Travel Grant Pilot Program

Qualifying Travel Purposes

Students traveling for the purpose of advancing their climate- or sustainability-related academic or professional development goals, including travel related to:  

• Student presentations at conferences, or other roles beyond participating as an attendee.  
• Field research related to a student’s thesis or capstone project. 
• Independent research projects supervised by a faculty member.

Eligibility 

• The applicant must be a Harvard University student.  
• Travel destination is not listed as a high-risk travel location by Harvard University. 
• Travel takes place during the Fall, Spring terms, or during Winter inter-session.  
• Students must be able to make all travel arrangements on their own. 

Program Requirements  

• Funding is awarded on a reimbursement basis for transportation and lodging-related expenses only. 
• Review and acknowledgement of Harvard University’s Travel Reimbursement Policies. 
• Submission to the Salata Institute of one blog post reflecting on the experience (1000 words max.), as well as 2-3 high-quality photos to accompany the text.  
• For international travelers: 
  • Review of Harvard International Travel & Reimbursement Guidance. 
  • Completion of all Global Support Services pre-departure requirements for international travel.  

Restrictions 

• Funds will be awarded on a reimbursement basis only; students must be able to cover the upfront costs of transportation and lodging. 
• The Salata Institute will reimburse students only if they actually travel to their destination. 
• All expenses paid by credit card should be incurred by the applicant, not a family member or friend. 
• For foreign travel, exchange rates must be included in receipts and the amounts must be calculated into U.S. dollars. 
• Individual applicants must have a valid form of travel ID for the dates of travel. For international travel, students must have a valid U.S. passport or non-U.S. passport and visa, if required, and have secured all necessary documents for re-entry to the United States. Passports should remain valid for a minimum of 6 months after the return travel date. 
• Funding from this program may not be used for the following: group travel; travel conducted over the summer; travel to high-risk travel locations; for meals, per diems, or stipends; for travel packages that include hotel/airfare/car rental, unless each component of the expense can be identified; for transportation to or from locations other than the site of the project or conference. 

Climate Considerations

While travel can be important for academic pursuits and professional development, it has environmental impacts. Before applying for the Salata Institute’s Travel Grant Pilot Program, the Salata Institute encourages students to first consider whether their travel is necessary. If travel is required, applicants should consider how to minimize the environmental impacts. The Salata Institute will fund travel for which students make a compelling case. Find tips on minimizing travel impacts here.  

Application Instructions

Applications are being accepted for Fall 2023 & Winter 2024 travel grants. Please complete your application by the deadline of Wednesday, October 11, 2023.  

The Travel Grant Application comprises the following sections: 

1. Applicant Information: Identifying questions about the applicant.  

2. Travel Purpose: Questions about the intended purpose for travel, and subsequent details. 

3. Travel Proposal: A summary (500 words) of the event or project and how the applicant’s participation will advance the applicant’s academic or professional development goals. 

4. Environmental Impact Statement: A statement (200 words) about the ways in which the applicant would minimize the environmental impacts of travel. 

5. Supporting Documentation: May include the following: 
   • Letter of support from a supervising faculty advisor. 
   • Copy of conference or event agenda. 
   • Other documentation as needed/requested. 

6. Funding Request: Funding requests should not exceed $600. 

Award decisions: Applicants will be notified of decisions within three weeks of the application deadline on October 11, 2023. 

Please contact oona_gaffney@harvard.edu with questions.