Student requests for funding

Each year, the CS department receives a large number of requests from students to fund activities and initiatives. To help us respond fairly to these requests, we are standardizing the way in which these requests are collected.

If you are interested in being considered for funding, please fill out the department's Google form to help us gather this information. You will be asked to provide a brief rationale for your request, and an estimated budget. You will also be asked to share photos and provide a write-up upon your return or at the conclusion of the event. This information may be shared on the department's website, Facebook page, or in reports to the upper administration. We will process reimbursements after we receive your materials.

Please understand that applying for funding does not guarantee funding. We have very limited funds that we can allocate to these requests, and we do the best we can to allocate them fairly. Priority is given to:

• Students who are nearing the end of their program
• Students who have no other or limited other sources of funding support
• Students who have not requested funding from the department before
• Students who submit their requests with significant notice
• (In the case of travel/conferences) Students who are requesting support to fund an experience that will be transformative or contribute greatly to their overall academic program, and represents an extraordinary experience they cannot get at Tufts

In the case of travel and/or conferences: To assess the value of the experience you are seeking support for, the department will consult your academic advisor and/or your research advisor (if applicable) to determine whether the conference is considered credible and if it is a good fit for you at this time. You should contact them in advance of submitting a request to the department. Students seeking funding to attend a technical conference are expected to have some involvement in the conference; for example, having been accepted to a mentoring workshop or a student volunteer program, having a poster or paper accepted in the conference, or otherwise being part of the organizing committee.

Lastly, funding requests for travel must be submitted at least four weeks in advance to allow enough lead time to purchase reasonably-priced flights and, where possible, lower rates on conference registrations.