If money is available, the department may provide travel funds to graduate students to attend scientific meetings. Departmental travel funds are allocated by GAC, and must be authorized by the Department Head. Students applying for domestic travel money from the Genetics Department must also apply for travel funds from the Graduate School, and for international travel from the Office of the Vice President for Research (see below). Funding from grants must be approved by the principal investigator.

If you are traveling on University-related business, regardless of how your expenses are covered, you must complete a travel authority (available from department accountant) at least one week prior to departure. Airfare can be charged directly to UGA by an authorized travel agent, but you must complete the travel authority prior to contacting the travel agent. You can also be reimbursed for airline tickets prior to travel. Meals, lodging and other travel expenses will be reimbursed after completion of the trip. Upon your return, you must complete a Travel Expense Statement (available from department accountant) in order to be reimbursed for these expenses. Receipts for lodging, meeting registration, airfare (if not previously submitted), shuttle service, parking, and gas must be submitted with the expense statement. For assistance and to obtain these or other travel-related forms, see the Associate Accountant (Room B109).

The Graduate School has limited funds to assist graduate students with travel to present papers at professional conferences within the United States. The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) has limited funds for international travel to meetings. Travel requests to either the Graduate School or OVPR must be submitted through the Graduate Coordinator, and are only accepted for consideration four times per year – please check with the Graduate Coordinator or Janice Lunsford for deadlines. Students requesting travel funds from either office must accompany their requests to the Graduate Coordinator with an endorsement from their major professor and items a, b, d, and e listed in guideline #4 below. Students must also be registered during the semester funds are requested and, for international travel, during the semester travel actually occurs.

Certain guidelines apply. For details contact the Graduate Coordinator. Among these guidelines:

1. Preference will be given to doctoral students presenting the results of their dissertation research.

2. Travel will be approved only for attendance at professional meetings or conferences where the student is presenting a paper. The meeting or conference must be of regional or national importance.

3. Students submitting must have a minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 3.50 based on at least the equivalent of 4 semesters of full-time graduate study at UGA, with no grades of “in­complete” or “no report.”

4. Requests are made in the form of: (a) a typed Authority-to-Travel form, (b) a letter from the Graduate Coordinator, (c) proof that the student will be giving a paper, and (d) a copy of the abstract of the paper to be presented. These documents are submitted by the Graduate Coordinator to the Graduate School. NOTE: Although the guidelines state that only accepted abstracts will be considered for funding, we can request funding if the deadline for abstract acceptance to your meeting has not yet occurred.