CREECA
Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia

CREECA Graduate Student Short-term Fieldwork Awards

Purpose

CREECA Graduate Student Short-Term Travel Awards provide support to UW-Madison graduate and professional students of any discipline to conduct fieldwork pertaining to the study of Russia, Eastern/Central Europe, and/or Central Asia/Eurasia.

Eligibility

Eligibility Criteria: All applicants must be masters, doctoral or professional school students in good standing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the current academic year. The competition is open to US citizens and international students.

Award Details

  • CREECA Graduate Student Research Travel awards are available for fieldwork conducted in Russia, Eastern/Central Europe, and/or Central Asia/Eurasia and range from $1,000 to $4,000, depending on the duration of the project.
  • Awards can be made only for travel expenses related to the approved research proposal. The payment of CREECA awards to students must be made in compliance with the new (October 2018) UW-Madison “Student Payment Guidelines.” In general, this means that the awards will be paid through SIS to U.S. citizens and permanent residents and as a “lump-sum payment” (through payroll) to non-resident aliens. There may be tax implications for these awards.
  • Allowable travel expenses in the budget may include such items as international airfare, per diem for meals and incidentals, accommodations, and ground transportation.
  • In compliance with UW-Madison policy, students conducting research in any country that is under a US Department of State “travel warning” must have their proposed travel approved by the University International Travel Committee. Please contact Ron Machoian for more information about this policy.
  • Students whose research travel is fully funded through other sources (e.g. a fellowship, grant, or department funds) are not eligible to apply for CREECA funds.

Application Deadline

CREECA now considers applications on a rolling basis, throughout the academic year. Requests for funding should be made well in advance of the travel, and at least 30 days before the trip. Applications will be reviewed monthly, on the 15th of each month. (When the 15th falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, applications will be reviewed on the first Monday after the 15th.)

Application Procedure

A complete application will include all of the following:

  • Copy of applicant’s CV or resume
  • Proposal narrative providing the following information:
    1. Research Project Title
    2. Research Project Abstract
    3. Description of how this paper/project relates to your larger academic plans/professional advancement
    4. Explanation of the significance and contribution of this research to your discipline
    5. Proposed Fieldwork Site
    6. Proposed Travel Dates
    7. Details of Fieldwork Plans (library and archive visits, interviews, etc.)
  • Completed project budget (see Excel document at https://go.wisc.edu/gg01ry)
  • Print-out of Meals and Incidentals (M&IE) per diem for the dates/cities of travel. To complete this form, go to the UW Travel Wise calculator at https://uw.foxworldtravel.com/rate-calculator/. Enter the destination city and dates of your proposed travel, and then click “Calculate Rates.” This should generate a page that can be saved as a PDF (see “print rates” centered below the calculation).

Submit the above-listed items in PDF format to russiaproject@creeca.wisc.edu. Be sure to put “CREECA Graduate Travel Award” in the subject line of your message.

Lastly, applicants should arrange for one letter of recommendation to be sent from an advisor. It is the applicant’s responsibility to request letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should be addressed to “CREECA Graduate Travel Award Review Committee” and should be on letterhead and signed. Letters should be in PDF format and sent as email attachments directly from the recommender to russiaproject@creeca.wisc.edu. Please put “CREECA Graduate Travel Award” in the subject line.

Selection Criteria

Awardees will be selected on the basis of academic merit, feasibility of the proposed project and budget, and the projected impact of the applicant’s research on the field.