The Department of Mathematics and Statistics can provide funds to a limited number of undergraduate students each year to support travel to, and participation in, conferences and workshops. Students from underrepresented groups are strong encouraged to apply for these funds. In deciding whether to honor a request for travel support, the Director of Undergraduate Studies will consult with the student’s advisor or mentor, whose support for the proposed conference participation will be of paramount importance. In addition, priority will be given to: (i) more advanced students, particularly those who are nearing the completion of their degree and will soon be applying for jobs and/or graduate school; (ii) students who will be presenting a paper, presenting a poster, or serving on a panel at the conference they plan to attend; and (iii) students who have already obtained partial support from other sources, or who have at least made an effort to obtain such support, for example by applying to the organization running the conference as in the case of the AMS Student Travel Grants. A decision by the Director of Undergraduate Studies to award a travel grant is subject to review by the Chair of the Department.
Application Process
If you would like to apply for such a travel grant then please send an email to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, supplying the information requested below.
- Name of applicant.
- Name and contact information of advisor or mentor. If your primary mentor is not a faculty member in the BU Department of Mathematics and Statistics, please also include the name of a faculty member in our department that we can contact for any further information that is needed.
- Title, dates, and location of the conference or workshop the applicant wishes to attend, together with a link to the conference website, if available.
- A brief personal statement, eg 1-2 paragraphs, explaining how attendance at this conference or workshop would benefit the applicant’s academic and/or professional development. This could include, but is not limited to, the role the applicant will have (eg presenting a poster or paper), the prospect of interacting with other participants at the conference, or meeting colleagues to continue a collaboration that was begun at an REU.
- Approximate anticipated costs.
- Portion of the costs which the applicant hopes to cover by external sources, such as the AMS Student Travel Grants mentioned above.
Resources for finding conferences and workshops
A number of organizations post listings of conferences and workshops that might be of interest to undergraduates. These include: