GSO Travel Grant FAQ

We often receive questions about submitting GSO travel grants. We hope the FAQ below is helpful, but please feel free to reach out to the GSO travel grant chair at gsogrant@bu.edu if you have a question that is not answered below. 

  1. I am a Master’s Student, am I eligible for a GSO travel grant? At this time (February 2023), MA students are not eligible to receive GSO grants.
  2. My department is not in GRS. Am I eligible for a GSO travel grant. Unfortunately, only PhD students whose departments are in GRS are eligible. To find out if your department is in GRS, click here.
  3. Do I need to be accepted to a conference before applying for a grant? While certainly it would be helpful to know you have been accepted prior to submitting your grant application to us, this is not a strict requirement. If your grant is funded but you are not accepted to the conference, we would not release the funds (as reimbursement occurs after travel or your research activity happens).
  4. If I have already conducted my research / already went to my conference, can I apply for a grant to be reimbursed? No. You must apply for a GSO travel grant before you travel for a conference or need funding for other research activities. We cannot reimburse travel or costs incurred before each deadline (e.g., April 1, August 1, December 1).
  5. How far in advance can I apply for a GSO grant? You can apply as early as needed, but due to the high volume of applications we receive, we take into consideration how soon after a deadline a conference or research activity occurs (see #6).
  6. How are the grants assessed? We take a holistic approach to evaluating grants, taking into account need, time of research/conference (e.g., is the conference happening in the next few months, vs. 9 months away?), and academic situation, research interest/importance, and goals for the project/conference.
  7. What tips do you have for writing a GSO grant? In general, make sure to answer each question thoroughly and equally. Keep in mind, you are writing a grant to a non-specialist audience. Whenever possible, try to avoid jargon and field-specific terminology, and be sure to explain important concepts relating to your field that would be critical to understanding the grant and your work. Note we have a word limit for the application, so please do not exceed it (or, conversely, only write 1 sentence per portion). As a last tip, we recommend asking someone outside of your field to read a draft of your grant, which might help clarify any points of confusion for a non-specialist audience.
  8. When will I know if I was funded or not? Generally, we notify all applicants ~4 weeks after the application deadline of their grant’s status.
  9. What is the reimbursement process like? Should you receive a grant, you will receive instructions on how to apply for reimbursement. Note: you cannot reimburse expenses that occurred prior to the submission deadline of your grant (e.g., if you apply for April 1, 2021 you cannot reimburse for expenses that occurred during a conference on March 31st, 2021). In general, be sure to keep detailed receipts of any expenses you wish to be reimbursed! GRS requires the following on every receipt: your name, date of purchase, name of the company/organization you made a purchase from, and the amount paid in US$.
  10. Can I reapply if my grant is not funded? We always encourage applicants to reapply. Because of the high volume of applications, many applicants receive a grant after their 2nd or 3rd try. If you are unsure if your re-application will be eligible for funding based off our criteria, email us at gsogrant@bu.edu.
  11. Can I get feedback on my unfunded grant application? We are always willing to offer general feedback on applications we have reviewed (funded and unfunded). Due to the high volume of submissions, we cannot review grants prior to their submission. Email gsogrant@bu.edu should you want general feedback after you learn the status of your grant.