Graduate Student Leadership Committee (GSLC) Travel Funding

If you are attending the Annual Meeting

1. You are eligible for $700 funding support as a travel reimbursement. $350 is provided by your Regional Chapter, Special Interest Group, or Specialty Section, and matching funds are provided by SOT.*
2. Your status as a GSLC representative will be officially confirmed with the officers of each group.
3. You must confirm with SOT Headquarters that you are planning to attend the meeting.
4. You must be a current SOT Member. If your membership dues have not yet been paid, this amount will be deducted from the funds and your membership will be renewed.
5. These funds will be provided as a check from SOT and distributed at the GSLC meeting on-site at the Annual Meeting; you must be present at the GSLC meeting at the Annual Meeting to receive the check.
6. SOT considers these funds as a reimbursement for travel; however, you do not need to submit expense records to SOT. You may want to discuss any tax implications with your tax advisor.
7. You must make all of your own arrangements for the meeting, including registration, housing, and travel.

*Certain restrictions apply, which are detailed below.

1. Postdoctorates are not eligible for representative support. If you complete your PhD before the January that precedes the Annual Meeting, you must step down from your position as a graduate student representative and do not qualify for these funds.
2. The GSLC Chair and GSLC Subcommittee Chairs are ineligible for component group funding as they are no longer graduate student component group representatives. All funding ($700) will be provided by SOT.
3. Only one student per lab (i.e., same institution and same advisor) may receive funding as a Regional Chapter, Special Interest Group, or Specialty Section representative. If there is more than one representative in a lab, even if one belongs to a RC and another to a SIG or SS, the more senior representative (who was appointed to their position first) will receive the funding. All else being equal, the representatives may discuss with their advisor and SOT to determine who shall receive the funding.
4. A student may only receive ONE form of national travel support in any given year. If you are receiving Graduate Travel support, travel funding for interviewing for a graduate fellowship, or for any other national SOT travel award program, you may not also receive the GSLC travel funds. Note: This restriction applies only to national SOT travel awards. This policy does not extend to any Regional Chapter, Special Interest Group, or Specialty Section awards, so you can apply for any of those which you are eligible and accept any of those if you are selected, in addition to the one SOT national award.
5. If you are eligible for more than one national SOT travel support funding, you may select which funds you would prefer to receive. Note that GSLC travel funds are available to representatives every year in which they serve on a committee.

If you are not attending the Annual Meeting

1. Your RC/SIG/SS may designate an alternate graduate student to attend and receive the funds in your place (restrictions above will also apply). Postdocs are not eligible to receive these funds as an alternate.
2. This alternate must be a member of SOT and should also belong to the relevant RC/SIG/SS. They are not obligated to attend the GSLC meeting or take over the representative’s duties in any way.