PROFESSIONAL GRANTS
The Professional Grant provides financial assistance for costs associated with academic and professional development to graduate students
This grant funds professional development opportunities that are not research-oriented, such as certificate programs, professional venues, and workshops. PGSG proudly supports students who strive to gain a competitive edge in the job market through these academic and professional endeavors.
IMPORTANT LINKS
Note: when considering submission deadlines, remember that Professional Grants are reviewed on a monthly basis, funding is not guaranteed, and travel must occur within the eligibility dates provided at the link above. A general rule of thumb is that if you will not find out about the award before your travel, you are outside of the eligibility dates.
Review Eligibility Requirements
- Grants are reviewed and awarded on a monthly basis.
- Applications for events involving travel plans must occur at least one (1) month after the submission deadline.
- Applications should be submitted before expenses occur.
- Any application that uses AI must disclose in their application that AI was used to generate the application. Additionally, we only accept applications that are human-generated.
Funding Amount
- Exact funding amount will depend on each individual application; however, the maximum is set at $1000.
- Applicants are required to justify the amount of funding they are requesting, as described in the application instructions and rubric. Allocation decisions are based on the number and quality of applications in a given funding round. Funding is not guaranteed.
Read Reimbursement Policies
- Applicants should understand the reimbursement procedures and policies before traveling or making any purchases related to the applicant’s grant application.
- Proper documentation must be submitted for full reimbursement.
BEFORE APPLYING
Review Eligibility Requirements
-
- Grants are reviewed and awarded on a monthly basis.
- Applications for events involving travel plans must occur at least one (1) month after the submission deadline.
- Applications should be submitted before expenses occur.
- Any application that uses AI must disclose in their application that AI was used to generate the application. Additionally, we only accept applications that are human-generated.
Funding Amount
- Exact funding amount will depend on each individual application; however, the maximum is set at $1000.
- Applicants are required to justify the amount of funding they are requesting, as described in the application instructions and rubric. Allocation decisions are based on the number and quality of applications in a given funding round. Funding is not guaranteed.
Read Reimbursement Policies
- Applicants should understand the reimbursement procedures and policies before traveling or making any purchases related to the applicant’s grant application.
- Proper documentation must be submitted for full reimbursement.
ELIGIBLE OPPORTUNITIES
The Professional grants offer financial support for professional development opportunities that applicants would not otherwise experience at Purdue, in coursework or research. This grant excludes any expenses directly related to and required for your research. Examples of eligible and ineligible expenses are shown below.
Ineligible Expenses
1. Supplies for thesis (e.g., reagents, equipment, etc.)
2. Travel to work on thesis at another site,
such as a collaborator’s lab
3. Training, courses, or workshops required for thesis
4. Workshops or courses that provide techniques
used for thesis work
5. Books for coursework or thesis
6. Conference publication fees.
7. Equipment used required for thesis work.
8. Travel to present work of any kind (thesis, projects, etc.).
9. Restrictions included in the reimbursement procedures.
10. Association fees.
Eligible Expenses
1. Workshops that support professional development and/or career advancement. Workshops may provide training, skill, or knowledge that the applicant would not otherwise be exposed to through thesis work or coursework at Purdue.
2. Networking/professional development events. (it must be explicitly clear how this event is not for research)
3. Career advancement opportunities that applicants would not experience in thesis research or coursework.
4. Training certificates.
5. Internships and externships.
6. Equipment that will be used in career, not for thesis.
7. Journal publication fees (i.e., solo-authored graduate student papers).
8. Poster printing fees.
This grant is designed to help graduate students. Funds will not be given for purchases that should be paid for by advisors (e.g., tuition and fees). If you apply for journal publication and poster printing fees, please have your advisor send an email to the Vice Chair (professionalpgsg@gmail.com) affirming that the student is the primary intellectual contributor of the journal article, the student would otherwise be responsible for the publication fees (out of pocket), the paper is solo-authored by the graduate student and a justification for the piece’s alignment with that specific journal over other journals.
Applicants are encouraged to email the Vice Chair before starting an application to assess whether they are within the scope of the Professional Grant.
AFTER APPLYING
After completing the application, the survey will provide you with a pdf of your responses. It is the applicant’s responsibility to double-check the completion and accuracy of your responses.
Changes to an application may be made by submitting a new application prior to the application date. Should changes be made, please notify the professional grant vice chair so that the most updated application is reviewed.
APPLICATION RUBRIC
Applications are scored out of fifty points; there are ten criteria, each worth five points. Click on the image below for a printable version.
Have Questions about our Professional Grant? Reach out to our Professional Grant Vice Chair for more info @ professionalpgsg@gmail.com