GLI Professional Development & Training Grants
The GLI Professional Development & Training Grants* will provide up to $1,000 of support for graduate students seeking non-credit bearing professional development and training opportunities to further develop their academic and professional skills. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to, training workshops, short courses, conferences (where the student has not submitted an abstract*), etc. Additionally, opportunities that will broaden the applicant’s skill set beyond their academic field of study (i.e. leadership training, project management short course, etc.) are encouraged. (previous awardees). Spring 2024 Professional Development & Training Grant RFA.
Annual PD&T Application Schedule:
| Grant Schedule | Spring RFA | Fall RFA |
| Funding Period | Jan 1st – July 31st | July 1st – Jan 31st |
| Application Opens | November 1st | May 1st |
| Application Deadline | November 22nd | May 22nd |
| Awards Announced | mid-December | mid-June |
Eligibility
- Be a registered graduate school student (PhD, MS, MA, MFA, MLAS) in good standing.
- Have completed one full academic year in the Graduate School.
- Have authorization from your department (application will require DGS approval).
- Training/professional development opportunity must occur within the funding period outline in the RFA.
- Students are allowed one professional development & training grant per academic year.
- During their Graduate School tenure masters students are eligible to receive one professional development & training grant and PhD students are eligible to receive two professional development & training grants.
Guidelines
- Grants are limited to $1,000 and all charges must comply with Vanderbilt finance policies.
- These awards are not a substitute for, nor a supplement to, graduate stipends, and they may not be used to fund credit-bearing coursework.
- Awards cannot be applied retroactively.
- Proposed professional development & training activities must be completed within the funding period outlined above.
- Award funds will be provided directly to grant awardees.
- Funds may only be used as proposed in your application.
- If traveling, airfare must be booked in World Travel/Concur (hotel accommodations do not have to be booked through the Concur system).
- We ask that students be responsible stewards of GLI resources. Students who apply for the grant must be prepared to use the funds as proposed. If the awardee cannot move forward with the proposed travel, they must notify the GLI immediately. Recipients who fail to use their funding, barring extenuating circumstances, will be ineligible for future GLI travel awards.
Grant FAQs
What are the selection criteria for the GLI Professional Development & Training Grants?
Is travel supported by the GLI Professional Development & Training Grant?
What grants are available to Vanderbilt graduate students that support travel?
How do I determine which grant is best aligned with my purpose of travel?
I am traveling to a conference, which grants should I apply to?
Can I apply for a GLI Professional Development & Training Grant if I am traveling to an internship?
How will award funds be dispersed?
What are the selection criteria for the GLI Professional Development & Training Grants?
Professional Development & Training Grants are available to students pursuing unique opportunities to further their professional development and/or scholastic goals and interests. This includes opportunities to explore their broader field of study (beyond the focused scope of their current research projects), to explore related fields of research, and/or to acquire new skills (professional development).
The most important component of the application is to demonstrate how the award will broaden the student’s skill set, provide professional development, and/or further scholarly goals beyond the dissertation. The selection committee will evaluate applications based on the following criteria:
(1) a strong justification for how the proposed activities will benefit the student’s professional and academic development
(2) the students academic and service/leadership background.
Is travel supported by the GLI Professional Development & Training Grant?
Yes. The GLI Professional Development & Training Grant was developed to support academic and professional skill development among graduate students. This includes training workshops, short courses, attending conferences where the student has not submitted an abstract, etc. Additionally, opportunities that will broaden the applicants skill set beyond their academic field of study (i.e. leadership training, project management short course, etc.) are encouraged. If students need to travel to attend the proposed activities, travel cost should be included in the grant proposal.
Examples of successful applications include:
Conference Attendance
Lasers & Electro-Optics, SACNAS National Diversty in STEM, SciPy, ASCE Younger Member Leadership Symposia, and Society for Pastoral Theology Annul Meeting
Workshops & Trainings
fMRI Wksp, Longitudinal Structural Equation Modeling Wksp, Seamus Heaney Centre Poetry Wksp, Training in Survey Methodology, Training Symposium on International Archives, Oral History Training Wksp, NSF Finding Your Inner Modeler III Wksp
Short Courses (non-credit bearing)
Predictive Multi-scale Design, International Critical Theory Summer School, Social Conditioning, Center for Astrostatistics summer course for astronomers
What grants are available to Vanderbilt graduate students that support travel?
- The GLI Professional Development and Training Grant: $1,000 available support for graduate students seeking professional development and training opportunities to further develop their academic and professional skills.
- Graduate Student Travel Grant to Present Research: a $500 grant available through the graduate school for students traveling to conferences where they have submitted an abstract and they will be presenting. https://gradschool.vanderbilt.edu/funding/travel.php
- Travel grant through the Graduate Student Council: a $500 grant available to active members of GSC who are traveling to conferences where they have submitted an abstract and they will be presenting. https://studentorg.vanderbilt.edu/gsc/travel-funding-request/
- If a PhD student is traveling in a capacity that will enhance their dissertation beyond the work outlined in their PhD proposal, they may be eligible for a Dissertation Enhancement Grant: https://gradschool.vanderbilt.edu/gli/deg/
How do I determine which grant is best aligned with my purpose of travel?
Travel for professional or academic development (leadership workshop, learning skills, a conference that broadly applies to their research work, etc.) that builds the applicants skill set beyond their dissertation work is best suited for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant.
Conference travel where students have submitted an abstract and will be presenting their research is supported by the Graduate School Travel Grant and the Graduate Student Council Travel Grant.
Travel is heavily focused on the applicants dissertation AND it adds an element that enhances their dissertation work, is best suited for a Dissertation Enhancement Grant.
I am traveling to a conference, which grants should I apply to?
If you are presenting (submitted an abstract) at the conference:
The Graduate Student Travel Grant to Present Research
The GSC Travel Grant – if you are an active member of the GSC
Also, professional societies affiliated with the conference may offer financial support.
If you are NOT presenting at the conference:
GLI Professional Development and Training Grant – if you can provide a strong justification for how this conference will benefit your professional and academic development.
Can I apply for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant if I am traveling to a conference to present my research (I have submitted an abstract)?
No. If a student has submitted an abstract to present at a conference, that travel is not eligible for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant. The GLI Professional Development and Training grant was developed to provide support for travel that is focused on supporting skill development beyond the dissertation, for which funds are not as readily available. For travel to present at a conference there are several funding mechanism available, including funds available through the Graduate School and the Graduate Student Council (for active members). Additionally, departments and professional societies may offer financial support for traditional conference travel.
Note: If there is a workshop, short course, etc. associated with the conference where you are presenting that is available at an additional cost (above the basic conference registration fee), a student could apply for the workshop registration fee, but only the registration fee. Students must decide is this is a prudent use of one of their two available opportunities to receive a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant.
Can I apply for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant if I am traveling to an internship?
Applicants can apply for travel to and from internships. HOWEVER, they must make a compelling justification for the benefits of travel AND financial need (unpaid internship).
Can I apply for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant if I am travel to a field location for research?
The GLI Professional Development and Training grant was developed to provide support for professional and academic skill development beyond the dissertation, which tends to have less funding mechanisms available. Field research is narrowly focused on a student’s research and for that reason would not be a compelling application. If the proposed field work is enhancing your dissertation, you may want to consider the Dissertation Enhancement Grant.
Can I apply for both the GLI Professional Development and Training grant and the Graduate School travel grant to fund the same travel?
No. The GLI Professional Development and Training grant and the Graduate School travel grant support different travel purposes. The Graduate School travel grant is for traditional conference travel to a conference where a students has submitted an abstract and will be presenting their research. That type of travel is not eligible for funding under the GLI Professional Development and Training Grant.
Can I apply for a GLI Professional Development and Training Grant and a GLI Dissertation Enhancement Grant in the same year?
Students can submit an application for a GLI Travel Grant and a GLI Dissertation Enhancement Grant in the same year. However, they must fund different activities. If a student is traveling, they must select the grant that is most aligned with the purpose of travel (see above).
If I received a GLI Travel Grant in 2019 or 2020, does that count towards the GLI Professional Development & Training Grant limit?
YES. GLI Travel Grants were re-branded as Professional Development & Training grants in the fall of 2020, in an effort to include a wider array of professional development and training opportunities that do not necessarily require travel. Therefore, these grants are part of the same grant program and count towards your grant totals.
How will the award funds be dispersed?
Award funds will be dispersed directly to the award recipient as a stipend payment. If you are an international student, there may be tax implications for stipend payments. Please contact ITO to determine tax obligations.
*In the spring of 2020 GLI Travel Grants were re-branded as Professional Development & Training Grants in an effort to support a wider variety of opportunities for students.