Student Travel and Workshop Awards

Montana INBRE occasionally supports individual students through funding for conference travel and workshop registration. When available, details will be listed below.

As COVID-19 pandemic restrictions ease, Montana INBRE is gradually resuming student travel awards to in-person conferences and workshops. Please contact Montana INBRE Student Programs Director, Dr. Sarah Codd, if you would like to discuss an upcoming student travel opportunity.

Montana INBRE Student Travel Awards

Who’s Eligible

Any Montana-based college student (undergraduate or graduate) who is conducting research related to health sciences, veterinary sciences, and/or biomedicine, including social science, engineering science, quantitative science research that involves human health components is elligible for this competitive award.

Criteria

Applicants must be a current college student in good academic standing attending an institution of higher education located within Montana. Travel awards are for domestic (US) locations only, and recipients must plan to present their biomedical or health-related research at the scientific conference, symposium, event, or meeting. Students requesting awards to attend a skills-acquisition workshop may be exempt from the research presentation requirement if the workshop does not include an opportunity to present research.

Award Maximums

The maximum award amount is $500 for undergraduates and $1000 for graduate students. Maximum amounts may not apply to Montana INBRE Scholars. 

Travel Dates

Due to Montana INBRE's grant year (May 1 - April 30) priority consideration is typically given for travel that can be completed on/before April 30 each year. Requests for travel taking place after April 30 can be submitted at anytime but are often not reviewed until the next round of INBRE funding has been confirmed (on/around May 30 each  year).

Match Funding

In order to accomodate more student travel requests, Montana INBRE often requires travel award applicants to secure additional (matching) funds at an amount equal to or greater than the amount being requested from Montana INBRE. Matching funds can come from sources such as project mentors, your graduate school, your academic department or college and/or the conference itself. Match funding often does not apply to Montana INBRE Scholars. Contact Sarah Codd if you have questions or concerns about matching funding.

Application Deadlines

Completed applications received by February 1 typically receive priority consideration for spring travel; applications received between February 2 and March 15 receive secondary consideration; applications received after March 15 and/or applications for travel taking place after April 30 are typically reviewed in May or later.

Allowable Expenses

Student Travel Awards may cover such expenses as economy airfare to nearest airport to conference, ground transportation to/from conference, standard lodging for duration of conference, conference registration fee(s), meal reimbursement for meals not included with the conference at the rate allowed by your institution's per-diem policy, incidentals like poster printing, etc.

If you are contemplating expenses not included above, please talk with a member of the Montana INBRE staff first.

To apply, complete steps 1-3 before proceeding to step 4

  1. Graduate Students: identify a scientific conference or event where you can present original research publicly as a poster or oral presentation; Undergraduate Students: receive acceptance at scientific conference or event where you will be giving an oral presentation on your human- or veterinary-health research
  2. Write (or update) your scientific abstract for the research you plan to present at the conference/event; MSU's Undergraduate Scholars Program offers this advice on writing a scientific abstract
  3. Ask your project mentor or faculty supervisor to write a brief (one page or less) letter or statement of support explaining how you will benefit academically and/or professionally from the travel experience and why this particular opportunity is well-suited to your current academic or professional trajectory; You will need a signed .PDF copy of this letter before you begin your application
  4. Once steps 1-3 are done, follow this link to upload your letter and fill out the online application