Raphael and Jolene Gruener Research Travel Award

The Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs (GIDP) started the Raphael and Jolene Gruener Endowment Research Travel Awards in 2011. The Grueners have been tireless supporters of interdisciplinary research and education at the University of Arizona. They are also well known for their love of travel. The Gruener endowment will support awards that fund student research travel, bringing together these two passions of the Grueners. 

Eligibility and restrictions:

To be eligible for a Gruener Travel Award, you must:

• be enrolled in a Graduate Interdisciplinary Program (major or minor; a list of eligible programs can be found at gidp.arizona.edu)
• be in good standing and have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA
• be the primary researcher, principal investigator, or co-principal investigator in the research being performed.

Examples of appropriate use of these funds include travel to field sites for off-campus data gathering and visits to conduct research in laboratories, libraries or archives at other institutions. This grant does not fund travel to conferences or academic meetings nor travel simply to meet with researchers or participate in research for which the student is not a primary researcher, principal investigator or co-principal investigator.

The award is intended to offset some of the costs associated with international or national travel expenses such as airfare, and meals. These awards are meritorious and will be granted on the competitive and innovative content of the statement submitted with the application. Awards are contingent upon the availability of funds and the number of applications per session. Students are eligible to receive up to a total of $500 per award year. Students may submit only one application per award year. 

Students who fail to complete their research travel will be required to return the scholarship.

Note that the Gruener Award is a scholarship and as such is part of your taxable income.

How to submit a complete application:

Complete the downloadable word document, which includes a cover page and a 1-2 page statement of purpose (single spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch margins). This statement should explain the research question(s) to be investigated, why the travel is critical to answering these questions. Please also comment on how the travel will impact your research career.  Travel dates should be  within April of the current year to March of next year; for example:  from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013.

Send PDF copies of the application and statement as email attachments addressed to the GIDP office: gidp@email.arizona.edu

Your research advisor should send a letter of recommendation to gidp@email.arizona.edu that explains why the travel is necessary and is directly connected to your dissertation or thesis research and confirms that you are the primary researcher, principal investigator, or co-principal investigator.

Deadline: March 15, 2012

Post travel requirements:

Submit the following to: gidp@email.arizona.edu within two weeks of your return from your trip.

1. a one to two paragraph summary of your experience in MS Word .doc or .docx format.
2. a digital photo of yourself

Your summary and photo will be placed on the GIDP website for promotional purposes.