The Hughes Student Travel Grants supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute provides funding for Bates students to attend scholarly conferences and professional meetings in the natural sciences, neuroscience, mathematics and computer science, and mathematics and science education. The purpose of this program is to give undergraduates the opportunity to present their research in regional and national forums, and to meet with and learn from scientists, mathematicians, and educators from other institutions.

WHO MAY APPLY. On the recommendation of a faculty member, any enrolled Bates student may apply for travel support. An enrolled Bates student is defined as a student enrolled in classes at the time of the application or the meeting, or who is participating in a JYA or JSA program. Students on formal leave of absence may also apply, but students who have withdrawn from the College are not eligible. Graduation seniors are eligible to apply only if the meeting they plan to attend takes place no more than one (1) year after their graduation.

RESTRICTIONS AND BUDGETS.

Preference is given to students who are presenting research in the form of papers or posters. Although not an eligibility requirement, proposals from students planning to present have a substantially greater chance of being funded than students who do not plan to make a presentation.

Students receiving a Hughes Student Travel Grant must attend meetings accompanied by a research mentor, who may be a Bates faculty member or the research director of an off-campus laboratory where the student has conducted extensive research.

This program does not cover any costs incurred by the faculty member / research director.

Student budgets must be specific and may include abstract submission fees, registration, travel, housing and meals. Funds will not normally be awarded in excess of $500 per student for regional conferences, $1,200 for national conferences, and $1,800 for international conferences. Students generally do not receive Hughes support for travel to more than one conference in an academic year.

TO APPLY. After consulting with a faculty member, a student may apply for a Hughes Student Travel Grant through the Office of the Dean of the Faculty. Applications are reviewed by members of the Hughes Council, a faculty committee.

Applications must include: a completed application form (forms are available in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, Lane Hall or online at www.bates.edu/Prebuilt/Hughes-Travel.pdf.), an abstract of the research to be presented, the title, sponsoring organization, location and dates of the conference, a description of the conference and the students reasons for wishing to attend, a detailed budget (no more than 2 pages double-spaced), and the signature and comments of a faculty member or research director (space provided on the application form).  Please submit your original paperwork and an additional copy of the application form and proposal for a total of 2 complete packets.

If a group of students wishes to attend the same conference with the same faculty member, each student must submit his or her own application; each will be judged individually, based on the quality of the student's proposal and outline of goals.

DEADLINES FOR APPLICATION:

• October 1, 2007     February 1, 2008         March 17, 2008

Awards are announced within three weeks of the deadlines. For more information, contact Kerry O'Brien, Dean of the Faculty's Office (207/753-6952 - kobrien@bates.edu)

6/2005

REIMBURSEMENT GUIDELINES

Keep a diary and save your receipts!

Remember: No Receipts, No Money!!
Reimbursements are made AFTER travel!

You are required to complete a Travel Expense Report (http://www.bates.edu/Prebuilt/travel-reimbursement.pdf) that includes the following:  the meeting name and location, the dates of your departure and return, an itemized daily list of your reimbursable expenses (ground transportation, meals and tips, admission charges, published abstracts, etc.)

1. Air travel. If you travel to the conference by air, you may make arrangements through Dube Travel. The staff will be informed of your grant and will charge the appropriate fund. When requesting reimbursement for air travel, the original airline ticket receipt must be provided and/or electronic payment receipt, not an itinerary from the travel agency..

2. Registration/Abstract Fees. Your grant will cover the cost of conference registration, special events (like banquets), and abstract submission fees. If you pay by personal check, you may submit a copy of the registration form to the Dean of the Faculty’s Office for reimbursement.

3. Receipts. You must save all your receipts. Your receipts should accurately reflect the expenses you list in your diary. If the receipt does not show what was purchased, then each item needs to be indicated on the receipts with the corresponding amount.  A credit card receipt with just the total is not acceptable; the receipts must show the actual expenses of what was bought.  Also a credit card statement is not considered a receipt unless the particular item is indicated on the statement.  (Please see #4 if receipts show shared expenses.)

4. Shared Expenses. If you share your travel by car, your room, or other conference expense with another student or a faculty member, only the person submitting the original receipt will be reimbursed - you will have to settle the bill among yourselves.  These receipts that cover more than one person's expenses must indicate the names of the people involved in these expenses and the amount that each person was responsible for.  If you share expenses, no reimbursements will be processed until all members have turned in their receipts.

5. Meals. The Hughes Program reimburses you up to but not exceeding $30.00/day for meals, for which you must submit receipts. NOTE: The College will not reimburse you for any liquor expenses.

6. Travel by Car. If you drive to your meeting in your car, you will be reimbursed at $0.485/mile, so keep track of your mileage. If you travel with another person, the owner of the car will be reimbursed.

7. Reimbursement. At the end of your trip, turn in your diary and receipts to Denise Begin in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty (121 Lane Hall) for reimbursement.

8/2007