About the program

This initiative is intended to assist full-time (FTE) professional, tenure-track or tenured faculty members in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences at the Columbia campus with funding of up to $1,500 to give one presentation at a conference, symposium, or workshop per initiative call deadline (for travel from October 2025 to October 2026).

 

Travel Requirements

Chairing a panel, organizing a session, or simply attending a conference, symposium, or workshop will not be supported. Registration for virtual conferences can be covered by this initiative.

Funding Details

Funding will be provided in the form of reimbursement; requests for reimbursement must be made within 30 days of the expense(s) being incurred. Faculty members may apply for funding in anticipation of conference, symposium, or workshop participation during the initiative call period. If the application is approved for funding, faculty members will only be reimbursed with proper documentation proving participation in the meeting (scanned copy or picture of program with your name listed as presenting).

Application Process

There are three application deadlines for this initiative throughout the academic year:

1. September 12, 2025: Application deadline for travel from October 13, 2025 through January 23, 2026.
2. January 9, 2026: Application deadline for travel from January 24, 2026 through April 17, 2026.
3. March 13, 2026: Application deadline for travel from April 18, 2026 through October 12, 2026.

The application materials should be submitted via the online application at the bottom of this page. All attachments should use 12-point font size and 1-inch margins and be submitted in 8.5" x 11" PDF format unless otherwise noted in the instructions.

• Applicants must submit a current vita (4-page maximum) along with a brief justification (1-page maximum) specifying the dates and destination of the planned travel and justifying the importance of participation in the event to the applicant’s research.
• Applications must also identify all current and pending support (including startup and retention funds), along with an explanation of how requested funds are needed/different from current and pending funding. Potential overlapping funding will be taken into consideration when reviewing applications.
• The applicant must also include an itemized budget with justification indicating the estimated cost of travel. Please see this example budget and justification for guidance. Please also see the attached Excel template for the itemized budget upload: budget template. Please leave blank budgetary items not appropriate for this travel award. This is an example only.
• Applicants must also include a copy of the official notification of acceptance from the conference or workshop organizers. If applying prospectively for funding for anticipated travel, applicants must submit official notification and provide a copy of pages from the conference program indicating their participation as part of the reimbursement process.

*NEW* Department Head Statement of Support

Once the application is submitted, it will be sent to your department/program chair/director for review. The applicant's department chair must also submit a brief justification of support (1-page maximum). All units are expected to provide an equivalent funding match (up to $1500) of the college travel award. These funds can only be applied to currently requested travel.  For example, if a faculty member applies for $1500 in travel, the unit must split the cost of the travel with the College ($750 each) toward the current travel application request.

 

 

Please contact Claudia Benitez-Nelson (BENITEZN@mailbox.sc.edu) if you need help troubleshooting this form.