Any enrolled graduate or professional student in good academic standing at UT Knoxville may apply. Travel must occur at least 60 days before the applicant’s graduation date. Online, part-time, and professional-track students are eligible, provided they meet all other program criteria.

No. Students may receive one GSS Travel Grant per fiscal year. Grants cannot be split across trips or carried forward to a later travel period.

No. Grants are non-transferable. A grant may not be reassigned to another student or applied to travel other than what was described in the original application.

No. Departmental funding is not a prerequisite for eligibility, but applicants are expected to seek available support from their advisor, department, and college prior to applying. All anticipated funding from those sources must be disclosed in the application. The GSS Travel Grant is designed to supplement other support, not replace it. Inaccurate or untruthful statements may result in disqualification from funding for up to three years.

No. The GSS Travel Grant is intended to supplement other sources of support and is not designed to serve as a required first step before departmental or college funding decisions are made. Students whose programs condition internal support on a GSS application should contact the GSS Travel Grant Committee for guidance.

The grant supports travel that advances scholarship, creative work, professional development, or representation of the university — such as presenting research, showcasing creative work, competing, or performing in a qualifying context.

Yes. Presenter applications receive priority consideration. Students giving a talk, presenting a poster, or otherwise contributing work as part of the event are reviewed within that priority group.

Yes. Non-presenters may be eligible when the travel involves meaningful participation that supports scholarship, creative work, professional development, or representation of the university. Attendance alone is generally not competitive and may not qualify. Applicants should describe their role clearly so reviewers can assess the opportunity and its impact.

Leadership or professional development trips, pursuit of certifications, and publication-related activities do not qualify independently. Travel that falls into a gray area should still be submitted with a clear explanation of the applicant’s role and the significance of the opportunity. The committee evaluates work according to the norms of each discipline.

Virtual-only attendance is generally not eligible, as the grant is designed to offset the financial cost of in-person travel. Applicants traveling to attend a hybrid conference in person follow the standard application process. Questions about a specific situation should be directed to the committee before the applicable deadline.

Grants typically range from $500 to $1,000. The GSS Travel Grant is competitive, and funding decisions and grant amounts are based on individual financial need and the strength of application materials. International travel is reviewed under a higher-cost, need-based tier that accounts for its added expense.

No. The grant is competitive, and demand regularly exceeds available funds. Meeting eligibility requirements does not guarantee a grant. Even strong applications may go unfunded in a given cycle.

Highly competitive. The number of qualified applications consistently exceeds the available budget in each cycle. Submitting complete, well-prepared materials is the most reliable way to strengthen an application.

No. The grant is supplemental support. It is intended to add to funding from an advisor, department, and college, not to replace it. Reviewers expect applicants to have sought other available internal and external funding sources, which should be disclosed in the application.

Applications that score well tend to share the following qualities:

• A clear, well-written impact statement that explains how the travel advances the applicant’s work and field

• Accurate, itemized cost estimates that reflect realistic expenses

• Complete and transparent reporting of all other funding sources

• A demonstrated connection between the event and the applicant’s research, creative work, or professional development

• A complete, accurate submission received by the applicable deadline

The committee reviews applications against the norms of each discipline and considers both demonstrated financial need and the quality of submitted materials.

Applicants may request funding for the following categories of eligible expenses:

• Conference or event registration

• Airfare or other long-distance transportation

• Local transportation or mileage

• Lodging

• Parking

• Meals or per diem

• Professional membership fees, only when directly tied to conference registration

• Other reasonable, travel-related costs not listed above, where policy permits

Costs that are personal, optional, or unrelated to the academic purpose of the trip fall outside the program’s scope. Generally ineligible costs include:

• Personal side trips or leisure activities

• Expenses for companions, family members, or non-UT travelers

• Membership fees not tied to conference registration

• Costs already covered in full by another funding source

Final determinations follow university policy.

The GSS Travel Grant operates on four quarterly funding cycles. Deadlines fall on the 15th of the applicable month, with grant decisions issued approximately one month later. Applicants must submit during the cycle corresponding to their travel dates.

Quarter	Travel Dates	Application Deadline	Grant Notification
Q1	July 1 — September 30	September 15	October 15
Q2	October 1 — December 31	September 15	October 15
Q3	January 1 — March 31	November 15	December 15
Q4	April 1 — June 30	February 15	March 15

If travel spans more than one quarter, applicants should submit during the cycle in which the primary activity — such as a presentation or competition — takes place. 

Submitted applications route through a sequential (stepwise) approval process before reaching the committee. Approvals are required from the advisor, department head, and college dean, followed by an administrative review by the Graduate School. Applications that clear Graduate School review are then forwarded to the GSS Travel Grant Committee for anonymous committee review.

Approvals occur in sequence: advisor, then department head, then college dean, then the Graduate School. Each signatory must complete their review before the application advances to the next stage. Applicants should communicate proactively with their advisor, department head, and college dean to keep the process moving on time.

The applicant’s. Each signatory receives an automated notification when their review is required, but it remains the applicant’s responsibility to monitor the approval chain and confirm that each sign-off is completed in order and on time. Delays at any stage may adversely affect processing timelines and reimbursement.

Applicants should follow up directly with any signatory who has not acted within a reasonable timeframe. If a genuine impasse arises — such as an extended absence or non-response — contact the GSS Travel Grant Committee as soon as possible. Early outreach preserves the most options for resolution.

Following college-level approval, the Graduate School conducts an administrative review to verify the consistency, completeness, and accuracy of the application. Applicants may be contacted for clarification if materials are missing or require further review. Inaccurate or false statements may result in disqualification from funding for up to three years.

Yes. Applications that do not meet program eligibility criteria or submission requirements may be administratively rejected before committee review. Rejected applications are not eligible for resubmission. Submitting a complete and accurate application at the outset is the most reliable way to avoid this outcome.

The committee evaluates three components: the applicant’s title, abstract, and impact statement. All identifying information is removed prior to review. Applicants should ensure these sections are clear, accurate, and complete.

Applications are reviewed using anonymous committee review with a shared scoring rubric. Each submission is evaluated by multiple committee members without reference to the applicant’s identity, department, or program affiliation. This process is designed to ensure consistent and equitable evaluation across disciplines.

Yes. The committee applies a standardized rubric with the understanding that scholarly, creative, clinical, and professional norms differ across fields. Reviewers receive training before scoring begins. Novel or innovative activities are eligible, provided applicants clearly explain the significance and impact of the opportunity in their materials.

If materials are missing or unclear, applicants may be contacted during Graduate School review for clarification. Submitting a complete and accurate application the first time reduces the likelihood of rejection. Applications rejected for not meeting eligibility requirements cannot be resubmitted.

Not through the application system. Once submitted, the application is locked for review. If there is an error or a material change in travel plans or costs, contact the GSS Travel Grant Committee by email as soon as possible. Updates submitted after the initial submission are tracked manually and cannot be guaranteed to reach reviewers.

Contact the GSS Travel Grant Committee promptly. Changes to travel dates, costs, or conference details may affect eligibility or the grant amount and must be documented.

Additional funding must be disclosed. If other support is received after submission, notify the GSS Travel Grant Committee immediately. Funding decisions and grant amounts are based in part on individual financial need, and additional support may affect the grant.

Each application is reviewed independently. The committee does not penalize students for coming from the same research group or attending the same event. Funding decisions are based on individual financial need and the strength of each applicant’s submitted materials. Students from the same group or attending the same event may receive different grant amounts, or no grant, based on those individual factors.

Financial need refers to the gap that remains after accounting for other available funding sources. Reviewers consider what support an applicant’s advisor, department, and college are providing and what costs remain uncovered. Applicants should represent their financial situation accurately and completely. 

Impact refers to the scholarly, creative, or professional value of the travel — for the applicant’s development, their discipline, and UT’s academic community. The impact statement is where applicants make that case directly, and it carries significant weight in the review. 

Exceptions are rare and only reserved for circumstances outside the applicant’s control. No priority deadlines or deadline extensions. The committee recognizes three categories: late conference acceptance caused by the conference’s own timeline, extraordinary circumstances such as serious illness, a family emergency, or a visa or immigration delay, and confirmed technical or system errors.  

All committee funding decisions are final and cannot be disputed. If an applicant believes their application was rejected due to a clerical or technical error, they should contact the GSS Travel Grant Committee promptly with supporting documentation. Funding decisions are not subject to appeal, but confirmed administrative errors may be corrected. 

Reimbursement is processed after travel in accordance with university procedures. Recipients are responsible for retaining required documentation and submitting all post-travel materials within 30 days of returning, typically in coordination with their advisor and/or departmental business manager. Recipients who do not meet post-travel reporting requirements may not receive reimbursement. 

Recipients must complete the travel as described in their application, submit a Post-Travel Survey with required media within 30 days of returning, submit the UT Travel Expense Report (DASH) with their advisor/business manager, and fulfill all reimbursement documentation and deadline requirements per university policy.

Failure to complete grant acceptance and reporting requirements may affect eligibility for current and future GSS Travel Grants. These obligations keep the program accountable and help document the impact of graduate student travel funded through the university. 

For questions about program rules, eligibility, or application requirements, contact the GSS Travel Grant Committee at [email protected]. For reimbursement processing questions, applicants should coordinate with their advisor and/or departmental business manager, and may also contact the committee if needed. Response times may take several business days, particularly near application deadlines. Early outreach is strongly encouraged.