Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions


1. About the GSC Conference and Summer Research Grants

2. Eligibility

3. Can more than one student from a single department apply for a grant?

4. How much funding may be requested from the GSC?

5. What are accountable expenses?

6. Can conference funds be received in advance of attending the conference?

7. Can a student apply for reimbursement after attending a conference?

8. When are the deadlines?

9. What constitutes a complete application?

10. Do I have to submit the application online?

11. Who chooses the grant winners?

12. How do I get the software to Edit and Save PDF forms?



1. About the GSC Conference and Summer Research Grants

The Graduate Student Council offers Conference Grants to GSAS students to facilitate attendance of conferences and symposia in their area of study. Conference Grants are intended to help cover some of the accountable expenses incurred while attending conferences.


Summer Research Grants of up to $1000 are available for students doing research during the summer vacation period. Summer Research Grants are given as a stipend and do not require receipts.


Conference Grants work on a reimbursement basis and require submission of original receipts to the GSC Treasurer. 

Any GSAS student enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program is eligible to apply for GSC Conference and Summer Research Grants. Candidates must be in good standing, and in the case of the GSC Conference Grant, conferences attended must be in the academic or intimately related field of the applicant.


Applicants must have paid the Graduate Student Council Fee.


The applicant's department must be represented by the designated department representative(s) at 50% of the GSC meetings during each semester of the academic year. In other words, for a GSAS student to qualify for a GSC Grant, that student's department must be represented at two or more GSC meetings each semester. It is the applicant's responsibility to ascertain the representation status of his/her department. A list of departmental representation will be available on the GSC web page. Although each GSC officer is a member of a department, the GSC officer shall not be considered as the department representative; another individual must be designated as the department representative.

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3. Can more than one student from a single department apply for a grant?

Yes. But no more than three students from a single department may receive awards for Conference and Research Grants in a single academic year.

Conference Grants cover up to 70% of an applicant's accountable expenses. The maximum Conference Grant per applicant is $1000.

Summer Research Grants are for up to $1000.

Amounts spent in excess of a Grant allocation, even if documented with original receipts, cannot be reimbursed. Amounts spent in accordance with a Grant allocation, but for which original receipts are not provided, cannot be reimbursed. 

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Transportation (by the most economical means available), lodging (excluding food), registration fees, and expenses related presenting a paper (photocopying, etc.) are all accountable. Restaurant bills, and costs related to personal advancement, such as copying and distribution of resumes, are not accountable expenses.

Any research expense which is related to a degree requirement is an allowable expense for Summer Research Grant applicants. This includes language training which is unavailable at Harvard but which is critical to the student's research. 

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No. A student may apply for a Grant in advance of the date of the conference, and receive a commitment of funding, but no funds will be disbursed until the student has provided the GSC Treasurer with original receipts for expenses incurred. The student must also file a substantial summary of his/her participation in the conference.

Funds for Summer Research Grants will be available at the end of the Spring semester. At the end of the research period, the recipient must provide both a copy of any paper produced, and a substantial summary of what was achieved. 

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Yes. A student may apply retroactively but the application must be received by the GSC no more than six weeks after the date of the beginning of the conference. For conference held over the summer period, students who attend conference after July 1 may apply retroactively for the Fall Conference Grant round.

The GSC strongly encourages applicants to plan in advance and to try to secure funding in advance of their conferences. 

*** Note that the GSC does not accept retroactive Summer Research Grants


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For the 2007-08 academic year, the deadlines to submit Conference and Summer Research Grant Applications Are:

Deadlines are all 5pm Eastern Time. For more information, see the Conference and Summer Research Grant Application Procedure page of the GSC Website.

Completed applications must be received at the GSC Office by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the deadline date. The GSC accepts no responsibility for lost or delayed applications or supporting material. 


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1. A GSC Conference Grant Application PDF Form or Summer Research Grant Application PDF Form, dowloaded from the GSC Website and submitted by uploading here.

Application information includes description of participation in the conference or of the importance of the summer research project, and a detailed budget of expenses anticipated and/or incurred, including other sources of funding and support, if any.

2. For both Conference and Summer Research Grants, the GSC requires one letter of recommendation from a faculty member which refers specifically to the relevance of the conference or research project for the applicant's academic progress and career. There is no specific letter of recommendation form. PDF, Microsoft Word, and Plain Text files are accepted. Faculty can upload letters of recommendation here.

For a complete list of instructions, see the Grant Applications Procedure page

All materials will be kept confidential.


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10. Do I have to submit the application online?

Yes. Given the sheer number of applications, the selection committee needs all application files to be submitted electronically to allow for timely review. Paper submissions will not be considered. There will be office hours during the week of each grant deadline, and students are urged to plan ahead if they anticipate needing technological assistance. An important note: In order to save entries and successfully submit the PDF forms, it is necessary to use Adobe Acrobat Professional, which is available to the Harvard community free of charge from the FAS computing services website. In case of unresolvable technological difficulties, the committee will consider PDF attachments sent to harvardgsc@gmail.com, but students are asked not to send duplicate materials unless specifically requested.

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The GSC Conference and Research Grant Selection Committee meets approximately 15 days after the application deadline to determine the merit of each applicant.

The Selection Committee is composed of a GSC officer (chair), two GSAS Deans, one faculty member, and one member from the Council at large. The members of the committee vary from round to round.

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You will need Adobe Acrobat Professional to Edit and Save your form for upload. This software is available for free for all Harvard Students, accessible with your Harvard PIN. Click Here for instructions.


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