Scholarly Inquiry and Research at Emory (SIRE)

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Conference Presentations

Undergraduate Research Journals & Conferences

Each year the SIRE program provides support for up to 20 undergraduates who are presenting their research at professional conferences in their field. The decision to fund students is based on the quality of student proposals, overall academic records, and recommendations from faculty mentors.

How to Apply
Applications for funding are accepted on a rolling basis, and students may receive from the SIRE program up to $500 in funds to cover travel costs. Generally, SIRE funds will match funds provided by departments or principal investigators. If this is not possible, the letter from the faculty mentor needs to include an explanation.

To apply, the student needs to provide the following information in a proposal:

• What is the conference the student will attend?
• What type of presentation will the student make?
• Why is this experience of value to the student's educational goals?
• A detailed budget of estimated costs, and information on other funding the student has received or is applying to receive

In addition, the student needs to request a letter of support from his/her faculty mentor. This letter should come from a faculty mentor who has overseen the student's research project, and is familiar with both the research and the conference the student seeks to attend. In this letter, the mentor should discuss the student's research, their academic performance generally, and the nature of the conference at which he/she will be presenting. Information on matching funding from the department or mentor is also requested.

These materials should be submitted to Dean Joanne Brzinski in 300 White Hall, and labeled with the student's name and "Request for Conference Funding." It is recommended that requests be submitted as early as possible.

Students who receive a SIRE Conference Grant will need to submit original receipts for their approved travel expenses. In most cases, students are reimbursed for their expenses after the conference. However, the SIRE program can purchase airline tickets for students or can transfer funds to mentor research accounts for expenses paid by the faculty mentor.