Useful Information
- All travel must occur during this fiscal year (September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025).
- Recipients are eligible to receive ONE travel award per academic year.
If you have any questions please contact Sal Lamsal. You may also refer to the Frequently Asked Questions below.
Eligibility & Requirements
- Must be a student registered in a graduate program at VMBS, or a graduate student enrolled at Texas A&M University whose academic advisor is a faculty member of VMBS at the time of application and travel.
- The meeting or conference must be professional in nature and of scientific importance in the student’s field of study(as deemed by faculty who are familiar with the field of study and/or the student’s advisor in VMBS) within the United States of America.
- The student must be the first and the presenting author.
- An abstract and evidence of its acceptance is required prior to disbursement of funds. Students may be provisionally awarded if they submit abstracts that have not been accepted yet, but proof of acceptance is required prior to disbursement of funds (Refer to Section B. Application Procedures, Point 3).
- The presentation must be in a poster or oral format.
- A student is limited to one travel award per academic year (defined as September 1st – August 31st).
- The final application must be completed and submitted prior to the announced deadline. Applications submitted after the announced deadline will be considered ineligible.
- Travel Awards cannot be retroactive. All travel expenses covered by a travel award must occur after the travel award application has been submitted. Travel award funding cannot be used to cover travel expenses to a conference or presentation that occurred prior to the current travel award application deadline.
- The research to be presented should positively represent the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and its students.
- Work to be presented must be “new”—abstracts from previously awarded travel grants will be reviewed to ensure that “new” work is presented. Abstracts may not be identical to previously submitted abstracts and must include evidence of progression from previously presented research.
- Students must be in good academic standing, and the student grade point average will be used to check for good standing.
- All expenses incurred during the travel should be reconciled by August 31, 2025. This applies to all travel sessions (Fall, Spring, and Summer).
Selection Committee & Criteria
The GSA faculty advisor and the GSA executive officers will review the applications and select the awardees.
If all the eligibility requirements are satisfied, then the following criteria will be used to decide whether the student will receive a travel award:
- Participation in GSA activities: students who attend GSA meetings and who participate in GSA events. There will be sign-up sheets to record the names of those who participated in the events including the meetings. Additional sign-up sheets will be kept during the meetings soliciting your participation in future GSA activities like vendor shows, open houses, and research symposiums.
- Will the research to be presented represent the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and its students well?
- The merit of the research and conference or workshop attending.
- Academic performance: the student’s grade point average will be used to judge the academic performance.
Application Procedure
- Complete the travel award application (will be emailed out and uploaded when the application opens).
- Include a copy of your abstract.
- Include evidence of acceptance of your abstract for presentation at the meeting or conference.
- Submit your completed application via VMBS email to the Travel Award Secretary Sal Lamsal.
If meeting the updated deadline means you will not have evidence of an accepted abstract yet: Submit your application with evidence of abstract submission and indicate in the comments section of the application when you expect acceptance notification. You will be required to submit evidence of acceptance as soon as it becomes available. If you are selected to receive an award you will not be given any funds until we have evidence your abstract was accepted.
Next Application Deadline
It is strongly recommended that you apply as soon as you have confirmation of abstract acceptance regardless of the deadline date. Applicants will be informed of award status 7 days following the deadline for application. No awards will be given retroactively (i.e. after you have traveled).
If You Are Awarded a VMBS – GSA Travel Award
- Awards are given for registration, transportation, lodging, and meals.
- Travel arrangements should be made through your departmental contact to ensure full use of the award and reimbursement of eligible expenses.
- It is the awardee’s responsibility to notify the travel arrangement contact for the department of their award.
- A Travel Authorization Request must be submitted and approved in Concur before travel occurs. This is done through your departmental contact.
- Remember to keep all your receipts & turn them in to your departmental contact.
- If you receive additional travel awards for travel to the same meeting, those awards will be applied first to your travel expenses. Your VMBS – GSA travel award will be applied to the remainder of your expenses.
- Working with your departmental contact will ensure that you get the maximum use of all your travel awards.
- Applying/receiving additional travel awards will NOT affect the review or judging of your VMBS – GSA travel award application.
Obligation of Accepting a VMBS – GSA Travel Award
- In accepting a GSA Travel Award, you are required to present your work at the Spring VMBS Research Symposium following your meeting/conference.
- Your poster or platform presentation should include an acknowledgment of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and the VMBS Graduate Student Association for the travel award.
- If you receive additional travel awards for travel to the same meeting, these funds must be applied to your travel expenses prior to utilizing the VMBS – GSA travel award funds. You MUST notify your departmental contact of the amount you have or will receive.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I do not have an abstract while submitting the travel award application.
We strongly encourage applicants to include an abstract even if the final research results are not available. If you do not have your abstract ready, please submit your completed application with credible supplementary information. For example, including an email or link to the official conference page indicating there is reasonably sufficient time to submit an abstract is expected. An abstract and evidence of its acceptance is required before any funds are released for your travel.
I have submitted an abstract but it has not been accepted yet.
Please submit the completed application with proof that your abstract has been submitted. An abstract and evidence of its acceptance is required before any funds are released for your travel.
I am a new student and thus was not able to attend VMBS-GSA meetings in the past.
You are still eligible to receive an award and are encouraged to apply. The start date of your degree program in the application will be noted by the reviewers.
I am traveling to a conference outside of the U.S.A. Am I eligible for funding?
Yes! International travel is now eligible for travel award funds.
I am an international, sponsored, and/or interdisciplinary program student. Am I eligible?
All VMBS graduate students are eligible, including those in interdisciplinary programs if their major advisor is in the VMBS.
My professor is presenting at a meeting and I am a co-author for this presentation. Can I apply for a travel award?
No, travel awards are available only if you are presenting and are the first author of the abstract.