Travel Resources for Graduate Students

College-Level Travel Support

The College of Engineering offers awards to support travel for graduate students who are presenting their original research at significant conferences in their fields. These travel awards require formal acceptance of the presentation/paper prior to disbursement and a brief report upon return from the conference. Partial support from the research supervisor (if available) and the home department is also required.

Available support will be allocated periodically based on the availability of funds—following the eligibility, requirements, and limitations described in the application form on InfoReady. In most cases, it will be disbursed as a scholarship award from the college. Graduate students seeking support for travel must apply on InfoReady. Advisors and departments will be asked to confirm the information submitted. 

A student may receive this travel award only once in the course of completing a degree. Only one advisee of a given faculty member may receive a travel award per fiscal year.

University Office of Global Programs

The University Office of Global Programs (UOGP) maintains a fund to support graduate travel related to the presentation of the scholarly work of Penn State graduate students at international conferences or other major professional meetings outside the United States. The goal is to promote and support global leadership in scholarship and international engagements. For more information, go to Travel Grants & Scholarships on the Global Penn State website.

University Park Allocation Committee

University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) will only consider funding for travel where the students attending will be taking an active role in the travel experience. A student traveling for the purpose of presenting their personal research is not eligible for UPAC funding for the date(s) that they are presenting their own research, as the travel experience would result in personal gain that is essential for academic progress. Ineligibility only applies to the student(s) involved with presenting their own research and may not affect other students attending. For more information, visit the relevant page on UPAC’s website: International Travel if traveling abroad or Domestic Travel if traveling within the United States.