The purpose of the Academic Projects Fund (APF), or also known as the Travel Grant, is to
provide financial assistance to the graduate students who wish to participate in an academic
conference out of town, or who wish to organize and host an academic conference here at the
University of Ottawa. The goal is to help promote the professional development of GSAÉD
members. Through this fund, GSAÉD distributes a certain amount of money per year to graduate
students in need of support.
The Academic Projects Fund (APF) is divided into two sections:
1. Individual Travel Grants – are allocated for individual students participating in
conferences at other institutions in the present GSAÉD financial year.
2. Departmental Conference Grants – a maximum of 500$ per deadline is allocated for
student-organized and departmentally sponsored conferences held at the University of
Ottawa in the present GSAÉD financial year.
All students who wish to apply for an APF grant must be registered in a Graduate Program
(either full or part-time) at the University of Ottawa. Applicants must fulfill all requirements set
forth in this application. For any queries about the requirements please contact a GSAÉD
representative or the Executive Coordinator at the GSAÉD office at (613) 562-5935.
General Conditions & Application Requirements
The APF is administered by a committee composed of two GSAÉD executive members and the
Executive Coordinator. The decisions of the committee are final. The application processing
time requires a minimum of two weeks after the deadline. The Executive Coordinator will send
an email once the cheque is issued. Grant applications and awards can be picked up from the
Executive Coordinator at the GSAÉD office. Applications are also available online at
http://apf.gsaed.ca/ and it is preferable that they be filled out in this format.
Individual Travel Grants have been designed to work in conjunction with the Faculty of
Graduate and Post-doctoral Studies (FGSP) Travel Grants Program and departmental travel
grants funds along with any other sources of funding. The FGPS Travel Grants Program
provides financial assistance prior to attendance at a conference. The GSAÉD travel grants
program provides assistance after the attendance. Departmental travel assistance can also be
applied for before or after the conference, depending on specific departmental guidelines.
Students are encouraged to consult their respective department regarding the specific procedure.
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Eligibility
Masters students are eligible for one (1) grant per program or degree
PhD students are eligible for two (2) grants per program or degree
Application Process
All applicants who wish to apply for an Individual Travel Grant must also apply, if eligible, to
the Faculty of Graduate and Post-doctoral Studies (FGPS) Travel Grants Program and to their
department for assistance. Applicants need not be successful in obtaining funds, but they
must show proof of application or non-eligibility. Your department chair and the Financial
Assistance Office at the FGPS will provide letters providing your application and stating the
amounts, if any, that have been awarded. These letters must accompany the APF application.
If the letter(s) are not issued during the time of APF deadline, a separate letter must explain why
the letter(s) could not be submitted. They must, however, be submitted within two weeks of the
deadline for the application to be deemed complete.
Please note that without any prior proper explanation(s) for any missing document(s), an
incomplete application will not be processed.
Deadlines for Application
Academic Projects Fund grants are distributed on a quarterly basis throughout the calendar year.
The deadlines for submitting application are as follows:
1. August 01 – for attendance at conferences between May 01 and July 31
2. November 01 – for attendance at conferences between August 01 and October 31
3. February 01 – for attendance at conferences between November 01 and January 31
4. May 01 – for attendance at conferences between February 01 and April 30
Applications must be submitted for the appropriate quarter and are reviewed by the APF
committee within two weeks after each deadline.
Size of the Grants Awarded
The Academic Projects Fund grants are intended to cover any costs that are not covered by
FGPS, departmental grants and other sources of funding. This is why they are awarded after
the conference. As a consequence, a student cannot apply for an APF grant if they have not
applied before with their department or supervisor and the FGPS. The size of the APF
grants are limited in two separate ways: on a geographic region basis AND on a priority basis
(for more information please see below.)
Regional limitations
The Academic Projects Fund uses a modified version of the regional map adopted by the
FGPS in limiting the size of grants. To qualify for a travel grant, the location of the
conference must be at least 250 km from Ottawa compared to 400 km on the FGPS map. A
copy of this map must be attached with the application. An applicant must identify the
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location of the conference on this map with an asterisk mark. This is considered to be a
part of a complete application package.
Priority in Granting
The APF is limited to the amount of money authorized in the annual GSAÉD budget.
Occasionally more applications are submitted than can be supported fully by the amount
allotted. This requires that a priority system be adopted.
Criteria for awarding grants, in order of priority, are as follows:
1. PhD and/or Masters students presenting at a conference
2. PhD and/or Masters students attending a conference only
In the distribution of quarterly allotments, PhD and/or Masters students who are presenting at
a conference will receive top priority, if possible, for the full amount for which they are
qualified. If the allotment for that quarter is insufficient to cover the remaining applications,
those applicants attending conferences only or applying for a second time will share the
remainder by having an equal percentage deducted from each amount eligible for. In other
words, if there is not enough money left, they will all have their grants reduced, for example,
by 10% or 15%, or what may be necessary to satisfy the budgetary APF Grant allocation for
the quarter.
Remember that the size of the award is determined by the number of applicants for each
quarter. Therefore, you may not get the whole amount that you are entitled to for the specific
geographic region of your conference location.
Group Presentations
Applicants must apply on an individual basis for one conference at a time. In the case of group
presentations, each individual involved must make a separate application and divide among the
group any shared costs. Provide a letter explaining who is in the group and how the costs have
been distributed. If there is any question about how to do this contact GSAÉD office.
Documentation and Allowable Expenses
It is highly recommended that you review the following checklist before submitting the
application.
Each application must include all necessary documentation. Original receipts are preferred but
photocopies or faxes are acceptable.
A complete APF application must include:
1. The online application form to be filled online. If unable to access the online form, a
printed application form completely filled.
2. A copy of the APF zone map marked with your conference location.
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3. A signed personal letter stating various sources of funding. (If you need to explain any
specific issue regarding your application, include it in your letter).
4. A signed letter from your department and/or supervisor stating department travel grant
contribution.
5. A signed letter from the FGPS stating FGPS travel grant contribution (if eligible) or
stating ineligibility (if ineligible) (If you did not receive the letter as of the due date for
the APF Grant application, you must submit the letter as soon as you receive it from
FGPS in order to make your application complete.)
6. A proof of conference presentation (e.g. official pamphlet - or page of pamphlet - with
your name underlined or highlighted) if you're presenting, and a proof of attendance (e.g.
registration receipt)
7. Receipts or photocopies of receipts for all expenses claimed (registration, transportation -
if by plane or train photocopy all of your boarding passes -, accommodation and meals -
not exceeding $40.00 (Can) per day - Privately owned cars are also reimbursed at
$0.45/km (including gas).
8. A copy - both sides - of your University of Ottawa student ID.
No other expenses will be considered for the purposes of this application. Please do not submit
any extraneous documents. If you have any unusual arrangements, provide a letter of
explanation.
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