<div dir="ltr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000">Welcome to the 2008-2009 school year here at UCR!</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000">I would like to take a moment to share some information on the GSA conference travel grant program and to highlight some of the policies/program changes/deadlines that are going to be strictly enforced during this academic year.</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000">Conference travel grants are small grants available to UCR graduate students who are attending professional conferences. The purpose of the conference travel grant program is to promote the presentation at conferences of original graduate student research done at UCR.</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000">Conference travel grants are not intended to fund, among others: research, instruction, training, classes, job interviews, or events in which participants are solely from UCR. Workshops are not eligible.</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000">The Conference Travel Grant program will only fund one graduate student per presentation. If you are not the first author, you must submit a letter from the conference organizer or the session chair indicating that you were the primary presenter.</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000">The application process:</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000">A conference travel grant application (available on the GSA Conference Travel Grant website or available for pick up at the GSA office) must be completed and submitted <b><u>by the first day of the month preceding your conference end date. </u></b>For example, if you are presenting at a conference in November, the deadline for application submission is October 1<sup>st</sup>.</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000">Your application and supplemental application materials must be submitted <b><u>before</u></b> the start date of your conference. This means that you will be denied funding if your letter of recommendation from your faculty advisor, abstract of presentation and or proof of presentation are turned in after the start date of your conference.</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">A conference travel grant expense report form (also available on the travel grant website or at the GSA office) must be submitted along with all original receipts for expenses claimed and proof of conference participation <b><u>within seven business days from the end date of your conference.</u></b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy; "> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; ">When submitting receipts, please tape them to an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and make sure meals are submitted in date order. Transportation, lodging, meals and registration receipts should be grouped in their own categories and not mixed together.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000">This information as well as more detailed instructions on the conference travel grant process can be found on the GSA Conference Travel Grant website. This website is a great resource and should be referred to when addressing any questions that you may have regarding the program.</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><a href="http://gsa.ucr.edu/travelgrant/index.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000">http://gsa.ucr.edu/travelgrant/index.html</font></a><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000"></font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000">Please contact me with any questions that you may have.</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3"></font></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 14.4pt; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"><font color="#000000">I look forward to working with you.</font></font></span></p>
<div><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3">Sincerely,</font></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;"><br></span></div>
<div><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" color="#000000" size="3">Rebecca Lybrand </font></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">GSA Conference Travel Grant Coordinator<br>
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Commons 203</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">University of California Riverside</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;"><a href="mailto:gsagrant@ucr.edu">gsagrant@ucr.edu</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;"><br>
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