Department of Comparative Literature Student Special Funding Guidelines and Award Request Forms

Funds are available – to graduate students deemed to be making progress towards their degrees -- for four special types of expenses related to curriculum and professional development. Go to the proper application by clicking on the appropriate link in the list below.

The Special Funding Committee meets twice a year, once in late Fall semester and once in late Spring, to distribute moneys. Deadlines for application are: 1 December 2007; and 30 March 2008. The committee will consider all four types of request, and distribute funding according to the significance of the request for the student's program. The number of requests, total amount requested, and funds available, among other factors, determine the amount of funding, and whether all requests can be honored.

Retroactive funding will be considered by the committee. For example, if your conference met in August and you did not request funding in April, you may apply in December. However, airfare cannot be reimbursed.

1. Travel to Conferences (for the purpose of delivering a paper)

2. Travel to Collections

3. Study Abroad to gain language competence

4. External Member of Doctoral Committee

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Travel to Conferences Funding Request Form

1. In general, the department attempts to support travel of graduate students at all stages of their programs (provided they are making normal progress) to present papers at professional conferences, within the confines of its financial picture (including its own travel funds and a "block grant" from RGSO), and generally following the heuristic given here. Assuming normal departmental finances, The basic level of support is as follows:
1. $150 for a regional or "theme" conference;
2. $250 for a national or international conference of a MAJOR organization in the student's field;
3. $350 for the three "key" conferences (ACLA, ICLA, and MLA).

No funding is available for graduate student conferences, nor for simply chairing a session, nor for attending if not presenting. Travel awards for purposes other than giving papers, such as for MLA interviews, as compensation for services rendered the department, etc., are funded differently; see the Graduate Student Travel Committee Chair (Prof. Charlotte Eubanks) for information.

2. Depending on finances, special needs and merits of particular requests, and other circumstances, the Committee may from time to time make an exception and provide awards more or less than the amounts stated above.. For example, the 2005 ACLA cost students much less than $350 because of its taking place at University Park, while the 2007 ACLA in Puebla cost far more than $350.                                                                                                                                                                                                 
3. Students requesting more than the standard amounts should fill in the appropriate text box requesting justification. Amounts above the standard are distributed from the RGSO grant on a competitive basis The main criterion to be applied will be the significance of the conference and of the topic presented for the student's overall career development. All other things being equal, students with more advanced standing enjoy preference for RGSO funds.

4. Funding will not be given to students not making normal progress or otherwise not in good standing, nor to students who have been funded THREE times but who have not submitted a scholarly paper for publication in a journal appropriate to their field since their first funded conference participation. Students already funded three times who desire support for further conferences should provide the Chair of the Committee proof of submission, consisting of a) a copy of the cover letter to the journal editor(s) sent with the paper; and b) a message from the faculty member who has read a draft and approved submission (normally, the adviser).

Travel Request Form

(This form may also be printed and submitted with documentation to Prof. Eubank's box)

Please provide the information requested in the following fields. The information will be used by the by the Travel Committee  to distribute funds.

When finished, click the "submit" button (or "start over" to clear what you have entered).

Your Name:
Name of Conference for which funding is requested:
Date of Conference for which funding is requested:
Location of Conference for which funding is requested:
Please check the appropriate box concerning adviser approval:	My faculty adviserhas read my abstract and approves my submission and attendance My faculty adviserhas read my abstract and does not approve my submission and attendance My faculty adviserhas not read my abstract and does not know of my submission and attendance

What type of conference is this? (select one)

A Graduate Student Conference A Regional Conference (e.g., NEMLA, SCLA) A National or International Conference MLA Annual Convention ACLA Annual Convention ICLA Triennial Convention

Please paste or type a copy of your abstract into the text area below.

If confirmation of the acceptance of your paper was by e-mail, please forward the e-mail to Dr. Eubanks (cde13@psu.edu). If by letter, please place a copy of the letter in Dr. Eubank's box. (For ACLA 2008, confirmation should be submitted whenever received, which may be after the deadline for travel requests.)

In the text area below, please give approximate itemized expenses of your trip. Indicate here any funding received from other sources.

If the budget given above amounts to more than the standard allowance listed at the beginning of the form, and you wish to have the department cover your additional costs, provide an explanation of the significance of the conference and of your presentation in terms of your overall career plans.

How many previous conference presentations of yours have received funding by the department of comparative literature?
None One Two Three or more

Have you submitted a scholarly article to a journal in your field since your first travel award?
Yes No No travel awards yet

If the answer to the above was "yes," please submit a copy of your cover letter to Dr. Eubank's mailbox. Papers submitted to journals should first have been reviewed by and discussed with a faculty member. A message from the faculty member who has read a draft and approved submission should be sent to Dr. Eubanks by email or put into her mailbox

Thank you for providing this information. 

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