All funds for summer 2026 have been awarded. We are now accepting applications for Fall 2026.
Purpose
Financial support for advanced Ph.D. students who have passed all parts of the preliminary examination and are presenting a paper or poster at a regional, national, or international conference.
Policy
The Graduate School provides financial support for advanced Ph.D. students who have passed all parts of the preliminary examination and are presenting a paper or poster at a regional, national, or international conference.
Effective in Academic Year 2026-2027, Conference Travel program funds will be available on a semester basis instead of as an annual pool, with approximately one-third of the total available funds allocated to each of the fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Each semester, The Graduate School will notify the programs when the Conference Travel program funds are about to be exhausted. After the funds are exhausted in each semester, any additional requests will be rejected and noted as “funds exhausted."
The award provides 70% of the total expense, or $525 for domestic and $700 for international travel, whichever is less. Students’ departments must commit to covering the remaining 30% of total expenses.
The funds are provided as an advance payment before the event, so as to help reduce up-front costs for students. Students must submit receipts for expenses after the event and pay back unspent portions of the funds (see “After the Event” section below).
The Graduate School will also accept applications for funding to cover web-based conference registration expenses. The same guidelines regarding the expense and application process should be followed.
To Apply
Completed applications must be received by The Graduate School at least 30 days prior to the start of the conference. To apply, complete the Conference Travel online application.
The following items are required with your application;
- A brief letter of intent
- The submitted abstract of the paper or poster being presented
- Travel advance form (student should complete all fields except for the section asking for cost object, amount requested, and employee and student codes)
Once the application is signed by the department and submitted, The Graduate School will review and send a request to the Employee Travel & Reimbursement office to issue an advance payment. Once ET&R processes that request, students will receive their advance payment via direct deposit within 5–7 days. A debit line item in the amount of the award will be posted to students’ bursar accounts.
Eligibility
- Applicants’ home departments must commit to covering 30% of the total expense. The department DGS indicates this commitment on the application form.
- Applicants must be enrolled in a Ph.D.-granting program and have passed the preliminary exam and have submitted exam results to The Graduate School’s Office of Academic Affairs.
- Applicants must be actively participating in the conference (i.e., presenting a paper or poster, or leading a discussion on their research).
- Students are limited to one conference support award per fiscal year (July 1–June 30).
- Students attending conferences during the academic year must be registered at the time of the conference.
- Expenses for alcohol and snacks are not covered.
After the Event
After the event, students must submit all receipts and a completed Travel Expense Form to their DGSA. DGSAs must submit this post-trip documentation to The Graduate School within 20 days of the end of the travel. Once The Graduate School and ET&R process the expense report, the debit line item will be cleared from students’ bursar accounts.
If students submit receipts that total less than the amount of the advance payment, a partial debit line item will remain on their bursar accounts and must be paid back at the Cashier’s Office. For example, if a student receives a $525 travel advance, and submits receipt for $400, then only $400 will be cleared from the bursar account debit line item, and the student will need to repay the remaining $125. Students SHOULD NOT use the travel advance received to repay their departments. Receipts showing p-card charges for travel or lodging paid by the program or advisor are not acceptable, as these are not out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the student.
Failure to repay the outstanding amount may result in delays such as registration blocks or diploma holds. Students who have not repaid the outstanding balance would also not be able to apply for additional conference travel awards from The Graduate School.
Forms and More
i. Primary Contact: grad-finaid@duke.edu
ii. Last reviewed date: March 31, 2026