Effective dissemination is an important part of conducting research, as it increases the impact of the research in practice and also provides a basis for further research.  If you are a student involved in a faculty-mentored computing research project it is particularly important for you to participate in research dissemination, as it will help you increase your own impact in the field, network with other researchers in your field, and provide you with an excellent experiential learning opportunity if you are interested in pursuing a career in research.  Often research dissemination takes the form of presenting a paper or a poster at a conference which involves domestic or international travel. 

To help encourage student participation in research dissemination, the Applied Computing Institute has established the ACI Student Research Dissemination Grant.  The grant is available to all GVSU students who are planning to present results from a computing-related research project supervised by a GVSU School of Computing faculty member.  

About the Grant

How to Apply

Step-By-Step Instructions

Overview

Publishing research work is a valuable professional experience and often the culmination of a research project.  The purpose of these awards is to encourage the presentation (either in oral or poster format) of a research project at an academic conference by expanding upon the funding provided by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship or the Graduate School at GVSU.

Applications for the grant will be accepted on a per quarter basis throughout the year (July-September, October-December, January-March, and April-June).  Applications will be reviewed by the School of Computing Conference Grant committee.  Initial review of applications will begin 5 weeks into the allotted quarter, with further applications being reviewed as they are submitted and as funds are available.

Eligibility

Funding eligibility is open to all students who meet the following:

• Are presenting a computing focused research project completed at GVSU.
• Are enrolled in a major within the School of Computing or the research in question was mentored primarily by one or more faculty members in the School of Computing.
• Have the written support from a faculty member in the School of Computing who can attest to the quality of the student’s work and the academic/professional benefit of attending the conference/meeting.
• Completed the research project being presented while at least a half-time student at Grand Valley State University.
• Are in good financial, judiciary, and academic standing with the University.
• Have had their research accepted for a poster or oral presentation at a professional conference/meeting.
• Have exhausted all funding opportunities available at the University level.  For undergraduates, this includes funding available through the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (including both the Academic Conference Fund and any funding provided from a Summer Scholar Program such as dissemination funds provided by S3, MS3, McNair etc.).  For graduate students, this includes the Graduate School’s Academic Conference Fund and any other funding that may be available.
• Agree to submit an activities and reflection summary and have their work and presentation showcased on the School of Computing and Applied Computing Institute’s social media and website.

All presentations must comply with ethical standards as noted by the Office of Research Compliance and Integrity. This includes receiving the appropriate approvals from the Human Research and Review Committee (HRRC) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

How to Apply

Submit your application online. You will need:

• Your resume/CV
• Proof that the paper/poster has been accepted for presentation.  It must come from the conference and include your name, the title of the presentation, and the name of the conference.  In some cases (conferences with short turn-around times), applications can be submitted before acceptance, but funds will be conditional upon acceptance, and no expenses will be reimbursed if the presentation is not accepted.  Under no circumstances should purchases be made prior to acceptance.
• A breakdown of the cost of attendance and other funding received for attending the conference.  This should include the total overall cost and a description of other funding obtained.  You must exhaust all other funding first and provide proof of application and response letter for the Academic Conference Fund, emails documenting the availability of, or lack thereof, dissemination funds associated with GVSU grants, etc., when applying.
• Recommendation of a faculty mentor at GVSU for the research project who can support the dissemination grant request and the quality of the student’s work

Things to know before Traveling

• All expenses must be in your name.  If you are splitting a hotel between roommates, you need the hotel to split lodging cost so your portion is in your name.
• Keep all of your receipts – you will need them to be reimbursed.  Receipts must clearly show your name, the amount of the charge, and the method of payment (including the last four digits of the credit card).
• Talk with your faculty mentor about the reimbursement process before making any purchases.  Travel and expense procedures change frequently, and sometimes certain purchases must be made by the admin for the School of Computing.  Additionally, you have limited time from when you incurred the expense (not necessarily the date of travel) to request reimbursement.  This may mean that you need to submit multiple expense reports.
• Reimbursement can apply for transportation (air travel, train, taxi from airport to destination, mileage if not traveling by air, etc.), meals (excluding meals provided by flights, as a part of the conference, etc – typically reimbursed per diem, but keep receipts to be safe).  This means that if the conference provides lunch and any dinners, you are unable to request reimbursement for lunches and dinners on those days.

Fine Print

To ensure each grant follows the purpose stated in this proposal, funded students will be required to submit an actual budget summary, a 1-2 paragraph description of your project, and your experience at the conference to be showcased on the Applied Computing Institute and/or School of Computing’s website and social media.

Students must fill out an expense report.  All purchases must adhere to GVSU’s travel procedures.  Note, reimbursement is not immediate.

*Students are expected to adhere to GVSU's Student Code. Failure to meet these requirements may result in loss of funding.

*Grand Valley State University complies with the IRS regulations on reimbursements. Please be sure to review the GVSU Travel Policy and Procedures.