Graduate Student Travel Fund

Graduate Student Travel Fund

The Graduate Student Travel Fund (GSTF) supports travel associated with scholarly research and creative activities. The GSTF is managed by a sub-committee of the University Research Council’s Student Research Committee and includes representation from Associated Students, Graduate Student Association, and the Graduate Council.

Approximately $30,000 is available annually to support graduate student travel during three cycles, fall (September 1 - December 31), spring (January 1 - June 30), and summer (July 1 - August 31). The maximum award is $1,000 and must be used within the cycle months.

The spring cycle is currently open for applications; see below for instructions on how to apply. 

2023 Application Timeline/Requirements:
  • The Graduate Student Travel Fund is available to all degree-seeking SDSU graduate students with an accumulated grade point average of at least 3.0 that are registered in units at SDSU.
  • The application deadline for the Graduate Student Travel Fund-Associated Students must be received no later than March 3, 2023 @ 11:59pm. 
  • Students awarded will be notified mid-late March 2023 and the funds will be distributed on or after April 1, 2023
Criteria for Review:
The primary criteria used in evaluating applications for funding are as follows:
  • Relevance or merit of professional activity to support student’s research/scholarship in designated major field of study.
  • If attending a conference, the student must be invited to give an oral or poster presentation. In the case of performance or visual arts the student must be invited to present. Simply attending a conference will not be awarded. You do not need the acceptance of your invitation to present at the time of application as long as you have submitted to present.
  • Appropriateness of scope and budget.
  • Contribution to completion of a thesis or dissertation.
  • Prior awards received from GSTF.
  • Please note this is not for group travel as the awards are limited.
Restrictions: 
GSTF funding may not be used for:
  • coursework at other institutions
  • coursework or training conferences
  • domestic travel to a state prohibited by state Assembly Bill 1887 https://oag.ca.gov/ab1887.
Important Reminders:
  • It is the student's responsibility to ensure that all travel paperwork is on file in their home department and if traveling internationally, they have completed the process through the Global Education Office

  • The project abstract should be non-technical and should be understandable to an educated reader, who is not an expert in your field.

  • Upon completion of the activity supported by the GSTF, students may be asked to submit a summary of accomplishments. If appropriate, photos taken during the activity with a description of how the activity contributed to the advancement of the research or scholarship in the student’s field of study may be profiled on the Graduate Studies webpage.

How to apply:

The application for the Graduate Student Travel Fund-Associated Students Spring Cycle (January 1, 2023 - June 30, 2023) will open on January 9, 2023 and close on March 3, 2023. Awards will be distributed in mid-April.  

Please apply using InfoReady. Please note the application will only appear after the opening date (January 9) and will not be visible after the closing date (March 3) until the next cycle. 

Please reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions.