Faculty Travel Funding


University of Connecticut Research Foundation (UCRF) Travel Funds and the University Professional Development Funds (UNIV) as part of the Contract Agreement with the American Association of University Professors are available to support travel to domestic or international professional societies directly associated with a faculty member's research.

UCRF travel funds are specifically for faculty who are "actively participating" in domestic or international meetings of professional societies. Individuals who are actively participating must meet the eligibility requirements for both the UCRF and UNIV funds. UNIV travel funds are available for faculty, as members of the AAUP bargaining unit, who wish to attend a domestic or international meeting of a professional society or editorial board with the requirement of "active participation." The UNIV fund also supports travel to attend short course, workshop or colloquium pertinent to research objectives that will enable faculty to learn a technique valuable for a specific research program as well as to enhance professional duties without the criteria of "active participation."

Online Travel Form

UCRF and UNIV Travel Award for "Active Participation"


  • Fiscal Year Maximum: UCRF $750 FY/Max and UNIV $1,100 FY/Max for a total of $1,850 per fiscal year. Awards for "active participation" may be drawn from both UCRF and UNIV funds within the travel guidelines.
  • Purpose: To support travel for faculty members who are "actively participating" in domestic or international meetings of professional societies. Individuals who are actively participating must meet the eligibility requirements for both the UCRF and UNIV funds.
  • Definition - Active Participation: In conjunction with a conference, presentation of a research paper or poster session, chairmanship of a research session, discussant on a symposium panel, participant in a gallery opening, solo, choral, orchestral, musical, and dance performances. Travel may be domestic or international.
  • Eligibility: Eligible individuals include faculty member(s), as members of the UNIV bargaining unit, whose promotion and tenure are directly tied to research scholarship and, thus, to the presentation of that scholarship. Ineligible individuals for the UCRF portion of the funding include: Regular Visiting, Adjunct and Lecturers. Special categories of eligibility: Tenure-track faculty appointed as Visiting (or equivalent)while visa issues are being resolved are eligible for funding. Lecturers who are teaching two or more courses and have done so for each semester of the past two years qualify for UNIV funds.
  • Criteria & Eligible Expenses
    The following citeria will be used to calculate the eligible award amounts:
    • 50% Airfare (Junior faculty are eligible for 100% Airfare)**
    • 100% Mileage from duty station or home (whichever is less) to airport, train or bus station
    • 100% Airport, train or bus station transfer to/from hotel or conference site
    • In lieu of airfare 100% bus or train fare. Further, use of personal car (one round trip only) will be reimbursed at the federal mileage rate (not exceeding reasonable air, bus, or train fare).* (e.g. mileage reimbursement calculates to $600.00. Comparable current airfare is $400.00. As per 50% air guideline, $200.00 will be awarded.)
    • 100% Registration fee
    • Meals & Lodging ($150 max per trip). (Junior faculty are eligible for additional Meals & Lodging)**

    *Reasonable air, bus, or train fare is defined as the cost of a standard advance purchase air ticket, Greyhound bus fare or Amtrak train fare. Mileage will be dtermined at the federal rate. Car rental and parking are not reimbursed.

    **Remaining 50% of the airfare and total Meals & Lodging is available for junior faculty members who are actively participating in a scholarly meeting associated with a conference. Junior faculty members must be within the first five years of appointment to the University, in a tenure-track position with a rank no higher than Assistant Professor. Date of appointment to the University must be noted on the web-based application.

  • Application Deadline
    Applications for retroactive trips will not be processed. NO EXCEPTIONS. In addition, total travel awards for trips that have already taken place will not be increased. In order to facilitate timely processing of travel awards and the orderly closing of the fiscal year by the appropriate offices of the University, we will adhere to fiscal year deadlines.

UNIV Travel Awards for "Attending Only or Short-Course/Workshop"


  • Fiscal Year Maximum: $1,100 for attending either a conference or a short course/workshop.
  • Purpose: To support travel for UNIV Bargaining Unit members who wish to attend a domestic or international meeting of a professional society or editorial board without the requirement of "active participation". The fund also supports travel to attend a short-course, workshop or colloquium pertinent to research objectives that will enable faculty to learn a technique valuable for a specific research program as well as to enhance professional duties.
  • Eligibility: UNIV Bargaining Unit members only. In addition, Lecturers who are teaching two or more courses and have done so for each semester of the past two years qualify for UNIV funds.
  • Criteria & Eligible Expenses
    The following citeria will be used to calculate the eligible award amounts:
    • 50% Airfare (Junior faculty are eligible for 100% Airfare)**
    • 100% Mileage from duty station or home (whichever is less) to airport, train or bus station
    • 100% Airport, train or bus station transfer to/from hotel or conference site
    • In lieu of airfare 100% bus or train fare. Further, use of personal car (one round trip only) will be reimbursed at the federal mileage rate (not exceeding reasonable air, bus, or train fare).* (e.g. mileage reimbursement calculates to $600.00. Comparable current airfare is $400.00. As per 50% air guideline, $200.00 will be awarded.)
    • 100% Registration fee
    • Meals & Lodging ($150 max per trip). (Junior faculty are eligible for additional Meals & Lodging)**

    *Reasonable air, bus, or train fare is defined as the cost of a standard advance purchase air ticket, Greyhound bus fare or Amtrak train fare. Mileage will be determined at the federal rate. Car rental and parking are not reimbursed.

    **Remaining 50% of the airfare and total Meals & Lodging is available for junior faculty members who are actively participating in a scholarly meeting associated with a conference. Junior faculty members must be within the first five years of appointment to the University, in a tenure-track position with a rank no higher than Assistant Professor. Date of appointment to the University must be noted on the web-based application.

  • Application Deadline
    Applications for retroactive trips will not be processed. NO EXCEPTIONS. In addition, total travel awards for trips that have already taken place will not be increased. In order to facilitate timely processing of travel awards and the orderly closing of the fiscal year by the appropriate offices of the University, we will adhere to fiscal year deadlines.