Travel funding is intended primarily for PhD students presenting research papers in their areas of specialization at professional conferences.

Funding may also be considered for:

• Presenting a poster
• Serving as a commentator
• Participating in specialized summer schools related to your research

Preference is given to students presenting papers. Funding is generally not available simply to attend a conference, network or chair a conference session. Pasted text

Students may receive up to:

• $1,200 per trip
• $2,000 per fiscal year, July 1 through June 30
• $10,000 total during their time in the program

These figures are maximums, not guaranteed funding amounts. Requests are reviewed individually and may be approved in full, partially approved or denied based on the nature of the request and available funding. 

Students must submit a travel pre-approval request through Concur at least 60 days before travel.

When completing your request:

1. Select Start a Request under the Create tab in Concur.
2. List the department chair as the approver in the request header. Concur will route the request for the required departmental approvals.
3. List UBF as the funding account source. If available as an option, list the William Baumer Memorial Fund as the funding source. Department staff will enter the appropriate account information.
4. Provide a detailed justification explaining:
   • Conference or event name, dates and location
   • Organizing body
   • Your role, such as paper presenter or poster presenter
   • Title of your presentation
   • How participating supports your research
   • Expected transportation, lodging and registration expenses
5. Attach a copy of the conference program.

Students should provide enough detail for reviewers to understand the purpose and value of the proposed travel. 

Some expenses may be paid directly by the department before travel so students do not have to pay out of pocket and wait for reimbursement.

Department staff may be able to pay airfare and conference registration fees in advance. Lodging cannot be paid this way, so students must pay lodging expenses themselves and request reimbursement after traveling. Pasted text

Students should coordinate with department staff before making arrangements if they would like eligible expenses paid in advance.

Students receiving reimbursement must assign members of the College of Arts and Sciences Travel Team as delegates in Concur. The Travel Team prepares the expense report on the student's behalf.

After traveling:

1. Save all receipts for expenses for which you are requesting reimbursement.
2. Send the required documentation, including a copy of the conference program, to cas-reimbursement-procurement@buffalo.edu within 30 days of travel.
3. The CAS Travel Team will prepare your expense report in Concur.
4. When notified that the report is ready, review it and select Submit Report.
5. After receiving your reimbursement, send the Director of Graduate Studies confirmation of the final amount reimbursed along with a brief report about your conference experience.

Students should not create their own expense reports. Students are responsible for submitting their own travel pre-approval requests, but the CAS Travel Team prepares reimbursement reports. Pasted text

Your expense report should include only expenses for which you are requesting reimbursement. If the department paid airfare or registration directly, those expenses should not be included as reimbursement requests. 

The process is different for summer travel because state-funded PhD students generally are not considered UB employees during the summer and may not have access to Concur.

Students traveling during the summer should submit the department's travel funding request form to the Director of Graduate Studies for pre-approval rather than using Concur. Students should also coordinate with department staff about reimbursement procedures.

Students should not use the departmental form when they are eligible to use Concur. Pasted text

Students must be in good academic standing to receive departmental travel funding. Departmental citizenship may also be considered when travel assistance decisions are made. Pasted text

Departmental citizenship includes active participation in the intellectual and community life of the department, including attending departmental events and contributing to departmental activities.

Departmental graduate travel funding is supported primarily through private gifts and bequests from former UB Philosophy faculty.

The William Baumer Memorial Fund is the primary source of graduate student travel support. Funds established through gifts from former faculty members including Peter Hare and George Hourani may also support travel when permitted by the terms of those funds. Because these funds are invested and their use is restricted, the amount available can vary from year to year.

Graduate students may also be eligible for travel support through the Graduate Student Association.

Faculty members with external research grants may also be able to support graduate student travel related to their projects. Students interested in grant-funded travel should contact the faculty member responsible for the grant. 

The Peter Hare Award for Best Overall Paper recognizes outstanding graduate student scholarship in any area of philosophy other than ethics.

Any paper or stand-alone dissertation chapter written by a UB Philosophy graduate student and completed during the previous academic year may be considered.

Papers co-authored by UB graduate students are eligible, although the prize money is divided among the student authors. Papers co-authored with faculty members are not eligible.

Faculty nominate papers for the award. Students do not need to submit a separate application.

The department may choose not to award the prize in a particular year and prize amounts may vary based on available funding. 

The Peter Hare Department Citizenship Award recognizes a graduate student who makes exceptional contributions to the intellectual and community life of the Department of Philosophy.

Faculty and staff nominate students for the award.

Examples of departmental citizenship include:

• Attending and participating in department events
• Helping organize graduate or faculty conferences
• Giving or attending departmental philosophy talks
• Supporting undergraduate activities and mentoring undergraduate students
• Helping faculty or staff strengthen department programs and activities
• Meeting or communicating with prospective graduate students
• Promoting Philosophy programs to prospective students
• Representing the Department of Philosophy in university activities or interdisciplinary programs
• Contributing constructively to courses and the broader intellectual community

The award includes a cash prize.

The George Hourani Award for Best Paper in Ethics recognizes outstanding graduate student scholarship in ethics.

Any paper or stand-alone dissertation chapter in ethics written by a UB Philosophy graduate student and completed during the previous academic year may be considered.

Papers co-authored by UB graduate students are eligible, with prize money divided among the student authors. Papers co-authored with faculty members are not eligible.

Faculty nominate papers for the award. Students do not submit a separate application.

The department may choose not to award the prize in a particular year and prize amounts may vary based on available funding.

The Patrick and Edna Romanell Award for Philosophical Work in Naturalism recognizes outstanding graduate work in naturalism, broadly construed.

Any paper or dissertation written by a UB Philosophy graduate student and completed during the previous academic year may be considered.

Papers co-authored by UB graduate students are eligible, with prize money divided among the student authors. Papers co-authored with faculty members are not eligible.

Faculty nominate work for the award.

The department may choose not to award the prize in a particular year and prize amounts may vary based on available funding.

The Thomas Perry Dissertation Award recognizes the best Philosophy dissertation defended during the previous year.

The Outstanding TA or RA Award recognizes a graduate student each year for exceptional work as a teaching assistant or research assistant.

The Outstanding Graduate Instructor Award recognizes excellence in independent teaching by a graduate student.

The award has traditionally recognized one graduate student each year. It is currently on hold because changes in undergraduate enrollment have reduced opportunities for graduate students to teach their own courses during the regular academic year. Graduate students continue to teach online courses during summer and winter sessions, but the department notes that these formats make consistent teaching observation more difficult.