What is the Conference Presentation Funding Request?

Conference Presentation Funding Requests support graduate students who are invited to present their research at regional, national, and international conferences. These requests do not support other professional development opportunities.

The following endowments generously support Conference Presentation Funding Requests:

  • Alexander P. Anderson and Lydia Anderson Fellowship
  • Class of 1890 Fellowship
  • Walter B. Cline Memorial Fellowship
  • Carolyn M. Crosby Fellowship
  • Hugh J. and Elizabeth R. Thompson Fellowship Fund
  • Diane Young Student Engagement Fund

How much is the funding support?

$500 maximum

If travel is taking place within applicant's county of residence or within counties neighboring applicant's county of residence, the maximum amount that applicant will receive is the registration fee amount. Otherwise, the applicant will receive the full amount ($500).

What are the eligibility requirements? 

To be considered, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Academic Status: Applicants must be a current student in a University of Minnesota Twin-Cities research-based graduate degree program or professional degree program for the 2026-27 academic year.
  • Academic Progress: Applicants must have completed at least two semesters in their current University of Minnesota program before their travel begins.
  • Program Participation Restriction: Applicants must have received a Graduate School Digital Badge and/or competed in the University of Minnesota 3-Minute Thesis Competition.
  • Activity Restriction: Applicants must have been invited to present their research at a regional, national, or international conference during the request year, September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027.
    • Note: Conference Presentation Funding Requests are only available for those PRESENTING their research (e.g., presentation, round table, poster, etc.) at an academic conference or convention. Funding is not available for those who are attending and not presenting at a conference.
  • Prior Award History: Applicants must not have already received a Graduate School Conference Presentation Funding Request or a Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship.

Note: Applicants meeting all of the above eligibility requirements can apply regardless of citizenship status.

How do I apply?

Graduate students apply directly via Google Form.

What is the deadline?

The 2026-27 application cycle will open September 1st, 2026. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a monthly basis, September through April. The monthly deadline to be considered for funding is the 15th of every month by 8:00 am central time

The final deadline to apply for this award is April 15, 2027.

Requests for a conference presentation that is occurring between September 1, 2026 and August 31, 2027 will be considered for funding. Retroactive requests are considered, as long as the dates of the conference fall within the eligible request window. Requests for conference presentations outside of those dates will not be considered for funding.

What are the application materials? 

APPLICATION MATERIALS

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APPLICATION MATERIALS

Statement of Purpose

Documentation of the Invitation to Present at the Conference

Invitations, confirmation emails, and/ or conference pamphlets with your name would be sufficient documentation.

Documentation of Registration Fee*

  • This application material is only needed if travel is within the applicant's county of residence or neighboring counties (to applicant's county of residence).
  • If the applicant's travel is outside of their county of residence or outside of counties neighboring their county of residence, then this application material is not required.

Documentation of completed Graduate School Digital Badge and/or participation in the University’s 3 Minute Thesis competition

Unofficial UMN Graduate Transcript

Unofficial UMN transcripts can be found by going to MyU >>> Academics >>> Degree Progress >>> Unofficial Transcript (Bottom of Page).

FAQ

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FAQ

What is the maximum amount that I can request in funding?

  • Graduate students can request up to $500 in a conference presentation funding request if the conference is outside of their neighboring county of residence.
  • If the conference is taking place in the student’s county or neighboring county of residence then the maximum request amount is equal to the conference registration fee.
  • For example, if you live in Hennepin county and you are presenting at a conference located within Hennepin county or a neighboring county, such as Anoka county, then the maximum amount you can request is equal to the cost of the conference registration fee.

How is the funding request disbursed?

Conference Presentation Funding Requests count as estimated financial aid assistance and are disbursed via scholarship upload to a recipient's student account. Once posted to the student account, and if there is no current past due balance, then the funding will disburse into a recipient's bank account via direct deposit, if set up, or a paper check will be mailed to the address on file. If there is a past due balance on the student account, then this funding will first go towards paying that balance.

What is the review and decision-making process for these requests?

  • The purpose of this funding is to support outstanding graduate students who are invited to present their research and the application serves as a professional development activity.
  • Applications are reviewed within OGFA to check for completeness, quality of application materials, and alignment to the funding purpose. Statements should be well-written and easily understood by a non-specialist audience.  Budget statements should provide ample detail and take all eligible expenses into account.
  • If there are more applications each month than allocated funding then all applications recommended for funding will go into a lottery system, one recommended by UMN OIT, for award selection.
  • All applicants will be notified within seven (7) business days after the monthly deadline of their award status.