SIB Enhancement Fund

Through the generous annual gifts of alumni and friends to the SIB Enhancement Fund, the School of Integrative Biology is able to help defray the costs for graduate students in SIB Departments and Programs who are participating in off-campus activities such as conferences, workshops, or specialized courses.

What are the criteria for funding?

Note: If your activity does not meet all the relevant criteria, your advisor must submit a statement justifying the request for an exception.

  • If your activity is a course or workshop, you must be admitted to the course or be an invited participant in the workshop. Further, the topic of the course or workshop must be strongly relevant to the topic of the your thesis research.

  • If your activity is a conference, it must be outside the USA and you must be invited to present a paper or talk.

  • Some funding must be provided by the your thesis advisor and/or home Department or Program.

What will the fund pay for?

The Fund will typically pay tuition for workshops or courses and will contribute to travel for conferences.  It will not cover research costs.

How do I apply?

Submit a request (email is sufficient) to Fred Delcomyn, Director, School of Integrative Biology, 286 Morrill Hall (delcomyn@life.uiuc.edu). The request should contain the following information:

  • Your name
  • Your department or program and campus address
  • Your advisor's name
  • Information about the activity and how that activity is important to your research (two brief paragraphs maximum)
  • A completed budget form showing estimated costs and other sources of funding.
  • Status of your participation (admitted, invited, pending, etc.)

Deadlines:

Requests may be submitted any time throughout the year. The Director usually responds to requests within a few days.