International Travel Awards - As of November 1, 2023, applications are suspended until further notice

This webpage will be updated once a determination is made as to research funding - international travel grants

Purpose

Funding to support faculty international travel must “advance the university mission, in a manner related to the research of the faculty member.” The special funding is provided to support faculty presentation of research.

Eligibility

Eligible faculty

Full-time, permanent, faculty actively involved in research. Preference may be given to a junior faculty member for whom the trip is more likely to advance his/her career.

Faculty members having received an International Travel Award for a previous trip will only become eligible to receive additional funding for travel that starts at least one year from the month of their previous funded conference date. When funding is scarce, applications from those who have recently received funding will be a lower priority.

A member of the International Travel Awards Committee is eligible to apply for a travel award; in this case an interim committee member from his or her College will be selected to replace the regular committee member for the round of competition in which he or she applies.

The applicant is responsible to notify their Academic Unit Leader (Department Head/Director) and Dean if the conference/event is located in a Restricted Travel Area.  Restricted Travel Area is defined as any location for which: (a) the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued an overall Level 3 or Level 4 Travel Advisory; (b) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Warning Level 3; or (c) Missouri State University has restricted travel. The Dean and Academic Unit Leader are responsible for checking the travel location to determine whether travel is both safe and important/valuable to the university, prior to giving their approval on the application. 

Eligible activities

Presentation of original completed research/creative activities or program participation (panelist, discussant, etc.) at a conference, performance, exhibition, or other invited event. Only one trip is permitted per proposal/application.

Eligible expenses

A Foreign Travel Authorization ("FTA") form must be completed and approved PRIOR to traveling.  Prior to the faculty member/traveler's Dean and Academic Unit Leader signing the FTA, they should take into account any travel restrictions in the country the faculty member proposes to visit.  The "Foreign Travel Approver" on the form is the Provost.  Once the "Applicant" (Faculty Member), Academic Unit Leader, and Dean have signed the FTA, please send electronically to the Provost Office for approval and signature.  The budget number or FOAP on the FTA is the department and/or college FOAP.

Conference fees, air and ground transit, lodging, meals (subject to University limits and rules) may be requested. Applicants should specify the number of nights and cost per night for lodging, and the number of days and per diem for food. Applicants should list, or provide detail, explaining any expenditures listed in the "Other" category on the budget area of the application form.  All budget expenses must be itemized and in U.S. dollar amounts. Applications that are missing requested information, and do not have an itemized budget will not be reviewed by the Committee. Funds must be used for costs in compliance with University regulations and policies (Op8.22-3 Expense Allowances). All amounts are to be reported in U.S. Dollars.

Funding limits

Awards require matching funds and may be up to $2,500. The matching funds may come from (a) the faculty member’s department (school), and college; (b) external grants that include funding to present research; and/or (c) any funding provided by the conference/event organization for conference fees, lodging, food, or travel expenses. If a conference/event is providing funding, the applicant must submit a letter from the conference/event outlining total expenses to be given to the applicant.  If funding is from the conference/event, the applicant must deposit funds into a Missouri State University account (college/department/indirect/etc.) in order to have these funds matched by the international travel grant.

Applications - Currently not accepting applications as they are suspended until further notice.

Applications will be due in the Graduate College on January 15th, April 15th, July 15th, and October 15th, and must be for one trip only. Applications will not be accepted for travel that has been initiated before the deadline, nor will applications be considered between published deadlines. In order to adhere to the deadline schedule, the committee will consider applications without confirmation of formal acceptance of the presentation; however documentation of presentation is necessary for use of awarded funds. Announcements of funding will generally be within one month after each deadline. Applications must include a statement from the Academic Unit Leader specifying financial commitment of department/college funding and explaining how presenting will benefit the applicant’s research agenda and advance the university’s research mission.  If the applicant is the Academic Unit Leader, then the letter of support must come from the Dean.  See example Letter of Support from Dean.

The applicant is responsible for circulating the application to her/his Academic Unit Leader and College Dean, and ensuring it is submitted electronically (as one PDF document) to the Assistant to the Dean of the Graduate College (LisaTaylor@MissouriState.edu) by the deadline. Late applications cannot be accepted.  The International Travel Awards committee will review applications and make recommendations to the Associate Provost/Dean of the Graduate College and the Provost. For questions regarding the application, contact Lisa Taylor in the Graduate College (417-836-5388).

Access the Application Form - currently not accepting applications so this link has been disabled.

Award administration

Funding for awardees, up to the amount identified by the International Travel Awards committee, will be transferred from the Graduate College budget to the department/college once: (i) the applicant has filed his/her final travel expense reimbursement report with Financial Services; and (ii) the reimbursement to the applicant for ALL the committed funds from the department/college/external grant/conference organization has been made. The department will send a copy of the Banner budget report(s) to the Graduate College highlighting the applicant's name and amount(s) taken out of the department/college’s budget for the reimbursement. If the applicant is reimbursed from more than one budget, the department/college should provide copies of all budget reports to the Graduate College. The applicant must be reimbursed by the department/college for all expenses incurred (up to amounts allowed by Op8.22-6 Travel Reimbursement Policy, and any other University allowance) prior to the Graduate College then reimbursing the department/college. The funds committed by the Graduate College will be transferred only to the department/college and not the applicant. It is the responsibility of the applicant to file his/her travel expense report, and ensure that the budget person for the department/college providing funding have submitted information to the Graduate College so that his/her department/college can be reimbursed. It is the responsibility of the Academic Unit Leader or Dean to ensure that these funds are applied to the correct budget.

Acceptance of funding indicates that the recipient agrees to serve on the International Travel Committee, if asked, within 3 years of their award.