MIT CIS: About CIS: Funding Opportunities

CIS welcomes requests for travel fellowships from MIT doctoral students in international studies who intend to present a paper on international affairs at a professional meeting. Requests may not exceed $750 per meeting and are limited to one per student per lifetime. Requests will not be made retrospectively—i.e., after the expenses have already been incurred. Applicants must be doctoral students enrolled at MIT when the paper is scheduled to be presented.

The request may be sent by email or mail to Casey Johnson, CIS Fellowship Coordinator at least 4 weeks before the trip begins and should include:

An abstract of the paper;
Documentation regarding the meeting, showing the session at which the paper will be presented (must be mailed or emailed text, not a website link);
A resume;
A letter of recommendation from the faculty advisor; and
A budget.

The request would be approved in principle in advance of the meeting and expenses reimbursed on presentation of receipts (e.g., for airfare, hotel, and meals).

Support from MIT’s Center for International Studies should be acknowledged when your paper is presented.

After the meeting, please submit a SINGLE request for reimbursement to Casey Johnson, CIS Fellowship Coordinator, together with all the receipts.

IF YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS AGREED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR YOUR TRIP, please ask your Department to process a travel voucher for all of your expenses. You should then send the travel voucher to Casey Johnson at E40-445, together with all the receipts and a letter that specifies which expenses, or what amount, your home department has agreed to fund. CIS will submit the voucher to MIT Travel directly. If your Department has queries about this procedure, please ask them to contact Casey Johnson at 617-258-8552 or by e-mail at caseyj@mit.edu

With your reimbursement request, please send a copy of the paper you presented and explain what your plans are to publish it. CIS will report back to the donor of the funds periodically and we need to demonstrate that the papers are making their way into professional journals. Please also keep CIS informed as your paper wends its way towards publication.