To apply for departmental funds:

1. Students should write a letter of application, addressed to the Director of Graduate Studies, co-signed by a faculty member.
   • The letters should include a brief explanation of the nature of the conference, a brief explanation of your paper or other reason for attending, as well as a budget for airfare, gas/rental expenses, hotel charges, etc.  Please also include the invitation to present or to attend an interview. Your PID must be included at the bottom of the letter.
2. The online travel request, with the letter of application included, should be submitted by late February for Spring 2025. Applications submitted after the deadlines may be considered but funding would not be guaranteed. (No hard copy of the application is required)
3. Upon approval by Director for Graduate Studies, and Graduate Student Services Manager will ensure delivery of the approved amount to the student via their Student Account.

Priority will go to those student presenters who have not previously received this type of support from the Department.  Applications accepted and awards made September through April, based on availability of funding.

The Graduate School also offers Graduate Transportation Grants to assist with travel to academic conferences and professional meetings. In 2024-2025, these grants offer up to $1400 for domestic travel and $3000 for foreign travel. Application instructions may be found here. Students are encouraged to apply for Graduate School grants before applying for departmental funds. Applications for departmental funds will be considered more competitive if they include proof of a prior application for the Graduate School Transportation Grant.

The GPSF can also provide travel funding to students who have exhausted other resources. **Please keep in mind the UNC Travel Policies and Exceptions before you make any travel arrangements. Consistent with UNC System guidance, ROMS is prohibiting University-affiliated international travel. For graduate students applying for departmental travel funds, exceptions to this travel restriction can only be granted by the Provost, using the process outlined on the Graduate Student Research Travel Exceptions webpage. For more information, view Graduate Student Research Travel Exceptions – Student Instructions.

• McCulloch Dissertation Research Travel Fellowship for French (2 awards; $5000 each) (Note that the McCulloch Fellowship may be used in any French-speaking country.)
• Dana B. Drake Research Travel Fellowship for Spanish ($2,000)
• Isabella Payne Cooper Dissertation Research Fellowship for Italian ($2,000)

Candidates should first consider the appropriateness for their research of a Graduate School Fellowship. Applicants should submit a two-page statement describing the nature of the project, time frame, estimated expenses, and other pertinent details.  The letter, addressed to the Graduate Advisory Committee, should be submitted electronically by March 15th at 4:45pm. Winners of these Departmental awards will be notified about one week after the Graduate School announces its awards. At the end of the award period, a one-page report must be filed with the Chair of Romance Studies. It should account for both the expenditure of the allotted funds and state what the award helped the student accomplish. *Please note, these awards are flexible and can be used to support a wide variety of research projects. Please don’t hesitate to contact the DGS and/or GSSM with any questions.

• Guthrie-Buchan Summer Fellowship for Spanish (1 award; $2,800)
• Professor J. M. Polo de Bernabé Memorial Summer Research Award for Spanish (1 award; $5,000)
• Hardré Summer Award for French (1 award; $5,000)
• VanderWolk Summer Grant for French (1 award; $2,000) 
• Falvo Summer Award for Italian (1 award; $1,000)

The stipend may be used to fund travel for research purposes but is intended primarily to provide financial support for a sustained period of research and writing free from employment. *Note: Students who teach during the Summer Sessions are still eligible to apply, but priority in selection will be given to students who are not receiving any additional funding. Examples of eligible projects include but are not limited to a dissertation chapter, an article for publication, or a digital humanities project. To apply: Please submit a 2-page description of the project to be accomplished during the summer award period, including a statement of how completing this project will contribute to the applicant’s development as a scholar. Please address your application to the Graduate Advisory Committee and submit it via the online award application by March 15, 2024. Selection criteria include the quality and feasibility of the proposed project, its relevance to the applicant’s development as a scholar, and the applicant’s academic standing in the program. Awardees will be required to submit a 1-page report on their accomplishments during the award period by September 1, 2023. *Please note, these awards are flexible and can be used to support a wide variety of research projects. Please don’t hesitate to contact the DGS and/or GSSM with any questions.

1. Expand and develop a graduate course essay into a full-length article to submit for journal publication by the first day of Fall 2024. A winning proposal will entail significant additional research in primary and/or secondary sources. The student will consult a faculty mentor as they prepare their manuscript for submission. This opportunity for guidance through the publication process provides important professional development. Successful publication will add an important distinction to the student’s CV as they compete for other research fellowships and eventually go on the job market.
2. Enroll in a summer graduate program, either domestically or abroad, that complements the student’s intended field of study.

Eligibility: Candidates must be pre-ABD at the time of application. Guidelines: By March 15, candidates should submit an online application that reflects the proposed project, as described above.

1. Submit a 200-word abstract of the expanded research project, a 200-word explanation of the additional research to be completed, the name of the peer-reviewed journal they would like to submit to, and the signature of the faculty mentor.
2. Submit a one-page description of the selected program and a rationale for its relevance to your intended field.

Criteria: Decisions will be made by the Italian Graduate Faculty and will be based on the quality and feasibility of the proposal. When all else is equal, preference will be given to candidates who do not have other summer support and who have not received research support previously. *Recipient will submit a report or reflection by September 1 about their summer accomplishments or experiences.

• have distinguished themselves both as a student and as a teacher or mentor to undergraduate students in a classroom or research setting while at UNC;
• must have completed at least three semesters of graduate study in the College of Arts & Sciences; and will most likely complete degree requirements and graduate within the next four semesters;
• must be a full-time student at the time of nomination and plan to be a full-time student in AY 2024-25;
• should currently be actively involved in research and/or teaching, and will be active in one or both in AY 2024-25.

Guidelines: To apply, candidates should submit an online application that includes:

1. A brief (1-page) description of the student’s academic performance and progress toward degree completion, including stage of the dissertation;
2. 1-page description of the student’s teaching and mentoring excellence;
3. a brief (1 paragraph) description of the student’s likely future contribution to the discipline or chosen area of study;
4. Curriculum Vitae

5. Letter of Nomination from a faculty member (2 pages maximum)
Please provide the link below to your faculty nominator to submit their nomination:
https://romancestudies.unc.edu/recommendation-letter/

Please address your application to the Graduate Advisory Committee and submit it via the online award application by March 15. Awardee will be required to submit a 1-page report on his/her accomplishments during the award period by September 1.