GRAC Research & Travel Funds
The Department has limited funds available to reimburse student research and travel expenses. Apply here (applications are due on the last Monday of each month).
Award funding is not guaranteed until you receive departmental confirmation. Students can either use their GRAC award for research or travel, or a combination of both, but the proposal needs to be submitted all at once and each student will receive up to one award per year.
Eligibility/Requirements:
- A current Annual Review on file is required to be eligible for a GRAC.
- The student must be in good standing with the department.
- Requests for conference travel will only be considered if the student is presenting a poster or talk and has already submitted and abstract that has been approved by the conference.
- In general, students in their fifth year of the program (or below) will be given priority for funding.
GRAC will evaluate applications in terms of:
- Student need
- Significance of the award to the student's career
- Alternative funding sources available
- Number of years in the program
All applications should be signed by the student's faculty mentor and then submitted to Irlanda Gonzalez, the Graduate Student Services Advisor., via the application form GRAC applications and reimbursement requests must be received by June 30th of the academic year you are applying for (eg: due June 30, 2024 for 2023-2024 funds).
Contact the Irlanda Gonzalez (irlanda@berkeley.edu) for questions regarding the application process or eligibility criteria.
Graduate Student Research Funds
Students may request up to $600 per fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) to support dissertation research. The purpose for which funds will be used should be integral to the dissertation research - “side” projects will not be supported. If students are requesting both travel and research, the total is still $600.
Appropriate expenses include:
- supplies
- small items of equipment
- costs associated with field research
Applications should include:
- a brief description of the proposed research
- a budget
Please be aware that for air travel reimbursements, there is a air travel mitigation charge which is $10 domestic and $25 international -- this will need to be covered by the GRAC award, so include it in your budget proposal for the GRAC award. - justification for the proposed use of Departmental funds
- your faculty mentor's approval
Graduate Student Travel Funds
Students may request up to $600 per fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) to help defray travel and lodging costs while attending meetings. These funds are intended only for travel to scientific meetings at which the student will present a poster or paper. If students are requesting both travel and research, the total is still $600.
Applications need:
- poster or presentation abstract
- an official confirmation (copy of page from program book, written or email confirmation from meeting organizers) that the poster or paper has been accepted for presentation.
- a budget
Please be aware that for air travel reimbursements, there is a air travel mitigation charge which is $10 domestic and $25 international -- this will need to be covered by the GRAC award, so include it in your budget proposal for the GRAC award. - your faculty mentor's approval
Once a GRAC application is approved:
During the Fall and Spring semesters, GRACs are reviewed after the last Monday of each month. (In the summer months, faculty availability for review of applications is less predictable due to travel/field work schedules). Approved GRAC recipients will then be notified. Students now have the option to receive the award via the SIS Awards system OR the reimbursement system. Keep in mind that SIS awards are considered taxable income, while reimbursements are not. The SIS award better suits a student who prefers to receive the funds before their trip. If students do not mind waiting to receive their funds until their travel concludes, then a reimbursement may be a good option. Please make sure to set up direct deposit in the CalCentral dashboard to ensure the award is distributed quickly. If students don't receive their money within 1-2 weeks after being notified that their award was approved, students should follow up with Irlanda Gonzalez.