Graduate Student Government Association Awards

These awards are funded by the Graduate Student Government Association Senate (GSGA) and administered by the School of Graduate Studies to financially support graduate student research. Awards are given for purchase of research materials or for travel to a conference to present research results. GSGA's annual budget is $5 from each graduate student per academic year, or approximately $15,000. Research and travel awards will be funded for educational purposes only, in amounts ranging from $100 up to a maximum of $500. Please read the instructions and guidelines below carefully. If guidelines and instructions are not correctly followed, award allocations will not be made. Only complete applications will be considered for funding.

A complete GSGA award application must include the following components:

  1. GSGA Faculty Recommendation and Signature Form  - (to be filled out by your faculty mentor)
  2. GSGA Online Application: Research Materials or Travel Support - (to be filled out by the graduate student applying)

Deadlines

Fall Term: October 31, 2023
Spring Term: January 31, 2024 and March 31, 2024

Guidelines

  • You must be in good academic standing at the time supplies are purchased or at the time of travel.
  • Awards will only be made to students in departments that have fulfilled GSGA meeting attendance requirements through their senator: Your program must have a senator who has attended at least 50% of GSGA and committee meetings and who has attended the most recent meeting prior to the grant deadline. To apply for a vacant Senate seat in your department, please contact the Associate Dean of the Graduate School.
  • Awards made in the Fall term will be open to individuals who have traveled after the start of the current academic year.
  • Research Presentation Travel Awards are only available to students traveling as a University representative to present research/poster/case studies, etc.  Proof of an accepted presentation must be provided.
  • Due to fund restrictions, GSGA cannot fund travel that will occur in the summer (June 1 - August 14).
  • GSGA cannot fund travel of any kind to countries or areas where there are safety warnings or sanctions in place.

Application Instructions

  1. There is no reimbursement funding for after-the-fact research purchases or for travel completed more than 30 days prior to application, nor can these funds be used for travel purchases made in advance of travel.
  2. You must apply for funding in the appropriate deadline cycle. Applications will not be held for future deadline acceptance. It is the applicant's responsibility to resubmit their application at the appropriate time. (For example, if you are applying for an award to fund travel on March 15th and apply for the October deadline, the application will be denied).
  3. Your faculty mentor must ALSO submit the Faculty Recommendation Form
  4. For Research Materials applications, include only those expenses that are directly related to research on your award application. You will be asked to provide a detailed description of the materials requested and their purpose if the item is not commonly known or used (e.g. special research equipment that is discipline-specific). The Faculty Mentor must certify that all supplies will reside on campus and are University property.
  5. Each application must include a well-written Personal Statement, which serves as one of the most important tools used by GSGA when determining which applications get funded. Your statement should address:
    1. What impact the research/travel will have on the University's research mission
    2. What impact the award will have on you, the applicant,  both personally and professionally
    3. How this experience will help to further the educational goals of your program
    4. What implications this experience may have on your future
  6. You may apply for one or more awards during the same deadline period.  If additional funding is secured through your home department or other sources, that information must be provided as well.

The rubric used in reviewing applications is available here.

Notification of Funding

  • All GSGA awards will be disbursed through the Office of Student Accounts (paid directly to  your student account).   
  • All award notifications will be made through the applicant's App State email account.
  • Awards processed through a student's account may or may not be subject to taxes and may or may not affect financial aid.

Questions?

If you have questions about the GSGA research and travel awards, please contact Teresa Greene at 828-262-2695.