Emerging Scholars Travel Award

Presented by the Office of the Vice President for Research, in partnership with the College of Graduate Studies, the Emerging Scholars Travel Award offers students and postdoctoral fellows the opportunity to become engaged in their research communities by offsetting the costs of participation in professional conferences and meetings. This award is open to all levels of trainees including MSBS, P.hD., MSTP, postdoctoral fellows, as well as clinical fellows and students enrolled in an MUSC postbac program.

This award provides $1,000 to defray the costs of domestic travel and $1500 for international travel through a competitive application process. While the Emerging Scholars Travel Award is open to all trainees, its main purpose is to help those individuals who do not have sufficient funds to cover travel expenses through existing training grants or other sources of funds. The selection of individuals to support through this program is based on both merit and financial need.

Applications are currently being accepted for 2025 conference travel.

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Award Information

Overview

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis for the current calendar year.

Conferences eligible for this program include those occurring between January 1st and December 31st of the application calendar year. Applications may be submitted for applicable travel that has already occurred. Any awarded travel funds remaining at the end of the application year will be forfeited, unless special arrangements are made with the Office of the VPR.

Eligible expenses for reimbursement include:

Travel – flights, taxis, public transportation, etc.
Event fees – attendance or submission fees for conference/meeting
Hotel – room costs and fees
Meals – amount allotted per department

All expenses are subject to University guidelines. Additional travel expenses may be covered based on department qualifications.

Eligibility

Must be currently enrolled as an MSBS, PhD, MSTP, postdoctoral fellow, or postbac student at the Medical University of South Carolina attending a research conference or meeting in the current calendar year.
Applicants must be in good standing at the time of travel.
To be eligible, the applicant's department chair or mentor/advisor must agree to provide $500 towards travel expenses on behalf of the applicant, in addition to the award amount. Applicants will be asked to provide their department chair or mentor/advisor's contact information. It is highly recommended that applicants discuss the application with their department chair and/or mentor/advisor before applying.
Priority will be given to those who have not previously received funding through ESTA. Applicants are only eligible to receive one ESTA per calendar year.

Application Process

Applicants must apply electronically through REDCap.
If submitting an abstract to present at the intended conference or meeting, the abstract may also be uploaded to the application in PDF format.
Upon award, the accepted applicant will be required to submit any expense-related receipts to be reimbursed by their department and the award. Those accepted will receive an award amount for reimbursement of up to $1,500 for domestic and $2,000 for international qualifying travel expenses, including both the departmental contribution and the travel award.

All awardees must comply with MUSC international travel policies and provide documentation of approval from the International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC). Request review and approval by initiating the process in the Student and Resident Travel Registry. Receipt of award does not constitute approval of the proposed trip.

Questions

For any questions related to the Emerging Scholars Travel Award, please contact:

Allison Olawsky

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