International Travel Grants for Graduate Students


Tree in Tanzania

International Enhancement Grant

International Affairs will fund a small number of $1,000 international travel grants on a competitive basis for graduate students seeking to pursue relevant semester or summer-long internationally-focused academic or training opportunities in Latin America or Africa that will enhance their degree programs at the University of Kansas. The International Enhancement Grant supports directed, off-campus international activities in areas that do not duplicate opportunities or coursework available at KU. 

Deadline extended. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on March 18, 2024.

  • This grant is intended for early career graduate students enrolled in terminal M.A. programs or in the very early stages of Ph.D. programs. Students who have passed their Ph.D. comprehensive examinations are not eligible.  

  • Applicants may be students from any discipline, department or campus;  

  • Must be enrolled in a program leading to a graduate degree at KU; 

  • Must have completed at least nine credit hours of graduate coursework at KU by the time of application; and

  • Students who will have completed their KU degree program by the semester of the grant are not eligible.  

Eligible enhancement projects include: 

  • Activity must take place in Latin America or Africa.

  • Enrollment in language classes not offered at KU, but directly pertaining to your KU degree program. 

  • Participation in a directed internship program that will enhance academic/professional credentials. The internship must not be one that is required to fulfill a KU degree component. 

  • Attending degree-relevant classes not available on the KU campus nor for credit towards your degree. 

  • Attending a month-long workshop or series of workshops overseas related to an area of study at KU. 

 Ineligible enhancement projects include: 

  • Conducting research abroad related to a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation. 

  • Working as a research assistant for a KU professor doing his/her research overseas. 

  • Work done after a KU degree will be received. 

  • Enrolling in a language course abroad that is offered at KU. 

  • Participation in a KU-sponsored overseas study program or course, or one resulting in credits to be applied toward a KU degree. 

  • Fulfilling an internship requirement of a degree program. 

  • Presenting a paper at an overseas conference. 


Pre-Dissertation Travel Grant

International Affairs will support a limited number of $1,000 international travel grants on a competitive basis. The purpose of this program is  support six- to eight-week trips for preliminary dissertation field activities, such as exploring potential research sites, archives and other research resources; establishing institutional affiliations; and identifying and meeting with local scholars and contacts as appropriate, that take place in Latin America or Africa. 

Deadline extended. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on March 18, 2024.

  • Applicants may be students from any discipline or department;
  • Must be enrolled in a program leading to the Ph.D. at the KU; and
  • Must have completed two years worth of graduate course work, with at least one year at KU, prior to the beginning date of proposed research, and;
  • Applicants should not have completed comprehensive exams prior to the research period. 

The application review committee will evaluate:

  • Scholarly achievement, validity and feasibility of the proposal;
  • Requisite language preparation;
  • Faculty support as indicated by letters of reference;
  • Impact the activity will have on the dissertation research plan, and;
  • Availability of alternate sources of funding.

Priority will be given to activities that will increase the applicant’s competitiveness for extramural international dissertation research grants.

Questions?

Contact: Whitney Denning, Internationalization Initiatives & Events Manager