given to first-time applicants.  Unlike awards for first-time placement-related travel, awards for the types of travel listed in this section are not automatically granted.  (Again, students eligible to apply for subsidy for these purposes from Graduate Division are urged to do so; see details in section [3].)

(3) Students who are “in the final stages of their graduate work” (i.e. advanced to candidacy and working on their dissertations), who are presenting a paper at a professional conference on the topic of their dissertation research, and who are registered Ph.D. students (not on filing fee) in good academic standing, can apply to Graduate Division for travel subsidy. A letter of support from the Graduate Adviser (not the chair of the Heller Committee) is required. Application must be made at least three weeks before date of travel; earlier application is strongly recommended.  No student may apply for such a grant more than once. If a student is eligible for such a grant, application should be made both to Graduate Division and to the Heller Fund, so that the Heller Fund can step in (under the guidelines in sections [1] and [2]) should funding from Graduate Division not be forthcoming. The Heller Fund may provide a supplement to a Graduate Division award if the latter is insufficient to cover airfare. Such a supplement will not count as the student’s one-time placement-related award. 

(4) Heller fund grants will be given to reimburse long-distance travel only (either airfare or other long-distance travel). They may not normally be used to cover short-distance travel (van, limousine, taxi etc.), lodging, or meal expenses.  Travel will be reimbursed up to a maximum that varies annually, or actual fare, whichever is less.

(5) Grants in excess of the maximum may be given to students who must travel to more than one convention in any one year in order to make themselves available for job interviews. 

(6) Application for a Heller fund grant should be made by writing to the chair of the Heller committee (Trevor Murphy) as early as possible in the fall semester. (Please use the hardcopy below; do not send e-mail.)  Include relevant details of your long-distance travel plans, and mention whether you have applied for a grant from Graduate Division.

(7) Students must follow University policies regarding the purchasing of travel tickets using Heller funds.  Students have two options after receiving the award: Buy their tickets through the Department, or pay for it themselves and get reimbursed. Information on who to see will be in your award letters sent by the Chair of Heller Fund.