GSS Awards

  • Graduate Student Senate offers awards to assist graduate with travel, both domestically and internationally, and conducting research.

Award Applications for the Spring 2025 are open and eligibility can be reviewed here in our attendance records.  

 

Before applying, please make sure you have the following:

For ALL Awards

  •  Blinded CV/resume
  • Blinded course schedule
  • Name & Email of the faculty member who can attest to your research or creative activity

 

PLUS

 

For the DTA

  • Proof of acceptance or submission to the conference or comparable academic event
  • Budget summary which represents a detailed budget breakdown

 

For the ITA

  • Proof of acceptance or submission to the conference or comparable academic event
  • Budget summary which represents a detailed budget breakdown- 2-page cover letter explaining the importance of the activity. It should include the following:
    1. How and why this activity is essential to your field of study
    2. Why this award is critical to your progress in your field of study
    3. The personal statement should be written for a general audience in a way that describes the project for review by individuals who are not experts in your field

 

For the Research Award

  • Budget summary which represents a detailed budget breakdown
  • 2-4 page research proposal
    1. Include charts and figures
    2. The research proposal should be written for a general audience in a way that describes the project for review by individuals who are not experts in your field
  • Blinded Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval (if applicable). Not sure if you need IRB approval? Please visit the Kent State IRB website.

 

 

SPRING 2025 AWARD INFORMATION:

Domestic Travel Award

The GSS Domestic Travel Award (DTA) is a non-competitive award that supports graduate students to attend or travel to a domestic conference. This award offers a flat rate of $300 to attend a domestic conference or up to $300 to attend a virtual event (depending on the event registration fee).

This award aims to promote the professional and academic development of the graduate students at Kent State University. The DTA funding is restricted to individuals presenting, performing, or actively participating at professional conferences or similar academic events related to their academic program or field standards. Graduate students may receive one DTA per semester, although preference will be given to new applicants (i.e., those who have not applied in a previous semester in the same academic year). The DTA covers travel throughout the entire current academic year.

APPLICANTS:

Please click here to apply for an award

To access the International Tax Form, please click here

Post Award Survey

Please view our Business Manager list for more information and to contact your respective manager.

CURRENT YEAR DEADLINES

  • Awards Open: January 17, 2025
  • DTA Applications Close: February 16, 2025 at 11:59pm EST
  • Award Notifications: March 10, 2025 Award Letters and International Tax Forms (if applicable) Due: March 31, 2025

 

INFORMATION FOR DTA RECIPIENTS

Awardees: After you are approved for the DTA award, please see the instructions in your award letter for receiving the award amount. Once you have submitted your signed and filled award letter back to the Finance Chair, the Office of the Dean of Students will process the award as a scholarship through your Bursar account, and you should receive the fund within 21 business days. As a recipient of this award, you are also required to complete a Post-Award Survey within 14 days after the return/attendance from the conference.

Special Contingency Award

 

The Graduate Student Senate Special Contingency Award (SCA) is a competitive award that offers a reimbursement of up to $1,500 of approved student-incurred expenses. The funding can be used for costs associated with the active generation or dissemination of the applicant’s primary graduate work. The SCA is to be used for funding in extenuating circumstances as determined by the SCA Review Committee. The SCA is offered on a rolling basis, with an application deadline at 11:59 PM on the last Friday of each month unless otherwise specified to correlate with University breaks. Graduate students may receive one Special Contingency Award per graduate program.

SPRING 2025: 

  • JANUARY & FEBRUARY APPLICATIONS· Open January 17· Close February 28

    · Award Notifications March 10

    · Award Letters and International Tax Forms (if applicable) Due March 17

  • MARCH APPLICATIONS· Open March 1· Close March 31

    · Award Notifications April 10

    · Award Letters and International Tax Forms (if applicable) Due April 17

  • APRIL APPLICATIONS· Open April 1· Close April 30

    · Award Notifications on May 9

    · Award Letters and International Tax Forms (if applicable) Due May 16

  • MAY APPLICATIONS· Open May 1· Close May 13

    · Award Notifications on May 20

    · Award Letters and International Tax Forms (if applicable) Due May 27

APPLICANTS:

Please click here to apply for an award

To access the International Tax Form, please click here

Post-Award Survey 

GSS Special Contingency Award Rubric

The judging rubric above will be used by the award committee while reviewing the applications.

Please view our Business Manager list for more information and to contact your respective manager.

 

INFORMATION FOR SCA RECIPIENTS

Awardees: After you are approved for the SCA award, please see the instructions in your award letter for receiving the award amount. Once you have submitted your signed and filled award letter back to the Finance Chair, the Office of the Dean of Students will process the award as a scholarship through your Bursar account, and you should receive the fund within 21 business days. As a recipient of this award, you are also required to complete a Post-Award Survey within 14 days after completing your project.

International Travel Award

The GSS International Travel Award (ITA) is a competitive award that offers financial support of $1,500 of approved student-incurred expenses, as determined by the ITA Committee, for travel outside of the contiguous United States and Canadian provinces and territories not adjacent to the contiguous U.S.  The ITA is offered for Fall, Spring, and Summer travel.  Full- and part-time graduate students whose departments are in good standing with GSS are eligible for the ITA. Graduate students may receive one ITA per academic year. The ITA covers travel througout the entire 2023-2024 academic year.

The purpose of this award is to promote the professional and academic development of Kent State University’s graduate student population, to support diversity by giving students the opportunity to experience foreign cultures, and to extend Kent State University’s recognition on an international level by providing financial assistance for international professional development, conference presentation, or your field’s equivalency. Funding is restricted to individuals presenting, performing, or actively participating at professional conferences, competitions, festivals, performance tours, or workshops related to their academic program or specialized interests.

APPLICANTS:

Please click here to apply for an award

To access the International Tax Form, please click here

Blinding Guidelines

Exceptional Application

GSS International Travel Award Rubric

Post-Award Survey

The ITA rubric  will be used by the selection committee members to evaluate all International Travel Award applications. Once you have downloaded the instructions above and gathered all of the necessary information, click the “International Travel Application” button below to begin the application process.

CURRENT YEAR DEADLINES

  • Awards Open: January 17, 2025
  • ITA Applications Close: February 16, 2025 at 11:59pm EST
  • Award Notifications: March 10, 2025 Award Letters and International Tax Forms (if applicable) Due: March 31, 2025

Research Award

The Graduate Student Senate Research Award is a competitive award that supports research or project-related expenses for Kent State University graduate students. Graduate students may receive one Research Award per academic year. The Research Award is only awarded in the fall and spring semesters. There is no summer Research Award.

APPLICANTS: 

Please click here to apply for an award

To access the International Tax Form, please click here

Application-blinding Guidelines

Post Award Survey 

GSS Research Award Rubric

The judging rubric above will be used by the award committee when they review applications.

If you are awarded the Research Award, please see instructions for payment in your Award Letter. You will need to email your award letter and funding form to the Advocacy Chair. Please view our Business Manager list if you are unsure about who your academic unit’s business manager is in the case of departmental reimbursement. Once you have submitted your award letter and funding form, you should receive your award in your bursar account within 21 business days.

 

CURRENT YEAR DEADLINES

  • Awards Open: January 17, 2025
  • RA Applications Close: February 16, 2025 at 11:59pm EST
  • Award Notifications: March 10, 2025 Award Letters and International Tax Forms (if applicable) Due: March 31, 2025

Organization Funding

Graduate Student Senate Organization Funding supports the professional development of and social & speaker events for Kent State University graduate students.

The Organizational Funding Award (OFA) is awarded to registered student organizations serving primarily graduate student populations on a first-come-first-served basis. Those seeking the award must attend a Graduate Student Senate General meeting and present their proposal for event funding to the Senate, at which time the Senate will determine the need and eligibility of your event(s) to be funded. Funds will be disbursed only after a vote of the Senate.

This is NOT an individual award (will not be awarded to one person) – funds will be transferred to your department through your department business manager.

If the request is approved, please submit a completed GSS Organization Funding Form FY2025 along with original receipts and a sign-in sheet of those who attended must be submitted within 14 days of the event.
Please view our Business Manager list for more information and to contact your respective manager.

GSS Organization Funding Form FY2025

Tax Information:

Tax Form for International Students

Permanent Resident/ Greencard Holder Tax Form 

The Non Resident Award Letter (PDF) pertains to non-resident students who have received an award from the Graduate Student Senate.

The Resident Award Letter (PDF) pertains to U.S. resident students who have received an award from the Graduate Student Senate.

  • If this information does not answer your tax question, please contact sprintax@kent.edu

Please refer to the GSS Bylaws for further clarification into the policies and procedures associated with this Award (Articles V-VIII).