Conference/Research Funding

The Conference/Research Financial Assistance Package for Ph.D. Students

Pending availability, E3B offers two forms of assistance to PhD students:

  1. A maximum of $1,000 in travel funds per conference (approved by the advisor and DGS) to cover travel expenses, lodging and registration fees. These funds may also be used for workshops or courses, with DGS approval. Funds can only be used for one conference per academic year. Students can apply for the funds four times during their career in E3B. All funds must be used by the end of a given academic year (August 31), and unused funds do not roll over to another year. Funds in Year 1 can be used to attend a conference without giving a presentation. Payments to students are in the form of Concur reimbursements after you return from the conference. To receive reimbursement from conferences you will need to submit a completed expense report with the business purpose with individual PDFs of all receipts and credit card statements within 10 days of return from the conference with proof that you presented (e.g. an abstract or program page). Without appropriate documentation, the reimbursement will not be processed. GSAS provides up to $400 in Matching Conference Travel Funds in Years 2-5, but not Year 1 (see HERE).
  2. Up to $4,000.00 for preliminary research in Years 1-2 (any preliminary research funds granted must be used fully by August 31st of the 2nd year). To apply for these funds, students must submit a written application that specifies the scope of work you will undertake and how it relates to your developing dissertation project, and provide a detailed justified budget and purchasing plan and project timeline. The application for the funds is to be submitted by April 15 for summer research, and can only be done so if the student has completed their annual committee meeting by that date. These funds cannot be used for computers or related equipment, or large equipment (this should come out of research grants). Funds will be accessed by submitting an expense report with individual PDFs of all receipts after research has concluded, in consultation with the DAAF, Grants Manager and Financial Coordinator.

Students must become familiar in advance about the kinds of expenses that can be covered, how to purchase them (i.e. request for the office or Lab Manager to generate a PO, purchase through CU Marketplace), and how to prepare an expense report to get a reimbursement. If established policies are not followed, students may not be eligible for reimbursement. Remember to always keep all your original receipts, as they are essential for reimbursement. Email [email protected] for details about how to submit for reimbursement.

E3B MA Student Research Grant

Students can seek financial support through E3B MA Student Research Grant (Appendix I), potentially securing up to $2,000 to bolster their thesis project (pending fund availability). Typically pursued in the second semester of the program, grant applications necessitate a comprehensive project description and budget. Allocated funds are designated for the outlined purposes in the application. For additional backing, students are encouraged to apply for the GSAS Matching Grant, offering up to $400 once they have secured the E3B Grant.

E3B MA Student Conference Fund

Students can seek financial support through the E3B MA Student Conference Fund (Appendix II), potentially securing up to $750 (pending availability) in support of travel to a scientific meeting (approved by the DMAP) any time after their 1st year in the program. In most cases, students are likely to attend meetings in their second year, when they have the greatest chance of presenting their own research (which is required for funding!). Current students are also encouraged to apply for matching funds from GSAS for conference attendance, offering up to $400 once they have secured the E3B Fund.

Reimbursements for travel and business expenses will be made AFTER the trip has occurred. Lodging, travel expenses and registration fees can be reimbursed. To receive reimbursement, you must:

  • Provide documentation that you actually attended the conference (e.g. a registration receipt).
  • Submit your Travel Business Expense reports within 2 weeks of arriving back to the USA.
  • Fill out the appropriate form:
  • Submit original receipts. If you pay with a credit card, you will also need to submit a credit card statement showing the expense(s) in question.
  • If you make purchases in a foreign country, you must get the currency conversion for the exact dollar amount. Use http://www.oanda.com/ this is the only site Accounts Payable will honor.

E3B MA External Funds Matching Award

The Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology (E3B) offers an External Funds Matching Award Program, which provides financial support of up to $1,000.00 to MA students who have been awarded external, non-Columbia funding in the form of a research grant, scholarship, or fellowship. To be eligible for this program, students must be currently enrolled in the E3B MA program and maintain good academic and administrative standing.

Application Process:

To apply for the E3B MA External Funds Matching Award, students should follow these steps:

  1. Submission of Materials: Students are required to submit the following documents to the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology's Program Manager (Bekka Brodie, email: [email protected]) and Departmental Administrator:

    - Name of the external scholarship, fellowship, or grant for which they have applied.

    - Application materials submitted for the external award.

    - The Notice of Award (NOA) confirming the external funding.

  2. Evaluation: The Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology's Program Manager (DMAP) and Departmental Administrator (DAAF) will evaluate the merit and significance of the external funding award. Based on their assessment, they will determine the amount of E3B internal funding that the department is prepared to match.

Please note that the E3B External Scholarship Matching Award is not guaranteed, and each MA student is limited to receiving one award during their enrollment at Columbia University. If approved, the matching award will be disbursed in the form of a stipend.

We encourage our MA students to take advantage of this opportunity to leverage external funding sources for their research and academic endeavors. For any questions or further information, please do not hesitate to contact the DMAP.