Doctoral students in the Department of Hispanic Students at the University of Houston will be financially supported to travel to present academic research or creative writing work at nationally or internationally recognized conferences/events. This support will be a limited amount (up to $500 dollars total for one grant or $250 for two grants); awards in any given year will be subject to funding availability. Students can receive up to 2 travel awards as doctoral students (granted in different academic years) if the requirements for each award are met on time. For all awards priority in each round of applications will be given to students that have not been awarded a travel grant before, students that are more advanced in their PhD career, and to those whose presentations topics are directly related to their dissertations. 

Students receiving department travel funds must comply with all UH travel policies. This includes getting approval in UH’s travel system Concur in advance. Please communicate with our DBA as soon as you receive an award to coordinate payment/reimbursement details. 

These are the travel awards you can apply to as a PhD student in our department:

Cullen Fellowship Travel

The Cullen Fellowship Travel Grant (CFTG) is a competitive fellowship program established and administered by UH’s Graduate School to support graduate student travel to meetings, conferences, performances, and exhibits to showcase their research and scholarly work. It is a reimbursement award and will reimburse the student upon submission of the deliverables. CFTG will cover up to 75% allowable travel expenses (hotel or conference housing, transportation, registration costs) or up to $750.00, whichever is less. The applicant’s college/department/program has to commit to cover a minimum of 25% of the conference costs.  Students wishing to receive $250 from the department to support this application should show a total budget of $1000 on the CFTG application form.

To request support from the department as part of the application process for the Cullen Fellowship Grant, PhD students in Hispanic Studies must: 

1. Complete the HS Department Travel Grant Application cover sheet that appears on the following link (please print it and include it on your application package): ): HS Travel Award Cover Sheet.pdf 

2. Make sure you meet the following requirements established by the graduate school: 

1. The applicant’s work must be accepted to be presented at a competitive meeting, conference, performance, or exhibit. If the work has been submitted but an acceptance has not yet been received, the applicant may still submit a travel grant application; however, any award is contingent on acceptance. Only travel to the events with competitive selection criteria for the participants is supported by this travel grant;
2. Event dates must occur within the travel dates for the application term
3. The applicant’s college/department/program has to commit to cover a minimum of 25% of the conference costs.
4. Preference will be given to students who have not previously received travel grant funding. Students may only receive one travel award in a calendar year.
5. See this web page for full details: https://www.uh.edu/graduate-school/graduate-funding/
    

Your application package must be sent to the director of graduate studies, before UH’s Graduate School deadline, so that there is time to sign them and to amend if the errors are found. 

Application package materials: 

1. Fully completed Cover Sheet (Please note: Doctorate/Professional applicants must gather the necessary signatures from the Department/College by the deadline).
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)- 2 page maximum.
3. Abstract.
4. Written description by the applicant of the event detailing the following: event selectivity, what it means to be “invited” to the event, and the applicant’s research that will be presented (1 page maximum).
5. Support letter from the applicant’s faculty advisor or graduate chair attesting the following: quality of the work presented, quality/prestige of the event, event selectivity, what it means to be “invited”, and how the event participation is directly related to the applicant’s work at the University of Houston.
6. Conference host letter (scanned copy of paper letter or email is acceptable) with the applicant’s name clearly listed as a presenter or performer to verify the student’s acceptance to participate in the event. 

5. If the applicant is not awarded the CFTG, students who have been approved for the department supplement will still be eligible for a $250 travel scholarship, should they wish to accept it. This will count against the student’s number of funded conferences.

This award decision is made by the department’s chair and/or the graduate committee. Priority will be given to students that have not received any travel awards in the past.

Inés Kanellos Travel Grant

1. Eligibility:

PhD students must have earned at least nine semester hours in Spanish at the graduate level from the University of Houston and be in good academic standing with the University of Houston. To be considered for this scholarship students must be making a presentation at a professional conference, to read or recite their creative works at nationally and/or internationally prestigious venues or to conduct research. 

2. Requirements. 

Materials to be sent to the graduate director:

1. Complete the HS Department Travel Grant Application cover sheet that appears on the following link (please print it and include it on your application package): HS Travel Award Cover Sheet.pdf
2. Submit final conference presentation.
3. A letter of acceptance from a conference.
4. An updated unofficial transcript along with courses currently being taken.
5. Deadline for applications: (Usually awarded in the Spring).

This award decision is made by the department’s award committee and the graduate committee, amounts will vary according to funds available.

Other Travel Awards

Subject to availability of funds, and within the funding guidelines above, students can receive financial support to travel to present academic research or creative writing work at nationally recognized conferences/events. 

1. Eligibility:
Project must be related to doctoral research or creative project.

2. Requirements:
Materials to be sent to the graduate director.

1. Complete the HS Department Travel Grant Application cover sheet that appears on the following link (please print it and include it on your application package): HS Travel Award Cover Sheet.pdf
2. Materials must be received at least six weeks ahead of the travel (except in exceptional circumstances).
3. A letter of acceptance from a conference.
4. An updated unofficial transcript along with courses currently being taken together with anticipated grades in current courses.
5. A budget for the overall travel
6. The amount requested. This is up to $500 total, minus any travel funds received from the department directly. Funds received from the Ines Kanellos travel grant do not count against this total. 

This award decision is made by the department’s award committee and the graduate committee. Priority will be given to students whose presentation is directly related to their doctoral research or creative project.