SPGSA Travel Grant

General Information (updated January 2026) 

 

 Download the SPGSA Travel Grant Application here, after completion email your application package to spgsa@unm.edu  

The SPGSA Travel Grant is designed to provide graduate students from the Southwest, Literature, Portuguese, and/or Hispanic Linguistics programs in the Spanish and Portuguese Department the opportunity to obtain funding to attend and present at a professional or academic conference in his or her field of study. The maximum award is $150.00 (contingent upon available funds, which vary year to year) and may include conference registration fee, travel, lodging, and airport shuttle/taxi fees.  The award does not include meals, memberships or additional conference costs. If funds are available, applications will be considered for local conference fees, but preference will be given to applicants who travel outside Albuquerque.  

Only 3 grants will be awarded per semester (subject to change, based on available funds) 

  • Grants will be awarded for the semester in which the candidate presents 
  • Applications are reviewed & considered throughout the entire academic year until the cutoff date 
  • Preference will be given to applicants who are presenting or traveling for a job interview at a conference (MLA, etc.) 
  • A student may only receive one award per academic year  
  • The applicant must be a registered graduate student in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the time of the conference  

Application package MUST include 

  • Application form (attached to this call) 
  • Max. 700 words applicability statement in which the applicant explains why it is relevant for their professional/research development to attend the conference. The applicability statement can be submitted in English, Spanish, or Portuguese (this is the most important document that the committee will use to decide selection) 
  • A detailed budget using the SPGSA template, available here 
  • Conference acceptance email (if applying before the Conference), or Conference proof of attendance (if applying after the conference)  

To apply for the travel grant, applicants must submit a completed application packet to spgsa@unm.edu (see Application Checklist).    

Application Submission Date  

We are currently considering applications for conferences in Spring 2026. The call is open until March 31, 2026. Any applications received after March 31, 2026, will not be considered. 

Award Notification  

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by e-mail approx. two weeks after the submission.  

Payment of Award  

Payments are filed on a reimbursement basis. Once back from the Conference, applicants must turn in receipts in a single PDF file by April 15, 2026. All awards are processed through the Student Government Accounting Office and may take up to four weeks to be applied to your account.  You must have a direct deposit set up in your bursar’s account to receive the funds in your personal account.  If you have a balance owed, the money will be applied to that balance first; remaining funds will then be available to you.