Travel
Dow Travel Award for Professional Development
The Dow Chemical Company is sponsoring graduate travel awards to support the travel of chemical engineering graduate students to present their research at a conference or participate in a workshop. These awards are allocated by the Graduate Student Advisory Board (GSAB) with a ceiling of $1000. The primary purpose of these awards is to promote professional development and career exploration.
Award recipients will submit receipts for registration fees and travel expenses to GSAB for reimbursement. In addition, we require that all recipients submit a letter of appreciation for Dow’s generosity in funding these awards.
Eligibility
Students must be pursuing a graduate degree in Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and must be registered at MIT for the term during which the award will be used. The conference or workshop must occur after the notification deadline. Students are able to receive the award one time, however students are eligible to apply multiple times.
Application
Students must complete the award application materials comprised of the following:
- Detailed cover letter explaining how the workshop or conference will contribute to professional growth or career exploration (include workshop/conference details: name of conference, date, location, website, anticipated costs). Preference will be given to students who use the cover letter to demonstrate significant financial need; in particular, if attending a conference or workshop will not be possible without the assistance of the Dow Travel Award, this should be noted. Further, preference will also be given to students whose letter indicates with specificity how the conference or workshop presents a great opportunity for professional growth. Proximity to graduation and prior conference experience will be considered.
- CV or resume
- Conferences: Copy of abstract submitted to conference (If you haven’t submitted an abstract yet, a draft of what you will submit is acceptable.)
Please email the application materials to cheme-gsab@mit.edu.
| Application Deadline | Notification Deadline | |
| Spring 2024 | February 9 | February 23 |
| Summer 2024 | May 10 | May 24 |
| Fall 2024 | September 13 | September 27 |
Review Procedure
Each application will be independently evaluated by a panel of GSAB members. Proposals are reviewed on the basis of the following criteria:
- The degree to which the activity will enhance the academic experience of the MIT graduate student and/or expand his/her networks of linkages with other leading scholars or institutions.
- The extent to which the research or conference travel is currently unfunded.
The Board is happy to offer feedback on applications which do not result in funding. Please contact cheme-gsab@mit.edu with questions regarding how applications could have been improved.