Graduate Student Conference Travel Program
Program Overview
The Graduate Student Conference Travel Program supports OISE graduate students presenting at refereed academic conferences. Students can apply for funding before confirmation that their conference submissions have been accepted.
Students are eligible for funding only once per year; students who receive funding in the Fall cannot reapply in the Spring, and students who receive funding in the Spring cannot reapply the following Fall.
Before applying to present at a conference, please speak to your supervisor/advisor.
- Your supervisor must approve the conference as relevant to your course of studies before you are reimbursed for the conference
- Your supervisor can also advise you whether a particular conference is likely to be of benefit to you professionally
Read the following information carefully to understand how to apply and whether you are eligible for this funding program. Please note that this fund's requirements and process differ from those of the and from the .
Conference Outside of Canada?
You must follow the instructions and steps listed on the for completion of the Safety Abroad pre-departure requirements well in advance of your travel abroad.
Requirements Include:
- Registration in the , including confirmation of travel insurance and signing of waivers.
- Completion of the .
Application Timeline
Conferences: November 1, 2024 - April 30, 2025
Application Period: September 16, 2024 - October 16, 2024
Application Deadline: October 16, 2024
Funding Results: early December 2024
Please note that you are ineligible to apply during this funding period if you received and claimed funds for a conference held between May 1, 2024 - October 31, 2024.
Conferences: May 1, 2025 - October 31, 2025
Application Period: March 14, 2025 - April 15, 2025
Application Deadline: April 15, 2024
Funding Results: Early May 2025
Please note that you are ineligible to apply during this funding period if you received and claimed funds for a conference held between November 1, 2024 - April 30, 2025.
Program Eligibility
You will receive funding if you apply and:
- Are registered in a graduate program at OISE both at the time of application and at the time of the conference.
- Are applying during the appropriate application period.
- Have applied to present on research related to your OISE program as an author on a poster, paper, or roundtable presentation at a refereed conference. Please note that conferences are refereed if presentations are selected for inclusion in the programme following a peer-review process. You may apply for funding even if you have not yet received confirmation that your conference submission has been accepted. Funding will be divided among authors if more than one student successfully applies for the same presentation.
You may not receive funding twice in a row. If you receive and claim funding in the Fall, you cannot be granted funding in the Spring. If you receive and claim funding in the Spring, you will not receive funding in the Fall. If you are awarded funding but do not wish to use it, you may notify us of your intention to withdraw your application and apply in the next round.
Please note that contacting your supervisor when applying for funding is advisable, as their approval is required before reimbursement. After attending the conference, you must ask your supervisor to approve and sign your reimbursement claim to receive any awarded funds. Your supervisor’s signature shows that your presentation is related to your research and your study program.
Funding & Eligible Expenses
Registration and membership fees are eligible for reimbursement for conferences attended online.
Expenses incurred when travelling to a conference, including conference registration fees, membership fees, transportation, and accommodation, are eligible for reimbursement.
Awarded funding can only be used for the conference listed on your application.
You may apply for additional sources of funding. Funding may also be available from the .
If you were granted funding but are no longer a registered student on your presentation date, you are not eligible to submit a reimbursement claim.
Award amounts vary depending on whether the conference presentation is online or in person and, if in person, whether the conference is held locally, at a further distance within Canada or in an international location. Award amounts also vary based on the number of eligible applications received and the funds available for distribution.
Application Process
Current OISE students will be notified by email when we are accepting applications and will be provided with a link to the online application system. When you apply, a notification that your application has been received will be sent to the email address included on you profile. Please note that late applications will not be considered for funding.
Award decisions are final, and will be sent to you via email. Please check that emails from oise.research@utoronto.ca has not been directed to your junk email folder.
NEW: If you wish to change information during the application period, you can withdraw your application yourself before submitting a new, corrected one. If once you have secured funding you wish to withdraw your application and apply for a different conference within the same time period, please contact our office. You may also contact us to withdraw your application if you do not wish to claim the funds but wish instead to apply in the next application period.
Additional Information
- ​Student name
- Student number
- Department
- Degree
- Current year in program
- Name of Supervisor/Advisor
- Have you read and reviewed all information about this funding program posted on the website?
- Is this a refereed conference? (Conferences are refereed if presentations are selected for inclusion in the programme following a peer-review process.) (Yes/No)
- Indicate whether your attendance was/will be virtual or in-person.
- Will attendance be virtual or in-person?
- Name of academic conference
- Are you the presenting author on a paper, poster and/or roundtable? (Yes/No)
- Conference location (City, Country)
- Conference start date
- Conference end date
- Conference website (URL)
- Title of paper/presentation
- List authors in order (i.e. first author, second author)
For the purposes of this travel grant, the supervisor/advisor identified on the application form can be a faculty member or instructor who is familiar with your current research and the suitability of the conference in relation to your research.
How to Claim Funding
You will be reimbursed for eligible expenses up to the maximum of the funds awarded to you.
Expense reimbursement forms along with original receipts and supporting documents must be submitted within 45 days of the last day of the conference, or within 45 days of receiving application results. After 45 days, your offer of funding expires and you will no longer be eligible to submit a claim. You must be a registered student at the time of the conference to be eligible to claim the funding.
To request reimbursement, submit the following documents by email to your department contact:
- Completed signed by you and approved by your supervisor.
- If this form is not accessible, please contact oise.research@utoronto.ca.
- Original receipts (note that for airfare, original boarding passes are required.)
- Proof of conference attendance which includes your name, the title of your paper, the date of your presentation, and the name of the conference. (e.g., a copy of the conference program or a website printout).
Please Note:
- If you have paid by credit card, submit a credit card statement that includes the name of the cardholder and the last four digits of the credit card number. For privacy reasons, please block out any charges on your statement that are unrelated to your reimbursement claim.
- If you have incurred expenses in a foreign currency, you will be reimbursed according to the exchange rate on your credit card or bank statement. If you do not have a credit/bank statement, your department business officer will determine the appropriate conversion rate.
Still Have Questions?
Application Criteria / Technical Questions
Questions about the application criteria or process?
Please contact Lisa Smith at oise.research@utoronto.ca.
Technical issues with the application system?
Please submit a ticket using the , or join one of Education Commons' virtual drop-ins.
Submitting an Expense Report
Please contact your departmental Business Officer or Financial Officer.
