Email below was sent out today to the CGS listserv and may be of interest to everyone:
Good Afternoon Everyone,
I hope that this message finds each of you doing well, now that we are well into the Autumn Semester.
I am writing you today to let you know that the window to apply for the Ray Travel Award, Funding Period 3, is open. The third funding period covers conferences occurring between January 1 – March 31.
The deadline for Ray Travel Award applications is TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016 BY 11:59 PM for all application materials (including recommendation responses).
Please note that any applications submitted for conferences occurring outside of the funding period window will be deleted and unable to be recovered when the window to apply closes.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me by email (wesaw.1@osu.edu)!
Have a great day,
-Alex
—
W. Alex Wesaw (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians)
PhD Candidate & Graduate Teaching Associate
Treasurer, Council of Graduate Students
Commissioner, City of Columbus – University Area Commission
The Ohio State University
Knowlton School of Architecture City & Regional Planning
468 Knowlton Hall, 275 West Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210-1138
614-292-4380 office
wesaw.1@osu.edu go.osu.edu/awesaw
RAY TRAVEL AWARD FOR SERVICE UPDATES AND DEADLINES
IMPORTANT: Please note the changes made to the funding periods covered in the upcoming deadline. Date changes were made to more closely align with the University’s academic calendar.
2016 – 2017 ACADEMIC YEAR
Funding Period #1
§ Application deadline: May 1
§ Conference dates: August 1 – September 30
Funding Period #2
§ Application deadline: August 1
§ Conference dates: October 1 – December 31
Funding Period #3
§ Application deadline: November 1
§ Conference dates: January 1 – March 31
Funding Period #4
§ Application deadline: February 1
§ Conference dates: April 1 – June 30
Applications (including recommendation responses) are due by 11:59PM on the deadline day. Absolutely NO applications will be accepted after the application deadline. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Purpose
The Edward J. Ray Travel Award for Scholarship and Service (Ray Award) encourages and enables graduate students across the university to participate in professional conferences, both in their respective fields and in the broader academic community, by reimbursing or partially reimbursing the expenses incurred by graduate students during travel to conferences and meetings to present original research.
Unlike other programs that grant travel funds, the Ray Award gives substantial weight to the applicant’s service to his/her department, the university, and the surrounding community. Ray Award judges also take into account the academic standing of the applicant, the applicant’s professional goals, the nature of the conference being attended, and the applicant’s ability to convey the focus of their research to a general audience.
Rationale
The financial aspect of travel to and presentation at such events can be prohibitive to many graduate students, and the availability of such support for students varies widely across the university. Whereas students in some departments, schools, and colleges may have several opportunities for funding, others have no sources of funding whatsoever. For this reason, the absence of such funds at the university level has been a subject of concern for CGS for several years. Inquiries on this matter to the CGS office, from both individual students and other graduate student associations within the university, have increased in recent years. Therefore, we feel that the Professional Development Fund will fill a void for many students; it will also sustain and further the professional activities of students who have exhausted other funding sources. The Professional Development Fund is intended to supplement — not to replace — existing funds at the program, department, school, college, or university levels.
Although the fund is primarily intended to assist with travel expenses, we recognize that there are often other costs involved with professional presentations. We have defined the fund’s uses so that other legitimate costs can be included when necessary. The awards committee will be composed of graduate students and faculty members representative of the university community, as well as representatives from groups contributing to the fund. These individuals will be expected to consider the university as a whole in their decision-making processes.
The Ray Award supports and enhances the three-part mission of the University: research, teaching, and service. The Council believes that professional presentations of research are a vital part of the academic and professional development of graduate students. Not only do such activities help the individual student gain recognition in his or her field (therefore increasing employment opportunities), but they also showcase the high quality research that characterizes The Ohio State University. Further, this program will have a positive effect on undergraduate programs in which graduate students serve as Teaching Associates, because we believe that those who engage in research and professional activities in their fields can become better teachers. Finally, we believe that this program will promote service to the university and surrounding community because service activities will be considered when selecting recipients. It is our hope that this endeavor will further develop the academic and civic culture of Ohio State.
