What are Research Travel Requests?
Research Travel Requests (RTR) support research travel, both domestically and internationally, in preparation for a student’s thesis or dissertation. RTRs do not support travel to present at conferences or professional development opportunities. Please see the linked websites for those requests.
The following endowments generously support RTRs:
- Alexander P. Anderson and Lydia Anderson Fellowship
- Carolyn M. Crosby Fellowship
- Albert Howard Award
- Frieda M. Kunze Fellowship
- Hugh J. and Elizabeth R. Thompson Fellowship Fund
How much is the award?
- Doctoral candidates: up to $3,000
- Doctoral pre-candidates: up to $1,500
- Master’s students: up to $500
Requests do not provide tuition and/or health insurance benefits.
What are the eligibility requirements?
To be considered, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Academic Status: Applicants must be a current student to a University of Minnesota research-based graduate degree program in the 2026-27 academic year.
- Activity Restriction: Applicants must be travelling for research during the request year, September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027. Eligible travel locations must be outside of your county of residence and outside of neighboring counties of residence.
- Prior Fellowship History: Based on academic progress and degree status, applicants must adhere to the following lifetime Research Travel Request award limits:.
- Pre-candidacy Level (Before Passing Doctoral Exams or Master’s Student): Maximum of one award (cannot receive the Judd Award concurrently).
- Doctoral Candidacy Level (After Passing Doctoral Exams): Maximum of one award.
- Note: Applicants may receive up to two total awards across their graduate academic career—one during pre-candidacy and one during doctoral candidacy.
Note: Applicants meeting all of the above eligibility requirements can apply regardless of citizenship status.
How do I apply?
Graduate students apply directly through the electronic application form.
What is the deadline?
The 2026-27 application cycle will open September 1, 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 research travel 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 travel fall within the eligible request window. Requests for research travel outside of those dates will not be considered for funding.
What are the application materials?
The applicant will upload a single PDF of the application materials in the following order:
- Research Proposal, see details below
- Budget Statement
- IRB/IACUC Documentation, see details below
- Unofficial UMN graduate transcript
Depending on the nature and location of your proposed research, you may need to submit additional application items. Please see the FAQ below for more details.
Required PDF title format: Last Name, First Name - Name of Graduate Program
What is the review and lottery selection?
The purpose of this funding is to support graduate students who are proposing travel for data collection to enhance their thesis or dissertation, 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.
Application Materials Details
Research Proposal
- Applicants will provide responses to prompts on this template and include in PDF application upload.
- Prompt 1: Describe your research plan and the impact your research will have on your discipline in terms that are accessible to a non-specialist. Avoid jargon. If jargon must be used, please define the language.
- Prompt 2: Explain the importance of the proposed travel and the direct impact it will have on your thesis or dissertation.
- If your research is part of a larger group project, be specific about your role and independent contribution.
- Proposals that do not address the necessity for travel nor the importance of the research in non-specialist terms will not be considered for funding.
IRB/IACUC Documentation
Please consult the IRB and/or IACUC webpages for additional information.
If your research involves Human or Animal Subjects, provide the date of IRB/IACUC approval and documentation of approval (1-2 pages).
If your project involves human or animal subjects but IRB/IACUC told you that approval is not needed then provide the email or letter stating this decision.
If your Advisor has IRB/IACUC approval that covers this research project then provide that approval page (1-2 pages).
If your research does not involve Human or Animal subjects then submit the Human Subjects Statement (requires Advisor signature).
If your IRB/IACUC application is still pending, provide documentation to show the submitted request (1-2 pages). Once received, IRB/IACUC approval can be submitted directly to [email protected]. If selected to receive a Research Travel Grant, funding is contingent upon proof of IRB/IACUC approval and/or decision.
FAQ
Do I need to obtain a language evaluation to conduct my research?
If you are conducting research in another language and you are not a native speaker of the language, you will need to obtain a language evaluation. Please email [email protected] for more information.
If you are a native speaker of the language, please include a signed statement indicating the language which will be used to conduct research and that you are a native speaker of that language. You may sign this statement yourself.
Do I need to obtain a letter of affiliation?
Depending on the nature and location of your proposed research, you may need a letter of affiliation.
A letter of affiliation demonstrates to faculty reviewers that, if selected to receive grant funding, you will be able to successfully carry out your proposed research. Reviewers are hesitant to approve funding if there is any doubt that the research can be successfully conducted.
If you are conducting research in a library archive, museum, or other public space, you can submit an email from an employee that verifies that you will have access to the required materials. If the archive/materials in question are available to the public, you can include a copy of the webpage highlighting the pertinent information.
If you have questions about a letter of affiliation, please email [email protected].
Do I need a letter of affiliation to conduct surveys?
Yes, because you will want to provide proof to reviewers that you will be able to successfully conduct your proposed research. If you are conducting surveys, please provide documentation that demonstrates your ability to connect with the appropriate resources (e.g. community, business, and/or scholarly contacts).
How is the RTR funding disbursed?
Research Travel Requests (RTR) 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.
Location of Travel
Eligible travel locations must be outside of your county of residence, and outside of neighboring counties of residence. For example, if you live in Hennepin county, travel within Hennepin county or travel to neighboring counties like Anoka would not be eligible travel for this grant; however, travel in Goodhue County, MN would be eligible in this example because Goodhue does not neighbor Hennepin county.