Individual Fund
Application
The Individual Fund is an initiative from the Graduate Council in association with UChicagoGRAD that provides funding for graduate students at the University of Chicago to attend academic conferences, networking events, and other venues. Recipients will receive a lump sum stipend that may be considered taxable income. Funding is available for two broad categories - Research and Personal Development.
Research awards will facilitate in-person conferences attendance or registration fees for virtual conferences.
For virtual conferences: The maximum award value is $300 if a student is presenting their work, or $200 if a student is not.
For in-person conferences: The maximum award value is $750 if a student is presenting their work, or $500 if a student is not.
We are also accepting applications from those who want to travel for a research project for some time. The applicants will need to show certification (offer letter from the supervisor or similar document) when they apply for funding, just like the certificate of attending/presenting at a conference. The award value for traveling for a research project is $750.
Professional Development awards are intended to fund an in-person professional development event, online course, boot camp, license, or other relevant endeavors that are meant to enhance a student’s personal and professional development. These awards will carry a maximum value of $500.
Every full-time graduate or professional student is invited and encouraged to apply. Students are strongly recommended to submit an application at least one (1) month before the event takes place. Please note that the fund does not review applications during breaks. Upon receiving an award, you will be expected to provide receipts to document budget.
Due to increased demand for these awards, the Grad Council has been working to automate the application system to better and more quickly meet the needs of our constituents. Therefore, please read the instructions below carefully. Inaccurate contact information for the applicants could result in delayed or rejected applications.
We look forward to reviewing all of your applications and learning about your work and achievements during this year. Ultimately, the goal of the Individual Fund is to allow graduate students to enrich their graduate experience. We hope that this new fund works toward accomplishing this goal.