CERS awards travel grants to UCLA graduate students who will be presenting conference papers with a European or Russian focus. Students are eligible to receive up to $1,000 in travel funds over the course of two academic years, and may apply for funding if their departmental sources have already been exhausted. Conference paper abstracts must demonstrate how the applicant's project will advance knowledge of European or Russian societies, histories, or cultures with a focus on the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

Each academic year, CERS holds three separate competitions, corresponding to the following conference periods: Fall conferences taking place between September and December; Winter conferences taking place between January and March; and Spring/Summer conferences taking place between April and August.

Apply here.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Applications for each conference period (Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer) are accepted on a rolling basis. The application can be found here.

HOW TO APPLY

All elements of the fellowship application are online and must be submitted by the advertised deadline. Letters of recommendation must also be submitted online by the advertised deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. Any elements to be uploaded should be in DOC or PDF format, with the file extension appended.

1. Airfare estimate: documented estimate from an airline, travel website, or UCLA Travel Services.
   
   
2. Abstract (no more than 400 words): provide a title and description of your conference paper. Must demonstrate how your project will advance knowledge of European or Russian societies, histories, or cultures (if this is not self-evident from the abstract, please ensure that you have addressed it in a few additional sentences).
   
   
3. Confirmation of paper acceptance (no more than 4 pages): conference program or other proof (e.g. email from conference organizers) that your paper has been accepted for inclusion in the conference.
   
   
4. Letter of recommendation: include one (1) letter from your advisor or committee chair. The letter should briefly address the rationale for the recommender's endorsement of the student's participation in the conference.
   The recommendation must be submitted through the online system by the advertised deadline. The applicant will provide the name and contact information of the recommender in the online application; once the application has been submitted, the recommender will receive an automated email from the system, instructing him/her where and how to upload the recommendation. Applicants should therefore ensure that they submit the application well in advance of the advertised deadline, and that they have provided the correct contact information for the recommender (bouncebacks from incorrectly-entered email addresses will not be registered, and CERS staff are unable to keep track of this and alert the applicant). Applicants should advise their recommender to check his/her "spam" folder for automated messages from the system before contacting CERS for assistance with uploading the recommendation.

Click here for a completed sample application.

FELLOWSHIP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• CERS travel grants may only be used to cover the cost of airfare. They do not cover conference registration fees, accommodation/hotel costs, or ground transportation costs.
  
  
• CERS travel grants are intended for students whose departmental conference and/or travel funds have been exhausted. Please check funding availability through your home department before starting an application for CERS travel funds.
  
  
• All application materials must be submitted online by the advertised deadline. Any materials submitted in hard copy or via email will not be accepted or reviewed. Applicants or recommenders who encounter problems submitting materials through the online application site should get in touch with Technical Assistance directly at the contact below.
  
  
• Grantees will be reimbursed for airfare and will not receive travel funds in advance of the conference. Once travel has been completed, grantees must submit proof of payment (e.g. e-ticket or passenger receipt with form of payment clearly indicated; or a redacted credit card statement with conference airfare highlighted) via email to lgrancea@international.ucla.edu. Allow two (2) weeks of processing time once you have submitted proof of payment.
  
  

 CONTACT

• Grant information and application procedures: Liana Grancea, CERS Executive Director, lgrancea@international.ucla.edu or 310-825-8030.

• Technical assistance: cers@international.ucla.edu.