Graduate Student Travel Award

The Travel Award is a competitive award that provides funding to support graduate students' travel for presentation of research or creative activity.

Eligibility & Funding Guidelines for Graduate Students:

Securing financial support from your department, college, program, or another appropriate source is required.
Applicants must present an authored or co-authored research paper or creative project that has been peer-reviewed and accepted for presentation. Students with pending acceptances may still apply; however, funding is contingent upon official acceptance.
- Please note that travel awards strictly support active participants; students attending solely as general audience members are ineligible.
Attend a minimum of 2 Graduate Studies Professional Development Graduate Workshops (only events listed on the Student Research Events page will qualify).
- Research Breaks or other workshops by Research Development are not eligible to meet qualifications for the Graduate Travel or Graduate Research Awards. Questions regarding workshops? Email: grad.workshops@unt.edu
Travel award is only available and must be approved PRIOR to travel.

Explore Workshops & Development Events

Applying for a Travel Award

Compile your application materials, including your presentation abstract, conference acceptance, abstract of presentation, Travel Award Budget Proposal/Template, workshop titles, and relevant departmental contact emails (graduate advisor/major professor, department chair/school associate dean).

Apply Here!

Once your application is submitted, you'll receive a confirmation message. At the end of the application period, submissions will be reviewed, and applicants will be notified of acceptance or denial by the designated announcement date below.

*All requirements and documentation must be completed before the application deadline to be considered for an award.

Travel Award Cycles

Travel award applications are reviewed in three distinct cycles. Select your application cycle based on your conference/travel dates. Both application submission and conference travel must occur within the same academic year (Fall through Summer).

Fall 2026 Travel Award Cycle

If your travel falls between: August 24, 2026 - December 31, 2026

Application Opens: August 1, 2026
Submission Deadline: September 18, 2026
Review Period: September 20, 2026 - September 30, 2026
Results emailed by: October 5, 2026

Spring 2027 Travel Award Cycle

If your travel falls between: January 1, 2027 - May 31, 2027

Application Opens: October 1, 2026
Submission Deadline: November 18, 2026
Review Period: November 20, 2026 - December 4, 2026
Results emailed by: December 11, 2026

Summer 2027 Travel Award Cycle

If your travel falls between: June 1, 2027 - August 15, 2027

Application Opens: February 1, 2027
Submission Deadline: March 19, 2027
Review Period: March 22, 2027 - April 5, 2027
Results emailed by: April 12, 2027

*All requirements, documentation, and signatures must be completed before the application deadline to be considered for an award.

Award Limits & Funding Priorities

Preference will be given to students who are first authors, have significant publication/professional development potential, public performance/exhibition of artistic work, and high academic/research productivity, as measured by GPA.
The total award amount will not exceed $500.
Students are eligible to receive only one Travel Award per academic year.
Students must apply to receive a travel award within the same academic year (September 1 – August 31) in which the travel takes place.

Common mistakes:

Unsigned Faculty/Administrator Sections

Make sure that you submit the appropriate departmental personnel contact information on the application including your major professor/faculty advisor and departmental administrator.

All signatures must be obtained by the deadline for the application to be considered for the current evaluation period.

Missing Workshop Requirements

Must attend a minimum of 2 GS Professional Development Graduate Workshops before submitting the application. The workshops must be completed within the academic year of application submission.
Summer 2026 workshops are eligible for Fall 2026 Travel Award Cycle.

Workshops can be found:

Graduate Studies Events

Questions regarding workshops? Email grad.workshops@unt.edu

*Note that this process is competitive, and applying does not guarantee an award.

FAQs

Unfortunately, no.
To be eligible for the Research & Innovation Graduate Student Travel Award, students must apply and ideally receive an award prior to traveling. Requests for funding that are submitted after travel takes place will not be considered.

Students will turn in all receipts and documentation to their department for reimbursement. Please do not submit forms to DRI.

Follow the instructions detailed in your award letter to facilitate payment. You will need to contact your department for reimbursement instructions. You will need to submit receipts to your department no later than 2 weeks (14 days) after you return from your conference. Travel Awards are always reimbursed after you return from travel; we do not send funds in advance. If advance funding is needed, please contact the Student Money Management Center.

You will receive your travel award as a reimbursement processed by your department. Please contact your department representative for questions about your reimbursement status. Submission of travel documentation should be made to your department admin within 2 weeks of return from travel.

No, you must apply during each period (within the same academic year that your travel occurred) if you wish to be considered for a travel award.

Other Funding Opportunities

The Division of International Affairs administers the UNT International Travel Grant. The UNT International Travel Grant provides funding to UNT graduate students who receive a DRI Travel Award to participate in a professional meeting abroad.
Read more about the International Travel Award.

Graduate Student Travel Award