Foreign Travel Fund

The Foreign Travel Fund is used to pay one third of the cost of foreign travel for faculty to present the results of their scholarly activity at meetings or conferences (normally, the department and college pay the other two thirds).

The SARIF budget for foreign travel is limited. In addition to the department and college match, other criteria are considered by the award committee. Preference is given to younger faculty members. No more than two representatives from a single academic unit may receive SARIF funding to attend the same conference. In decisions regarding funding, consideration will also be given to the significance and quality of the conference, as indicated by sponsorship and history.

Faculty members who are not tenured or tenure-track may apply for these travel awards. Long-term benefit to the university should be clearly described in the application.

While some domestic locations are subject to the international travel rules regarding travel and reimbursement, SARIF foreign travel funds are to be used for international meetings and conferences held outside the United States. SARIF funds cannot be used for international conferences in Hawaii or Puerto Rico.

How to Apply

Applications may be submitted anytime during the year.

There is no limit, even within the year, on how many times a faculty member can apply for these funds. Researchers from the UT Institute of Agriculture should contact institute research administrative staff for information about similar support.

The guidelines for submitting a request for matching funds are as follows:

• The request should include a description of the trip, purpose of the trip, date of the trip, and a budget of estimated expenses.
• Submit a statement of the department and college match agreement. Example of match funding:
  • Department: $500
  • College: $500
  • SARIF: $500
  • Total: $1,500
• Funds are limited. Funds approved from SARIF are usually no more than $1,000. Applicants should make efforts to obtain a share of the funding from collegiate, departmental and/or other sources. A copy of responses from the department and college should be attached.
• The Office of Research strongly prefers that request be submitted in electronic form to Jane Taylor (tayloje@utk.edu).
• If funded, faculty can have funds transferred to the appropriate departmental account after the travel expenses have been reimbursed. Contact Daisy Bolton at 974-4862 or e-mail: dmb@utk.edu to process the transfer of funds.

Contact Information

Jane Taylor
Administrative Specialist
UT Knoxville Office of Research
1534 White Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37996-1529
Phone: (865) 974-0437
Fax: (865) 974-7400
Email: tayloje@utk.edu