Effective February 2026

The CFAES STEM Student Travel and Professional Development Fund was established through the generosity of Dr. Sally Rockey and Dr. James Bentley Stribling to expand access to high‑impact professional development opportunities for students in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Support from this fund provides opportunities for conference travel, research dissemination, professional training, and career advancement for enrolled students.

The fund is administered through two competitive award cycles each year (spring and fall) and is intended to primarily support graduate students pursuing STEM degrees. Applications are reviewed using a needs‑based framework, with priority given to opportunities that may not otherwise be accessible due to financial limitations. Award amounts may vary, but will generally range $500-1,000 per award.

Eligibility

  • Be a graduate student currently enrolled in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
  • Be pursuing a degree in a STEM discipline.
  • Requests will be considered to support conference or professional meeting travel, professional development, career‑building opportunities, or research‑related dissemination or training.
  • Must not have received an award from this competition previously.

Deadlines

Two award cycles each year:

  • Spring: March 1 deadline for expenses April 1 - August 31.

  • Fall: August 1 deadline for expenses incurred September 1 - March 31.

    When funding permits, off cycle requests may be considered at the discretion of the college.

Application Components

Students will submit their application via the online portal. Requested information includes:

  • Student demographic info, i.e. name, degree, estimated date of degree completion, department, etc.
  • Description of the proposed activity and its relevance to the professional development of the applicant (250 words/ 1,500 characters or less).
  • Estimated budget for the total cost of the activity and funding request from this program.
  • Statement of financial need (150 words/ 1,000 characters or less).
  • Brief statement confirming advisor endorsement for the activity and any available financial resources from the department.
  • Applicable departmental work tags for funds transfer if awarded.

Review & Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by a committee consisting of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, the CFAES Graduate Education Program Manager, and one graduate coordinator representing a CFAES graduate program. The department representative will serve on a volunteer basis and rotate amongst the departments for each application cycle (fall/spring).

Factors that will be considered for award include:

  • Student degree level and progress towards degree.
  • Those participating in a CFAES supported program, such as the Bayer Mentoring Program.
  • Those with an accepted presentation for the requested event, if applicable.
  • Those with little or no other financial support to attend the activity.

Selections are made using a holistic evaluation, considering: 

  • Alignment with fund purpose.
  • Academic merit and research engagement.
  • Financial need.
  • Anticipated impact on academic and career development.
  • When two or more applications are equally meritorious, preference will be given to the application from a student within the department that has received less support from this program.

Award Structure & Distribution

  • Multiple awards will be made each cycle, generally between $500-1,000. 
  • These funds may support allowable costs that fall within university policy, including travel, lodging, conference registration, workshop registration, etc.
  • Funds will be disbursed directly to departments to support the intended activity. Awarded students will be required to work with the appropriate fiscal and administrative personnel within their department to process payments and travel requests according to university procedures.

Post‑Award Stewardship

  • Following completion of the activity, recipients will submit a brief (1 page) post‑award reflection describing how funds were used and outcomes or benefits of the experience.
  • Reflections may be used (with permission) for donor stewardship and impact reporting.
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