Doctoral Conference Presentation Award

The Doctoral Conference Presentation Award provides up to $1200 (maximum award amount may be less depending on the number of eligible applications received) to fund travel for doctoral students (MFA included) to give oral presentations or posters at national or international, professional conferences.  Funds may only be used for travel expenses, lodging, meals, and conference application fees. Applications will not be accepted for research travel. Travel must be outside of Albuquerque.  If you are traveling internationally, you must get approval from the Office of Export Control and submit with your application. 

**Please note Export Control takes 1 week to get reviewed and approved.

Additionally, students traveling internationally will need to register their travel here. This form does not have to be turned in with the application submission but must be submitted and approved before travel to be eligible for the award. If you have any questions about completing this requirement, please contact the  Education Abroad Office at 505-277-4032 or  StudyAbd@unm.edu. The representative will send confirmation you have completed this step.

Eligibility

To be eligible, students must be the first author of the abstract or presentation at the conference—only one award will be granted per abstract (no co-first authors).

Eligible students must be in good academic standing and enrolled in a doctoral or MFA program at the time of application. Post-comprehensive exam students will be given priority. Students must be registered full-time the semester preceding their application.

For a Fall 2025 award, the student must be registered full time for the Spring 2025 semester. 

For a Spring 2026 award, the student must be registered full time for the Fall 2025 semester. 

For a Summer 2026 or Fall 2026 award, the student must be registered full time for the Spring 2026 semester.

Full time is six (6) graduate credit hours with an assistantship or nine (9) credit hours without an assistantship.

No student will be awarded the Graduate Research Supplement, the Doctoral Conference Presentation Grant, or the Clarence & Emily Rogers Research Scholarship in the same funding semester.

Note: You may receive only one (1) grant per academic year.

Deadline

Applications will be accepted for the Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025 semesters with the following deadlines:

• Fall 2026:  September 4, 2026 for conferences held between August 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025.
  • Apply here for fall in InfoReady by 11:59 PM.
• Spring 2027:  January 25, 2027 for conferences held between January 1, 2026 - May 31, 2026. Apply here for spring in InfoReady by 11:59 PM.
• Summer 2026: April 24, 2026 for conferences held between June 1, 2026 - July 31, 2026
  • Apply here for summer in InfoReady by 11:59 PM.

Materials to be included in the application:

1. 1. Letter of intent.
      • Include a short one page explanation of how and why this conference is important to your research project.
   2. The name, date, and website for the conference.
   3. Include the abstract of the paper or poster to be presented. It should be no more than 250 words.
   4. Presentation acceptance confirmation.
      • Please include a copy of the email or letter accepting your paper and/or poster to the conference.
      • Note: If you have not yet received an acceptance letter, please indicate the expected date of notification for your abstract acceptance.
   5. A budget for travel expenses (e.g. airfare, hotel, conference registration etc.) and a budget justification. 
      • This justification should provide an explanation of your financial need. Please include any other institutional support for travel available to you, or other travel awards you have applied to. 
      • Note: this is an award and you will not be reimbursed for individual expenses.
   6. One letter of support from Ph.D. or MFA advisor/committee chair.
   7. **International Travel – Approved Export Control Review:  Click here for form
      • Export Control Guidance
      • Foreign Travel Vulnerability
      • If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Villescas-Hermosillo (jhermosillo@unm.edu) or Patrick Bourgoyne (pbourgoyne@unm.edu) at the Export Control Office.
   8. **International Travel – Independent Academic Travel Registration: This form does not have to be turned in at time of application submission, but must be submitted and approved before travel to be eligible for reimbursement if awarded.  If you have any questions about completing this requirement, please contact the Education Abroad Office at 505-277-4032 or  StudyAbd@unm.edu. The representative will send confirmation you have completed this step.

**Only if international travel is involved

Notice:

Notifications will be made through InfoReady. If you have questions please email grad@unm.edu.

Awarded student can download the Doctoral Conference Presentation Award Form to request their award after travel here.

Graduate Studies is not responsible for informing applicants of incomplete/incorrect applications. If an application is incomplete or incorrect it will not be reviewed for funding.

Requests must take place during the time specified for fall, spring and summer. Retroactive conferences expenses are not allowed.

Graduate Studies will not reimburse for cancelled travel costs (airfare, hote, conference registration etc.).