Small Research and Travel Grants

Small Research and Travel Grants

Small Research and Travel Grants are for students conducting research, engaging in artistic activities, or presenting their own research at professional conferences. Click here for information on College of A&S Grants and Scholarships.

Students must be in Good Academic Standing and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.000. The amount of these awards varies each cycle but is typically capped at $1,500. Grant proposals are accepted on a seasonal basis with two annual deadlines: November 15 and March 15.

Application for the Small Research  & Travel Grants  are completed through AcademicWorks (an online scholarships management system). 

Please navigate to the AcademicWorks system via Academic Works to complete the College of Arts & Sciences Deans’ Scholarships application under the ‘My Applications’ tab within the system. Search for the Small Grants by entering “travel” in search. The AcademicWorks system typically opens for submissions one month before the deadline in each cycle. Students may also link directly to the application here: https://virginia.academicworks.com/opportunities/7486/applications/new.

  • Every grant application MUST include detailed and itemized budget. Applicants MUST upload the CLAS Grant Budget Template saved as a PDF file (CLAS Budget_lastname_first initial_20XX.pdf where XX indicates application year).
  • If your project involves travel abroad, you must start the ISO (http://iso.virginia.edu/) clearance process BEFORE you submit your application and you must have final ISO travel clearance before grant award funds may be distributed to you. 
  • If your project requires Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, you must have final IRB approval before grant funds will be distributed to you.
  • If you would like to submit a second application for a different research or travel grant proposal in the same cycle, please use the following link to access the second application https://virginia.academicworks.com/opportunities/7498/applications/new.
  • All research and travel must be completed while a student is enrolled and matriculating at UVA.

We have some suggestions for you if you are planning to apply! The key to a successful grant application really does involve following the instructions perfectly. In particular, we have a few specific things we want to mention:

  • If you are seeking funds to travel to a conference to deliver a conference presentation, INCLUDE your conference presentation acceptance notice with your application. If you have not been accepted at the the application cycle deadline, simply wait until the next cycle in the fall. If your presentation has not yet been accepted, it will not receive funding.
  • BUDGET--Please do a detailed budget that has clear itemization. If you are requesting funds for air travel, include a dated price quote directly from 2 different airlines. You must use the UVA state per diem rate (NOT the federal one) for daily expenses. Use public transportation whenever available. If your project requires more than $1,500 in funds (that's the maximum the Small Grants give out to any project), detail the entire budget and then highlight which items you expect the Small Grant to cover.
  • Letters of Support for the project. These ARE NOT recommendation letters, they are not endorsements of you as a student. They need to come from UVA faculty who have specific knowledge of your project as your mentor AND who have a background relevant to the project.
  • Individual grant applications should NOT include asks for separate events (for example, conference travel and a research project). Submit separate applications for each specific event/project.
  • Group Projects--if more than one student is participating in a research project Small Grant ask, each student must submit a separate Small Grant.
  • Small Grants may not be used to fund travel for or related to internships nor used in conjunction with coursework, certificate programs, or workshops.

Incomplete applications or applications that do not follow submission guidelines will NOT be considered.

As you prepare your application materials, do not hesitate to ask questions. Contact Bridget Cullinane-Anthony. She will find answers to your questions--better to ask in advance.