Travel
Debenedetti Travel Award for Professional Development
The Debenedetti fund is sponsoring graduate travel awards to support the travel of chemical engineering graduate students. These awards are allocated by the Graduate Student Advisory Board (GSAB) for $1,000. 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, after the event (e.g., conference, workshop) has taken place, we require that all recipients submit a letter to Professor Debenedetti detailing how attending the event supports research/career endeavors.
Eligibility
Applicants 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, workshop, or other professional development event must occur after the notification deadline (see below for eligible travel events for each cycle). 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:
- Cover letter (≤ 1 page) that explains how the event advances your professional development, research visibility, or career exploration. Include in this document:
- Event (e.g. Workshop, Conference) details (i.e. name, date, location, website).
- A rough cost breakdown (transport, lodging, registration). It’s fine if projected costs exceed $1,000; the award can only cover up to $1,000.
- 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 submit the application materials to the application form linked in the announcement email and reach out to cheme-gsab@mit.edu if you have any trouble submitting the materials.
| Application Deadline |
Notification Deadline |
Eligible Travel Events |
|
| Fall 2026 Cycle | October 4 | October 18 | November 1, 2026 – April 30, 2027 |
| Spring 2027 Cycle | TBD | TBD | May 1, 2027 – October 31, 2027 |
Review Procedure
Each application will be independently evaluated by a panel of GSAB members. Proposals are reviewed on the basis of the following criteria:
- 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 Debenedetti Travel Award, this should be noted.
- Indicate how the event presents a great opportunity for professional growth.
- Proximity to graduation and prior conference experience are considered.
- Degree to which the event will (1) enhance the academic experience of the applicant and/or their research, (2) expand the applicant’s professional network with other leading scholars or institutions, (3) support the applicant’s career goals.
- Extent to which travel to the event is currently unfunded.
- Proximity of the applicant to graduation and their prior conference experience.
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.