Funding for Conference Presentations and Thesis Research for REL Graduate Students

The Department of Religious Studies and the College of Humanities and Public Affairs encourage and support graduate students' research by making funding available for presentation of their papers at conferences and for extraordinary or unusual costs incurred by thesis research. Funding for graduate student research is awarded on a case-by-case basis depending on the merit of the proposal and the availability of financial resources.

Conference Presentations

Religious Studies graduate students may request funds from the department to help with the expense of presenting their research at a conference. Students may receive up to $300 per conference, as funds are available. The student must be presenting a paper at the conference (no funds if just attending). Students may not apply for funds for conferences for which funding is already being provided by the department to a group of students.

Funding can be awarded twice in a student's graduate career, once per academic year. Preference will be given to students who have not previously received travel funding from the department and to those who are presenting at a national meeting.

Any student seeking funding from the department must first apply for and be approved for Graduate Student Travel Funding from the Graduate College. The Graduate College must receive the application at least two weeks prior to date of travel, but it is best to apply earlier in order to hear back from the College and submit your application to the department (also prior to date of travel). To request funds from the department, the student should submit to the department's administrative assistant, Jane Terry: 1) a copy of the student's Graduate Student Travel Funding application materials submitted to the Graduate College; 2) confirmation from the Graduate College that it will help to fund the student's travel; and 3) a cover letter requesting department funds including a detailed budget for how they will be spent.

Prior to traveling, a student whose request for funding from the department has been granted must consult with Jane Terry about how to pay for items covered by the funding (such as gas, airline tickets, food, and hotels), the required documentation of expenses (to be submitted upon the student's return), and so on. In order to disburse funds the department must follow the rules of Missouri State's Office of Financial Services.

Thesis Research

Religious Studies graduate students writing theses may request funds from the department to help defray the real costs of supplies, materials, and travel needed to facilitate student research. Thesis research funding is not to be used for books, duplicating materials, or other items purchased with the intent that they become the personal property of the student. Thesis funding may also not be used for printing and binding of the thesis, as that is a student's personal expense. Students may receive from the Religious Studies Department a one-time award of up to $300 to cover some or all of the approved research expenses.

Any student seeking funding from the department must first apply for and be approved for Thesis Research Funding from the Graduate College, (http://graduate.missouristate.edu/currentstudents/Funding.htm). To request funds from the department, the student should submit to the department's administrative assistant, Jane Terry: 1) a copy of the students' Thesis Research Funding materials submitted to the Graduate College; 2) confirmation from the Graduate College that it has awarded funding to the student; and 3) a cover letter requesting departmental funds including a detailed budget for how they would be spent.

Prior to purchasing thesis research materials or making travel arrangements, a student whose request for funding from the department has been granted must consult with Jane Terry about how to pay for items covered by the funding, the required documentation of expenses, and so on. In order to disburse funds the department must follow the rules of Missouri State's Office of Financial Services.

Students who have questions about this funding opportunity are welcome to ask Mark Given or Steve Berkwitz.