Travel Research Incentive Program (T.R.I.P.)

Travel Research Incentive Program (T.R.I.P.)

The Graduate Student Travel Funds (GSTF) assists George Mason graduate students with participation in professional conferences pertaining to their field of study. Graduate students applying for GSTF Conference Travel Funding can also apply for additional incentive funding through the Travel Research Incentive Program (T.R.I.P.) supported by the Graduate Division and the University Libraries. 

T.R.I.P. funding is only available to students who apply for GSTF and is meant as an addendum to that funding. Students applying for T.R.I.P. funding are eligible to receive up to $500 through the GSTF funding mechanism for conference travel when they are presenting at the conference. T.R.I.P. funding is only possible as an addendum to GSTF funding application.  

T.R.I.P. funding can be combined with the GSTF award to attend one conference or can be used toward a second conference under the same terms within the same fiscal year.

Eligibility 

To be eligible for T.R.I.P funding on top of the GSTF funds, students will need to meet the following criteria before the application for GSTF is submitted: 

  • Meet all the requirements for the general GSTF application. For eligibility criteria for GSTF support, including application deadlines, visit the Conference Travel Funding page. 

  • Complete 3 workshops through the Professional Development Workshop Series in the University Libraries. These dynamic workshops are a part of the doctoral Research Development Academy (RDA). They are tailored to enhance your research management and data skills by focusing on using Zotero for citation management, understanding how to use data in your work, and the process for completing and submitting your dissertation, etc. When registering for workshops, students should look for the category Research Development Academy (RDA) flag. Please visit the Professional Development Workshop Series website for more information. 

  • Indicate in the GSTF funding application that their application is part of T.R.I.P. 

For more questions on eligibility for T.R.I.P. please contact Graduate Program Assistant Sora Buck at sbuck3@gmu.edu    

FAQs

Can I apply for T.R.I.P. Funding before I have completed the three required workshops?

No. You cannot register to receive the additional T.R.I.P. funding in your GSTF application until you have completed the workshops.

Do I have to complete the three required workshops in the Research Development Academy all in the same semester?

No. The three workshops should all be completed within the same academic year and before the conference in order for the student to be eligible to apply for GSTF and T.R.I.P. funding. They do not need to all be completed in the same academic semester.  

Do I have to be a presenter at the conference in order to be eligible for travel funding?

Yes, you must be presenting at the conference to be eligible for travel funding. If you are presenting, as long as you apply for funding within the GSTF deadlines and complete the three required workshops in the Professional Development Workshop Series before the conference, you are eligible to apply to receive the travel funding. 

Do I have to submit two separate applications for the “Graduate Student Travel Fund” (GSTF) and “Travel Research Incentive Program (T.R.I.P)”?

No, you must apply for T.R.I.P in the same application as the GSTF. In the GSTF application, students must indicate in the notes section that they wish for their application to receive consideration for T.R.I.P. in order to be considered. To be eligible to apply for T.R.I.P. consideration, students must complete 3 workshops through the Professional Development Workshop Series Professional Development Workshop Series in the University Libraries.  

Can I combine regular GSTF funds with T.R.I.P. funding?

Yes. You may receive GSTF general funds and then combine that with T.R.I.P. funds. Alternatively, the T.R.I.P. funding can be used towards a second, separate conference trip under the same terms within the same fiscal year.  

If I am rejected from GSTF funding, can I apply for T.R.I.P. funding instead?

No. T.R.I.P. can only be used in addition to general GSTF funding and should be indicated as a preferred addition in the GSTF application. You must be awarded GSTF first in order to be eligible to receive additional T.R.I.P. funds. Without an active application for GSTF, you cannot be awarded T.R.I.P. funds. 

How often can I apply for GSTF funding?

You are only eligible to receive GSTF and T.R.I.P. funding once per fiscal year (which runs from July 1 to June 30). For example, if a student receives GSTF funding in Fall 2025, they are not eligible to receive it again in Spring 2026. The student would instead have to wait until after July 1, 2026, to receive GSTF funding for a conference again. 

I received funding from the GAPSA Travel Fund to attend a conference; am I still eligible to apply for GSTF funding in the same fiscal year?

Yes. GAPSA travel funding is separate from GSTF, so as long as you have not received GSTF funding this fiscal year, you are still eligible to apply for GSTF and T.R.I.P. if you meet those programs’ eligibility criteria.