Have you heard about an interesting conference that you want to attend or where you might present a paper?  Are you working on a project that requires you to travel to do research?  Do you need financial help to take advantage of these opportunities?  It can be a challenge to find support, but if you give yourself enough time and are persistent, you should find help.

Google “funding for undergraduate research conferences” along with specific terms related to your research or to your conference, but don’t rely on what you find on the web.  Below are some suggestions for finding the help you need to get to the conference or to help you fund your research.

1.  Talk with faculty.

If you know faculty whose research interests corresponds with the conference’s topic or with your research, make an appointment to speak with them.  Faculty can give you insights about your work and may have ideas about finding financial support.  They might know of a grant or of departmental funds for which you could apply or have other ideas about where you might find support.

2.  Check with your concentration and/or minor department.

Many LSA departments have resources available for student research or projects, particularly for “their” students.  Contact a    concentration advisor in your department and ask if any funding is available for undergraduate travel or research.  If the advisor isn't aware of any funding, don't give up!  Call the department and make an appointment to speak with the department chair or the director of undergraduate studies. 

When you meet with the chair or the director, explain your project, ask for insights, and discuss your financial concerns.   Bring a typed description of your project and a budget outlining your needs.  Even if there aren’t formal sources for student projects, sometimes chairs or directors have access to other funds.  If there is funding available, you’ll almost certainly have to write a brief proposal that explains your plan, details your needs, and considers how your plans fit the mission of the department.

If your department is unable to provide funding, check with other departments or programs on campus that might be interested in your work. 

3.  Consult with a Reference Librarian

Google is great, but it’s for amateurs.  Ask a professional researcher at the Graduate Library Reference Services on the 2^nd Floor, North, Hatcher Graduate Library to help you in your search for funding.  Don’t let the name fool you:  the grad librarians work with all library users, not just grad students.

4.  Check with the conference organizers or with the research site.

Most conferences have very restricted budgets, but some conference organizers have limited support they can provide student presenters.  Also the staff of archives, museums, and other research sites might be aware of research grants. 

5.  Consult with an Office of Financial Aid counselor.

Depending on the nature of your project or the conference, the Office of Financial Aid might be able to recalculate your financial need, making you eligible for a student loan or raising the amount you are qualified to borrow.  No one wants to leave school with huge debt, but it could be worth borrowing a little extra money to attend a great conference or to do some exciting research.

6.  Check out UofM Resources.

Some centers, programs, organizations, etc., on campus can provide support for students who have interests that relate to the programs’ missions.  The following is a list  of some of these programs.   When you do contact representatives from these or other offices, it is a good idea to have a written description of the conference or your research project and a budget.

• Center for the Education of Women--If your project has relevance to women’s concerns, particularly issues relating to the education of women, you should contact the  Center for the Education of Women.  CEW may be able to help fund a student project or travel if the work relates to the Center’s mission.
• Fraternities, Sororities, and Student Organizations—Check with your fraternity or sorority if it has funds available.  Quite often, fraternity or sorority national organizations have funding for student projects.  Other campus student organizations also sometimes have funds available for student research, etc.
• Ginsberg Center—the Ginsberg Centersupports community service, social action, or activism.  While the Center directs most of its support to student organizations, it does offer some support to individual student projects.
• International Institute--If your conference or research is outside the United States, check out the International Institute’s “Funding and Job Opportunities” website.   Make sure you check the “Funding for Professional and Graduate School Students” link.  Again, don’t let the name mislead you:  there are funding opportunities for undergrads as well as for grad students.
• Institute of Labor and lndustrial Relations—the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations has research grants available for students interested in researching issues regarding labor in a changing world economy. 
• LSA Honors Program—the  LSA Honors Program supervises grants for students doing thesis research.     While these grants are limited to Honors students, there are other scholarships supervised by Honors that are open to all students.   If you believe one of these programs relates to your work, contact Elleanor Crown in Honors.
• Office of Multicultural Initiatives—the Office of Multicultural Initiative facilitates the Student Academic Multicultural Initiativesprogram which supports student projects that examine “cultural, racial, ethnic, religious, age, gender, social class, and sexual orientation differences.”