The Southeastern Conference (SEC) Visiting Faculty Travel Grant Program is intended to enhance faculty collaboration that stimulates scholarly initiatives between SEC universities. It gives faculty members from UT the opportunity to travel to another SEC campus to exchange ideas, develop grant proposals, conduct research, consult with faculty and/or students, offer lectures or symposia, present a recital, or engage in whatever activities are agreeable to the visitor and host unit. The UT selection committee will give preference to proposals intended to develop new or continue recent collaborations between faculty members. Proximity to the Knoxville campus will not be a factor. Due to COVID-19, travel dates for 2019-2020 have been extended to September 30, 2020. Travel dates for 2020-2021 will be between November 1, 2020 – July 15, 2021.
The University of Tennessee will receive funding from the SEC, which may be supplemented by additional funding from the UT Office of Research & Engagement. Requests of up to $1,500 will be considered. Grants are not necessarily meant to cover ALL the travel costs but to lessen the financial burden of the faculty member’s travel. Other sources of funds, including the faculty member’s department and college, may be used to offset any additional costs. Funds may be used for transportation, room, board, etc., for travel to another SEC campus. Travel grant funds may not be used for non-travel-related expenses (e.g., books, supplies, computer software, etc.). It is not permissible to use funds for support/research staff, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows. Any use of the funds should be only by the faculty member, and only with the intent of lessening the financial burden of personal accommodations in travel.
SEC member universities are listed below.
UT faculty members must contact a department head or dean at a host SEC university to request a letter of invitation. The selected faculty members will be responsible for arranging coverage of their duties during their absence. After the visit, faculty members must submit a brief report describing the outcomes of the visit.
To be considered for one of UT’s SEC travel grants, please fill out the application on InfoReady by October 16, 2020 at 5pm. Click here to apply to the competition. If you have any questions about the application process or the competition, please contact Hannah Schmidt at hschmidt@utk.edu.
Faculty should submit applications individually (no multiple faculty or team/group applications.) The following information must be provided:
- UT faculty member information
- Name
- Title
- UT Unit
- Research Discipline
- Campus Address
- Phone
- Brief scholarly biography (maximum 125 words)
- Current CV
- Visit Information
- Name of host institution, department, and individual or group
- Visit dates
- Brief budget outline
- Supporting Letter
- Letter of invitation from a host unit official (dean or department head) specifying the dates of the visit and any specific expectations of the faculty member
- Project Statement (maximum one page single-spaced)
- Anticipated activities while visiting
- Statement of visit’s benefits for UT and host institution
Southeastern Conference member universities:
University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa, Alabama
University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, Arkansas
Auburn University – Auburn, Alabama
University of Florida – Gainesville, Florida
University of Georgia – Athens, Georgia
University of Kentucky – Lexington, Kentucky
Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
University of Mississippi – Oxford, Mississippi
Mississippi State University – Starkville, Mississippi
University of Missouri – Columbia, Missouri
University of South Carolina – Columbia, South Carolina
University of Tennessee – Knoxville, Tennessee
Texas A&M University – College Station, Texas
Vanderbilt University – Nashville, Tennessee