Conference and Travel Stipend

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Conference and Travel Stipend Program, you must:

1. Be a current Cooke Undergraduate or Graduate Scholar

• Undergraduate Scholars must be second-year students or above.
• Undergraduate Transfer Scholars must be in their second semester after transfer or above.

2. Be actively enrolled in school at the time of application and during the academic term in which the opportunity occurs.

3. Travel between October and May.

• Conferences and travel that have already occurred or will occur outside of this window are not eligible.

4. Be in good standing with the Foundation.

• Any outstanding grade reports, annual reports, or final reports for the Internship Stipend must be submitted before applying for this stipend.

Award Limits:

1. Undergraduate and Undergraduate Transfer Scholars can receive the stipend twice during their scholarship program, if:

• The second experience shows a progression in their career development. (Example: The first experience was to attend, and the second experience was to present at a conference.)
• The second request is in a different academic year than the first request.

2. Graduate Scholars may receive this stipend once during their scholarship program.

Timeline

Fall (travel occurring October 1 through February 15)

Application deadline: August 30
Notification: September 15
Payment:

• Early October for travel occurring October 1 – December 31
• Mid November for travel occurring January 1 – February 15

Spring (travel occurring February 16 through May 31)

Application deadline: January 21
Notification: February 2
Payment: Mid-February

Note: Conferences and travel that have already occurred or will occur outside of the above timeframes are not eligible for this stipend.

Application Requirements

Strong applications will demonstrate:

1. Why travel is essential: Does your proposed travel provide opportunities not available at your school? Examples include:

• Developing knowledge, language skills, and cultural awareness through immersion
• Accessing primary source materials or experts not available at your academic institution
• Networking with other students and professionals in your field
• Improving public speaking and presenting skills with industry-related audiences

2. Relevance to major/career: We are looking for well-thought-out applications with travel experiences that align with academic and career goals.

3. An organized, thoughtful plan: Explain what sessions you plan to attend, people you plan to meet, etc. to make the most of the travel experience.

4. A progression in your career development: Show how this experience will advance your career development and build upon prior experience. This is especially important if you are submitting a proposal to receive the stipend for a second time. *

5. A specific, well-researched budget: Research the cost of flights, hotels, and registration fees. Include precise numbers (not price ranges).

6. Complete and accurate information: Make sure your travel dates and budget are accurate and that you have included any web site links requested. Applications with inconsistent or missing information will not be approved.

*Note: Only Undergraduate Scholars can apply to receive the Conference and Travel Stipend a second time.

Budgeting Guidelines

Scholars should budget carefully before submitting their application. The Foundation will not provide additional funding for expenses that exceed the approved budget.

Budget Parameters

• Funding may be used for expenses incurred one travel day before and one travel day after the dates of the event. Expenses for any additional travel days will be the scholar’s responsibility.

Allowable expenses include:

• Transportation to/from your destination (Airfare, train, mileage for car travel)
• Lodging
• Registration fees to attend one conference
• Additional fees for poster printing or other presentation materials
• Daily allowance of $60 for meals and $25 for ground transportation (ex: Ubers, taxis, subways while you are at your event)
• Tip: Ground transportation budget = # of days x $25
• Tip: Meals budget = # of days x $60

Funding cannot be used for:

• Travel for one-day events for non-presenting scholars
• Personal travel unrelated to the Scholar’s career development
• Trips where a Scholar will earn academic credit
• Travel to return home during a school break
• Travel companions
• Annual membership dues
• Cell phone charges or SIM cards
• Moving or relocating
• Graduate school visits
• Job interviews
• House sitters or pet sitters
• Clothing or dry cleaning
• Souvenirs
• Health clubs
• Television

Recipients are required to submit the following within two weeks of completing travel:

1. Outcomes Report

• The report should summarize the experience and its impact on the Scholar’s academic and professional development.

2. Expense report

• Include itemized receipts for all expenses except for those in the per diem categories (daily transportation and meals).
• Receipts paid by anyone other than the Scholar will not be accepted.

3. Proof of conference registration in the Scholar’s own name.

• This can be a confirmation email, registration materials, or receipt of conference fees.

International Travel

Funding for international travel is limited and will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Preference will be given to Scholars who are engaging in substantive research and field work, or who are leading presentations. We will not consider requests to attend international conferences unless the Scholar is presenting.

Travel Arrangements

Scholars will be responsible for booking all travel, lodging, and conference registration independently. The Foundation will not facilitate travel logistics on behalf of the Scholar.

Payment

Scholars may choose to be paid directly via direct deposit (ACH) or mailed check. Direct deposit (ACH) is the fastest payment option. Checks require several additional days to arrive via mail.

Recipients will pay all their expenses directly. The Foundation cannot pay vendors (conference registrations, airlines, hotels, etc.) on behalf of the Scholar. The Foundation will only issue the stipend directly to the Scholar.

Unused funds must be returned to the Cooke Foundation.

Resources

Not sure which conference to attend? Check out the links below for some suggestions:

10 Conferences Attended by Cooke Scholars in the Fall/Winter

12 Conferences Attended by Cooke Scholars in the Spring

Comprehensive List of Conferences Attended by Cooke Scholars