Funding and Scholarships

• Research and scholarship
• Creation and/or presentation of professional posters and documents related to research and scholarship
• Participation and/or membership in professional organizations
• Travel/participation in professional conferences

Approved requests will be funded as a reimbursement to students and are subject to change based on the expenses incurred.

Please allow 7-10 business days to process and review all requests.

All full- and part-time matriculated graduate students at Buffalo State who pay the GSA fee are eligible to apply for funds

• Applications for funding will be approved for submission beginning September 1st of the academic year. The deadline for all funding request submissions is May 1st of the same academic year. All applications submitted after May 1st will not be considered for funding.All requests must be made at least four weeks prior to trip/event.
• Expenses eligible for reimbursement include membership fees, conference/registration fees, travel and transportation expenses, lodging expenses, and poster creation costs. Items not eligible for reimbursement are meals and personal car mileage.
• Any funding requests and/or expenses that are tied to the student receiving academic credit (e.g. internship, independent study, study abroad), with the exception of the master’s project, will not be eligible for funding.

Funding Application

Documentation Needed

• Statement of Intent that includes:

1. A brief description of the ways in which the request relates to your course of study and/or your intellectual and professional development;
2. A brief description of the ways, if any, in which the request will benefit your academic department, the GSA, and/or Buffalo State;
3. A short report of your academic progress, your cumulative GPA to date, and a statement about your career goals.

• Letter of support from academic department or other relevant area verifying the relevance between your funding request to your degree program and/or professional practice or goals

For Research (Independent Study or Master's Project)

1. Sign-off from the student's department chair and academic advisor that includes a checklist of items that have been completed for the student's research (e.g. IRB verification, literature review, etc.);
2. An abstract that states the purpose of the student's research;
3. Submission of the student's IRB of the requested research.  If the student has not received IRB approval at the time of the request, a letter of support from the student's advisor is required to verify that all IRB requirements will be met or that the study does not require IRB approval; and
4. Submission of budget for research that includes, but is not limited to, additional funding provided by the student's academic department and dean, cost of research materials (excluding software), and travel and lodging expenses.

For conference/event travel

• Document or website for the event
• Three (3) transportation quotes for requests involving transportation (other than personal vehicle) (i.e. flight vs. train, or flight with three different carriers)
• Three (3) quotes for lodging (i.e. conference hotel and two other hotels, Airbnb and two hotels, etc.)