Funding

Introduction

Prepared by David J. Birnbaum, Nancy Condee, and Gerald McCausland.

The Guide to Professional Slavic Associations and Conferences has been prepared for graduate students in the Department of Slavic Languages at the University of Pittsburgh. It describes resources available at the University of Pittsburgh for supporting the cost of participation in conferences, and the conferences mentioned are those most likely to be of interest to members of our Department.

Obtaining Funding

A&S-PBC and Alumni $300 Travel Fellowship

Travel grants of $300 are available to graduate students participating in conferences. Students who have completed 18 credits are eligible. PhD candidates may receive a second grant after completing their comprehensive exams. Application forms (PDF) can be downloaded or can be obtained from departmental graduate secretaries or from 5141 Sennott Square.

Limited to two grants per graduate student. Non-competitive. Anyone going to qualifying conferences is entitled to one grant before and one grant after admission to doctoral candidacy. 

Arts and Sciences Graduate Student Organization Travel Grants

The A&S-GSO sponsors grants for travel to an academic conference to present a paper or a poster, or to participate in an interactive workshop. To be eligible you must be enrolled as an Arts and Sciences graduate student at the time of your travel. Details are available on the A&S-GSO Web site.

Competitive, but less so than GPSA. Currently, you can only get this grant once in any four-year period, but that rule is adjusted frequently according to budgetary ups and downs. See the Graduate Student Organization Web site.

Graduate and Professional Student Association Travel Grants

GPSA Travel Grants were established in 1993 to provide financial assistance to graduate and professional students at the University of Pittsburgh who are participating in academic or professional conferences. Applicants must currently be enrolled as a student in a graduate or professional program at the University of Pittsburgh. Details are available on the GPSA Web site.

You can theoretically get one of these every year, but they are very competitive. Because awards are approved on a rolling basis and they sometimes run out of money before the end of the year, it is important to apply as early as possible (but currently you cannot apply before you actually travel). See the GPSA Web site.

Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures

Arts & Sciences Departments at the University of Pittsburgh receive conference travel funds every year in the amount of $500 per tenure-stream faculty member (total of $3000 for us). The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures divides this pot of money equally among all faculty and graduate students who are participating in professional conferences. The amount of the award each year depends on the number of applications, but recent years have yielded $175-$200 per person. Apply by responding to an inquiry that Chris sends out each fall.

Center for Russian and East European Studies (REES)

REES normally provides $200 every year to anyone participating in the AAASS or AATSEEL conference (total of $200, even if you participate in both conferences). Apply by responding to email distributed by REES shortly before or after the conferences.

Midwest Slavic Conference

The Midwest Slavic Conference, which has free membership and conference registration, provides a limited number of subsidies to graduate students to help cover hotel costs while attending the conference. See the conference description.

Chicago Forum

The Chicago Forum often provides “free crash space.” See the conference description