SGS Conference Grant

Award Overview

Award Category: Doctoral Awards, Financial Assistance, Grants and Bursaries, In-Course Awards, International Awards, Master's Awards, Travel & Conference Awards
Student Deadline : Online application opens: Sept 2023. Online application closes for both students & supervisors: November 30, 2023, 4:30pm
Application Dates : Fall / Winter / Summer
Value & Duration : Variable (based on registration fee and location of event)
Level of Study : Doctoral, Master’s
Required Legal Status : Domestic / International
Results : Late-December / Early-June / Late-August

Student Deadline

Cycle	Open	Deadline	Eligible Conference date window	Results
Fall 2023	September 2023	November 30, 2023	August 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024	Late December
Winter 2024	January 2024	March 31, 2024	December 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024	Late April
Summer 2024	May 2024	July 31, 2024	April 1, 2024 – December 30, 2024	Late August

Value & Duration

The value of the SGS Conference Grant varies as it is based on the applicant’s minimum registration fee for the proposed conference. Location based top-ups may be available for in-person presentations requiring travel, depending on the availability of funds in any given application cycle. The SGS Conference Grant value is not impacted by other sources of support reported by the student on the application. Please note that the original letter of offer indicates the maximum value of the grant; any changes to destination or registration fee may result in a reassessment.

SGS Conference Grants are calculated using the following information from the completed online application:

Applicant’s minimum registration fee for the conference;
Location of conference (funds permitting); and
Number of eligible applicants per cycle.

The grant is not intended to provide dollar-for-dollar reimbursement for conference expenses. As such, transportation, accommodations, and other related expenses are not taken into consideration when determining grant values. Applicants are expected and encouraged to seek support from various other sources to supplement their travel and other related expenses.

NOTE: Grant recipients are responsible for adhering to the payment requirements of any other funding sources related to the same conference/travel (e.g., their Faculty, a supervisor’s grant, an external award agency). This includes retaining and submitting the same or potentially different documentation/receipts to other administrative offices.

Purpose

Eligibility

Students may apply for an SGS Conference Grant to support conference presentations occurring – either virtually or in-person

Note: For conferences requiring international travel, students are expected to have registered their travel dates with the U of T Safety Abroad Office prior to commencing a grant application – please refer to the Safety Abroad section below.

To apply candidates must:

Be a registered full-time graduate student, at the time of application and conference participation.
Be actively presenting their own research relevant to their current thesis;
If international travel is required, have registered their travel dates with Safety Abroad (before applying) – see the Safety Abroad section below;
Be presenting at a future conference no later than five months after the SGS Conference Grant deadline and no earlier than one month before the SGS Conference Grant cycle opens; and
Have not already received payment for a previous SGS Conference Grant for the same graduate degree (see exception for direct-entry or “fast-track” doctoral students under Maximum Support below).

Preference is given to students in the early stages of their program and registered within the program length required for their degree.

Maximum Support

Graduate students are eligible to collect one (1) SGS Conference Grant to support an in-person conference during their registration in a graduate degree program, and two (2) virtual conferences per graduate degree program. Exception: direct-entry or “fast-track” doctoral students are eligible to collect one (1) additional in-person SGS Conference Grants during their degree program for a maximum of two (2) in-person conferences per degree.

Safety Abroad

For students traveling internationally, including to travel to the U.S.A., please ensure you register your travel dates with Safety Abroad prior to commencing your grant application. For the most up to date information, refer to the Safety Abroad website.

Before travelling on university activity abroad, there are certain steps that you must complete.

Contact the Safety Abroad Office directly by emailing safety.abroad@utoronto.ca to discuss your planned travel and be added to the Safety Abroad Registry;
Sign the Consent and Terms of Participation waiver forms;
Complete the online Safety Abroad pre-departure workshop (valid for 1.5 years); and
Obtain supplementary health insurance (if not already covered).

Application Process

Before you apply: If your conference requires international travel students are expected to have registered their travel with Safety Abroad prior to commencing and application. You will be asked to upload your email confirmation.

Step 1 – Access the SGS Conference Grant Application

From the “Dashboard” click on “New Form ”, from the left menu then select “SGS Conference Grant Application”.

Complete all pages, review and hit the “Submit” button at the bottom of the “Review” page.

You will be asked to provide the following information:

Email confirmation of registration with Safety Abroad Office – if traveling internationally;
Supervisor/advisor’s email address (for the approval process), applicants who do not have a supervisor/advisor should ask their graduate unit for assistance in identifying an appropriate graduate faculty member who can approve the application;
Details of the academic conference (e.g., conference name, location, applicant’s minimum registration fee, website URL);
Details regarding the presentation (e.g., title, first author);
Date by which your supervisor/advisor must complete their portion of the application – ensure that this date is well before the appropriate cycle’s deadline (see Application Dates above); and
Proposed budget for the conference/travel (for information purposes only).

Step 2 – Supervisor/Advisor Portion

Once submitted, the identified supervisor/advisor will:

Receive an email with a web link that they must use in order to review and approve the application;
Be asked to review the application and confirm the following:
- applicant is in good academic standing;
- proposed academic conference is appropriate and necessary for the student to actively present their research at this time;
- applicant is actively presenting their own research related to their degree at the conference;
- minimum registration fee for the conference reported by the applicant is correct; and
- proposed funding from the applicant’s department/Faculty (if any) is correct, to the best of their knowledge (for information purposes only).

The supervisor/advisor will also need to review and hit the “Submit” button at the bottom of the “Review” page.

Step 3 – Confirmation Email

Once the supervisor/advisor has submitted their portion, the system will send a confirmation email to the applicant within 24 hours. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the details of the supervisor/advisor’s portion within their confirmation email.

Helpful application tips:

The application can be saved in draft form after completing the second page but will time out after two hours.
Review the application carefully before submitting; ensure all values are entered in Canadian dollars.
Verify the accuracy of their supervisor/advisor’s email address to ensure the application is sent to the correct email address for completion.
Notify their supervisor/advisor early, letting them know that the SGS Conference Grant application will require their approval, and advise them of the deadline.
Applicants are responsible for monitoring their application and contacting their supervisor/advisor if necessary to ensure that they complete their portion before the SGS Conference Grant deadline
Revising your application: the application cannot be modified directly after submission, however, applicants can request their application be unsubmitted and returned to the “Draft” form and then re-submit
1. Contact conferencegrant@utoronto.ca to request the application be unsubmitted. This will return you application to the Draft form.
2. Once it’s returned to “Draft”, go to the “My Forms” page of the SGS Forms Tool
3. Find the SGS Conference Grant Application “Draft”
4. Make your necessary edits and submit the application; and
5. Notify your supervisor that they will need to complete their portion of the resubmitted application before the application deadline.

Results

All applicants will receive an email with their result via their U of T email address.
Successful applicants will receive information regarding the offer value and the terms and conditions of the grant.
NOTE: Once results have been distributed, the value of an offer cannot be increased.

Additional Info

1. What is an “academic conference”?

For the purposes of this grant, an “academic conference” means that the:

Abstract/poster submissions are peer reviewed before acceptance is granted;
Conference is sponsored by a scholarly association/society, university or institution.

Due to the high number of applicants, a limited amount of funds to allocate within each application cycle, and to better manage expectations, only academic conferences are eligible for the SGS Conference Grant.

2. What does “active participation” require?

Successful applicants must actively present their research (relevant to their current degree program) as a poster presenter or speaker/member of a panel/roundtable.

3. Can I present at a conference virtually (online/remotely)?

Yes! Virtual presentations will be eligible for the registration fee portion only.

4. Can I apply for more than one conference?

Eligible students may submit one application in support of one conference within each cycle.

5. When is the right time to apply?

SGS Conference Grant application cycles will now be available three times throughout the year (see Application Dates above).

6. Why are Safety Abroad procedures mandatory for in-person conferences?

U of T Safety Abroad supports students and the University community by:

Offering students support in understanding risks associated with the location of their international activity and working with students to develop measures to mitigate those risks;
Monitoring situations abroad and advising students on any emerging issues;
Providing emergency support when regional or personal emergencies arise.

Safety Abroad procedures are mandatory for all U of T students travelling outside of Canada, including to the U.S.A., and must be completed before the travel occurs, regardless of receiving SGS Conference Grant support (see Safety Abroad above).

7. What if I don’t complete Safety Abroad procedures before my travel?

Travel that is conducted for in-person conferences without prior completion of all Safety Abroad requirements would render students ineligible. Email conferencegrant@utoronto.ca to explain your situation.

8. If I am eligible, am I guaranteed the grant?

Due to the high number of applicants and limited amount of funds to allocate within each application cycle, and to better manage expectations, preference will be given to students who are in the early stages of their program. SGS Conference Grants are typically not awarded to students who are beyond the program length required for their degree (see Eligibility above).

9. Can I receive more than one SGS Conference Grant?

Eligible students may receive one in-person SGS Conference Grant per graduate degree program and two virtual conference grants per degree program (master’s-doctoral) “Fast-track” and direct-entry doctoral students may receive 2 in-person grants max) (see Eligibility above).

10. What if I am attending multiple conferences this year?

Eligible students may submit one application in support of one conference within each cycle.

After receiving the result of their application, successful applicants may request to apply their grant to a different conference from the one they initially proposed (see Changing Conference below).

11. What if the registration fee for my conference is not available yet?

Since the amount of the conference’s registration fee is needed in order to calculate successful applicants’ offers, applicants should try to obtain the previous year’s registration fee as an estimated amount to state in their application.

In order to collect the payment, successful applicants will need to provide a receipt showing the paid registration fee amount, along with the other required documentation (see Payment Activation below).

12. Can I collect the payment before I attend the conference?

The payment may be collected in advance of the conference if successful applicants are able to obtain and submit all of the required documentation before the conference occurs (see Payment Activation below).

13. Can I use other funding to attend my conference?

As this grant provides modest financial support, applicants are expected and encouraged to seek support from various other sources in order to supplement their travel and other related expenses. The SGS Conference Grant value is not impacted by other sources of support (see Value & Duration above).

14. What if I can’t attend the conference I proposed in my application?

After receiving the result of their application, successful applicants may request to apply their grant to a different conference from the one they initially proposed (see Changing Conference below).

Applicants may also choose to decline their current offer and apply again in the next SGS Conference Grant application cycle, provided they will still meet the eligibility and payment collection requirements (see Eligibility and Safety Abroad above, Payment Activation below).

15. What if I don’t know my UTORid and password?

UTORids are located on students’ TCards. Students can activate their UTORid and/or reset their password through the Information Commons Help Desk.

16. What if I don’t know or have a Supervisor/Advisor

For the purposes of this grant, the supervisor/advisor identified on the application must be a faculty member who currently holds graduate faculty membership at U of T and is familiar with the applicant’s current progress within their program

Award Holder Information

Payment Activation

Grant recipients must request payment of their grant funds within 30 days of the conference presentation taking place or date of the SGS Conference Grant Offer letter, if the conference has already occurred upon notification of the results.

Please note that the original letter of offer indicates the maximum value of the grant based on the original information provided in the application. Changes to the reported conference registration fee or location may result in a reassessment and subsequent reduction of the grant if the change is significant.

Required documents:

A completed online SGS Conference / Research Travel Grant – Payment Activation (instructions below).
Proof of Safety Abroad requirements (if travelling outside of Canada)
Proof of conference presentation – must include the student’s name, their presentation (abstract/poster) title, conference name, and location.
- Acceptable proof include: PDF printout of the program or agenda from the conference organizer’s website (“Print to PDF” using internet browser); or official certificate of participation as a presenter (not just an attendee) from conference organizer displaying all required information.
Registration fee invoice showing the amount paid – must include the student’s name, registration amount, conference name, and location.
- Acceptable proof include: E-receipt issued by the conference organizer; or PDF printout of organization’s website displaying registration fee amount and email confirmation of registration from conference organizer.

Please allow two to three weeks for payment through ACORN, upon submission of a completed SGS Conference / Research Travel Grant Payment Activation Form and all required documents.

Instructions

Students awarded an SGS Conference Grant must complete and submit the online SGS Conference / Research Travel Grant Payment Activation Form in order to accept and activate their payment. Supporting documentation must be uploaded to the form before it is submitted. Once submitted, the form and documentation will be reviewed within two to three weeks. Once all required documentation has been submitted to SGS, the payment will be processed through the recipient’s ACORN account. Any arrears (unpaid balance from the previous academic year) must be fully cleared in order for the grant payment to be processed.

Step 1. Access the SGS Forms Tool website

Click “Proceed to Login”, Select “Log in with UTORid / JOINid” button. Recipients must log on using their UTORid and password.

Step 2. Start a New Form

Select “New Forms” from the left hand menu if not already there, which should bring up a page of available forms. Select “SGS Conference / Research Travel Grant – Payment Activation” by clicking on the “Start Form+” button.

Step 3. Complete Form

The top portion of the “Award Holder Information” section will be pre-populated with your information from ACORN. If the information is blank, you may not be currently registered. Upload the necessary documentation.

Note:

The system will time out after 2 hours
Click “Save” and you can return to at a later date through the “My Forms” link on the left-hand side menu

Step 4. Review

The completed version of the form and uploaded documents will be visible for a final review before submission.

Note: At this point, the online form has not yet been submitted to SGS.

If a change needs to be made, click the “Previous” link at the bottom of the page. If no changes need to be made, click the “Submit” button on the bottom of the page.

Step 5. Confirmation of Submission

After clicking “Submit,” a “Submission Confirmation” page will appear with a confirmation number. Note this confirmation number for your records.

An email confirmation will be sent to your U of T email address from vpp.noreply@utoronto.ca, titled “Submitted: SGS Conference / Research Travel Grant Payment Activation Form.” Note: the confirmation number will not be specified in the email.

The submitted payment activation form can still be reviewed online by selecting the “My Forms” homepage on the left-hand side menu. A form with the Progress of “Submitted” and a Status of “Received by GAO” indicates that the form has been successfully submitted to SGS for processing.

If an error is discovered after submission please email conferencegrant@utoronto.ca to “unsubmit” or return the form to you to edit and resubmit.

Step 6. Processing and Payment

Please allow two to three weeks for processing and payment distribution. Incomplete forms may require additional time.

For payment distribution, students are strongly encouraged to set up direct deposit on ACORN to ensure that their payment is received quickly and avoid the risk of the cheque being lost in the mail. Cheques can take an additional 2 to 3 weeks to arrive. Help with setting up direct deposit is here: http://help.acorn.utoronto.ca/how-to/

Changing Conference Information

If details about a grant recipient’s conference presentation change from what was reported in their approved application, the grant recipient may request to apply their grant to a different conference presentation, provided their supervisor/advisor approves and the conference occurs within the appropriate cycle’s timeframe (see Application Dates above).

The applicant may upload and submit the Conference/Research Travel Grant Change Request Form, along with any supporting documentation, with their online SGS Conference / Research Travel Grant Payment Activation Form.

If the request is approved, the value of the grant may be adjusted if there is a significant difference between the new and previous location and/or registration fee. The value of the offer cannot be increased.