Funding for graduate students presenting papers at conferences varies dramatically from department to department. In the spring of 2002, the question was discussed by GSU course union presidents and GSU representatives.

The following questions were asked:

1. Are graduate students covered by the department or their supervisor(s)?
2. How much money is available for conferences?
3. What is covered (travel, registration, per diem, etc.)?
4. Who decides on how much money should be allotted?
5. What is the time period for eligibility (Sept-Sept/May-May/as long as the paper is presented as an affiliation with the dept/etc.)?

The results are listed below by Division and Department. Note that this was a casual "survey" based on observations of students in the given department. Be sure to check with your department, centre, institute, or faculty to get the OFFICIAL information.

• Division I (Humanities)
• Division II (Social Sciences)
• Division III (Physical Sciences)
• Division IV (Life Sciences)

DIVISION I (Humanities)

Comparative Literature

1. Source: The Centre and rarely supervisor
2. Amount: $350 maximum
3. Covers: Travel, hotel, registration fee
4. Allocated by: Director of the Centre
5. Time period: Calendar year
6. Other info: Students provide receipts and are reimbursed up to the maximum

Drama Centre

1. Source: Department
2. Amount: Up to $250 per year per student, subject to number of requests (never heard of anyone being denied...).
3. Covers: Whatever the student wants.
4. Allocated by: Chair of the Department
5. Time period: Sept-Sept
6. Other info:

French

1. Source: Department
2. Amount: Was $1000 maximum, now reduced to $700
3. Covers:
4. Allocated by:
5. Time period: One travel grant per year per student
6. Other info: Students submit estimate of expenses before the conference.

History & Philosophy of Science & Technology

1. Source: Department
2. Amount: Virtually nothing. Students apply to a fund of around $200.
3. Covers: "One may get enough money to buy overheads or a new pen."
4. Allocated by: Department Chair probably has most say
5. Time period: Applications due in mid-April
6. Other info:

Linguistics

1. Source: Mostly from faculty SSHRC grants. Limited departmental funding (SIG)
2. Amount: Varies
3. Covers: Usually travel, sometimes accommodation
4. Allocated by: Supervisor or department's SIG Committee
5. Time period: Determined by supervisor, or according to SIG rules
6. Other info:

Study of Religion

1. Source: The Centre, not the supervisor
2. Amount: Max $200/student/year (for conferences in U.S. $200 USD)
3. Covers: Travel expenses and registration. Meals not included.
4. Allocated by: Business Officer, but Chair could presumably ask for adjustment
5. Time period: Calendar year
6. Other info: Students provide receipts and are reimbursed. The Centre's budget varies from year to year, but is less than $200 x number of enrolled students

Spanish and Portuguese

1. Source:
2. Amount:
3. Covers:
4. Allocated by:
5. Time period:
6. Other info: There is no support of any kind for students who attend conferences as presenters. The administration in our Department claims that there is not money for such things.

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DIVISION II (Social Sciences)

Anthropology

1. Source: Department ($500 maximum if you are part of the Funded Cohort); Supervisor (if they want/can, variable amount)
2. Amount: Not every one gets $500. Sometimes money is given out on a first come first serve basis and in general we never know when or if it will be offered.
3. Covers: Travel and maybe accommodation
4. Allocated by: Unknown
5. Time period: Sept-Aug; paid out in January
6. Other info:

Geography & Planning

1. Source: Departmental (and/or supervisor)
2. Amount: Students apply to fund of $3,000 (total-usually up to ca $200 per student)
3. Covers: Travel & accommodation (supervisors may pay for registration, and some form of per diem)
4. Allocated by: Department gives the money to the course union to distribute
5. Time period: May-May
6. Other info:

Sociology

1. Source: Departmental travel grant
2. Amount: Students apply to fund of $3,000 (total-usually up to ca $200 per student)
3. Covers: Travel & accommodation (supervisors may pay for registration, and some form of per diem)
4. Allocated by:
5. Time period: Applications in April, can be spent any time
6. Other info: A competitive process, but nobody apparently denied

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DIVISION III (Physical Sciences)

Aerospace Studies

1. Source: Department covers certain conferences as announced by e-mail.
2. Amount: "I don't know."
3. Covers: Most are in or near Toronto, so only registration is covered. Professor may cover the expenses of a conference that is not in TO (including travel expenses etc.).
4. Allocated by: "I don't know."
5. Time period: "I don't know."
6. Other info:

Astronomy & Astrophysics

1. Source: Department & Supervisor
2. Amount: Varies: Department's Reinhardt Fund covers both conference travel (37.5% up to $750 max) and field trips (travel to observing facility: 75% to a max of $1500. Supervisors: varies, but most are "pretty generous"
3. Covers: Travel, registration, per diem
4. Allocated by: Committe of faculty members
5. Time period: Sept-Sept budget; applications submitted any time
6. Other info: There's a cap on an individual student's use of the Reinhardt Fund: we are each limited to $2000 per year, regardless of how many trips we take.

Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering

1. Source: Supervisor
2. Amount: "Not sure, up to supervisor, I think."
3. Covers: Everything
4. Allocated by: Supervisor
5. Time period: Determined by supervisor
6. Other info: Usually have to present if you want to go

Computer Science

1. Source: Supervisor only
2. Amount: Basically all reasonable expenses
3. Covers: Travel, registration, per diem
4. Allocated by: Supervisor
5. Time period: Determined by supervisor in consultation with student
6. Other info: Most professors send a student at least once per degree, many go more often, about once per year.

Electrical & Computer Engineering (Power Group)

1. Source: Supervisor
2. Amount: Determined by supervisor
3. Covers: Everything: travel, registration, per diem
4. Allocated by: Supervisor
5. Time period: Any time
6. Other info:

Geology

1. Source: Supervisor only (nothing from department)
2. Amount: Depends on supervisor's funding and priorities
3. Covers: Generally all expenses. Per diem or reimbursement at supervisor's discretion
4. Allocated by: Supervisor
5. Time period: Most supervisors will send students at any time to present a paper.
6. Other info: Some will also send students who are not presenting.

Mechanical & Industrial Engineering

1. Source: Professor's grants
2. Amount:
3. Covers: All reasonable expenses (probably)
4. Allocated by: Professor
5. Time period: Not fixed
6. Other info:

Physics

1. Source: Supervisor (supposedly)
2. Amount:
3. Covers:
4. Allocated by:
5. Time period:
6. Other info: "We get no money whatsoever."

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DIVISION IV (Life Sciences)

Botany

1. Source: Department contributes a fixed amount; Supervisor depending on kindness and budget.
2. Amount: $200 (from Department)
3. Covers: "Whatever the student wants."
4. Allocated by:
5. Time period: None specified
6. Other info:

Exercise Sciences

1. Source: Department
2. Amount: $250
3. Covers: Any part of the expenses
4. Allocated by:
5. Time period: One travel grant per year
6. Other info:

Forestry

1. Source: The Faculty and also supervisor
2. Amount: Masters $500 maximum, PhD $1,000 (during tenure in the Faculty)
3. Covers: Travel, registration, other expenses (e.g. conference related field trip)
4. Allocated by: A fund of $5,000 (to be increased to $10,000) is given to the course union, that then allocates it. (Info: http://www.forestry.utoronto.ca/fgsa/index.htm)
5. Time period: Money is allocated Apr 30, Sept 30 and Jan 30.
6. Other info: 50% of remaining travel and registration costs are covered after all other sources of funding have been exhausted to a maximum of $500 for Masters students and $1,000 for PhD students.

Immunology

1. Source: Supervisor also "travel awards" from the conferences
2. Amount: Full price, e.g. $500, $1500
3. Covers: Everything: travel, conference registration: either per diem or reimbursement of daily receipts
4. Allocated by: Supervisor, but students are trusted to have "reasonable" expenses only
5. Time period: Money is allocated Apr 30, Sept 30 and Jan 30.
6. Other info: Students go to conferences regardless of publications

Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology

1. Source: Mostly the supervisor, but there is also money from the department (student travel grants).
2. Amount: Every student is able to receive $500 from the department in the form of a travel grant. The rest of the trip is covered by the supervisor (in most cases where the supervisor has money).
3. Covers: All but tourist expenses: Airfare, Registration, Accommodation, Mixers/Dinners
4. Allocated by: Besides the automatic $500, the super has the last call.
5. Time period: No results = no conference
6. Other info:

Molecular and Medical Genetics

1. Source: Supervisor's grants
2. Amount: Depends on supervisor's funding
3. Covers: Everything
4. Allocated by: Supervisor
5. Time period: No restrictions
6. Other info:

Physiology

1. Source: Mostly from the supervisor's grant
2. Amount: Scholarships (CIHR, NSERC, H&SF) usually allow about $500, the balance comes from supervisor's grant
3. Covers: Airfare, registration, accommodation, misc conference events (mixers/dinners) and occasionally a per diem
4. Allocated by: Supervisor (no money, no conference funding)
5. Time period: No restriction, but no data = no conference
6. Other info: A productive researcher usually gets to attend about 1 major international and 1 or 2 minor local/international conferences per year (about $4000-$5000 total).

Public Health Sciences

1. Source: Supervisors (or through other external funds)
2. Amount: Depends on supervisor's funding. Public Health Sciences Alumni Association provides funds up to $500 maximum.
3. Covers: Supervisors usually cover travel, registration, but generally not food
4. Allocated by: Supervisor
5. Time period:
6. Other info: