Overview
Application Process
Notification
Pre-Departure Requirements
Upon Return: Reimbursement and Trip Report
Other Funding Opportunities
Scholarly Work in Global Health

Overview
The Office of International Programs offers a competitive travel grant program to facilitate UCSF medical students' travel abroad to carry out work on health-related projects at least four weeks in length. As funds are limited, the grants are meant to partially support travel and living expenses and not program-associated costs. Funding is by reimbursement only.

Priority is given to the highest quality applications, and to projects that are more likely to foster continued relationships in the students' global health education throughout medical school and in their career.  Therefore, an OIP grant in the summer of the first year does not disqualify a student from receiving another grant later in medical school, especially when the new project builds upon relationships created during the earlier grant period. In-depth projects, such as for an Area of Concentration, that extend for longer than one quarter, may be eligible for more than one quarter's funding. Projects cannot be approved retroactively, and funding is not guaranteed.

Application Process
Applications are accepted on a quarterly basis, and reviewed by a committee. The best applicants will be selected, based on the criteria below. Awards generally range from $500 to $1800 to help cover airfare and other expenses related to the project, but amounts are not guaranteed.

Application due dates for projects starting in:

Summer Quarter: April 15
Fall Quarter: August 1
Winter Quarter: November 1
Spring Quarter: February 1

To apply, fill out an online application.

Username: first.last@ucsf.edu

Password: MMDDYY-SSN4 (that’s the six digit birthday, hyphen, last four of the SSN)

If you have trouble with the form, please contact the Program Assistant at the Office of International Programs.

The selection committee uses the following criteria:

• Priority is given to international projects in any of the six Areas of Concentration, but only when applications are accompanied by a completed Project Proposal Form (for AoCs other than Global Health) or the GHAoC Project Proposal Form (for the Global Health AoC) signed by the AoC Mentor.
• Length of proposed international project: OIP requires a minimum of FOUR weeks in ONE place to qualify for travel grants; for four-week trips, travel to more than one country or city is generally not acceptable.
• Quality of written proposal in expressing project goals.
• Relevance of learning objectives for global health. The Director of International Programs or another UCSF mentor may be able to assist you in developing learning objectives and planning your project.
• Location of study site. Applications for travel to countries with a State Dept. travel warning are approved on a case-by-case basis, and are more likely to be approved if the student is participating in an active UCSF program with faculty and staff in that country.
• Approval by a project advisor who is a UCSF Faculty member.
• Appropriateness of proposed budget. Many programs have substantial program fees. Higher program fees will not necessarily increase the size of the travel grant offered.
• Additional funding sources. The School of Medicine’s policy for a summer projects is to fund no student more than $3200 from all sources. For example, OIP travel grants cannot be awarded if a student receives a full stipend from another source such as Dean’s Research Funds, but smaller grants from other sources will not cause travel grant funding to be denied.
• Good academic standing with no make-up examinations or mastery exercises pending completion.
  

Notification
The announcement of awards will be made about three weeks after the application deadline. Once a funding decision has been made, no further negotiation of terms can be expected.

However, students may decide to defer project start date to another quarter. If, due to unforeseen circumstances, the destination or project details change after the notification letter is sent, the student must notify OIP by submitting a revised application form. Funding of the revised project is at the discretion of the Director, and is not guaranteed, especially if changes to the original project are substantial.

Pre-Departure Requirements
If the student plans to accept the grant, signed originals of the statement at the bottom of the notification letter and the Release and Hold Harmless Agreement must be dropped off or mailed to the Program Assistant at the Office of International Programs prior to departure.

We strongly suggest reviewing the pre-departure checklist for useful tips about preparing for travel. We also encourage students to review the Trip Report Form so that they are familiar with the type of information we will be requesting as a requirement for reimbursement upon return.

In cases where a student decides not to accept the grant, the OIP Program Assistant must be notified as soon as possible so that it may be awarded to another student.

Upon Return: Reimbursement and Trip Report

Funding is by reimbursement only and is based on submission of complete travel documentation. Travel expense forms will be processed only after the following are submitted to the Program Assistant at the Office of International Programs:

• Original receipts for expenses related to your project, converted to $US, i.e., airline ticket receipt, receipts for program fees, or room and board.
• A signed statement verifying that expenses are related to project.
• Verification of acceptance or participation in the planned program, language school, or research project.
• A completed trip report form, submitted online within thirty days of your return to UCSF.

Keep in mind that students who are financial aid recipients, and are enrolled at UCSF during their trip abroad, are required to notify Student Financial Services if they receive additional awards not included on the financial aid offer letter.

Other Funding Opportunities

Students are encouraged to take advantage of more robust funding sources such as Dean's Research Funds for appropriate research projects, and other additional sources of funding, as listed on the OIP web site.

Scholarly Work in Global Health

Students are encouraged to develop a presentation or poster based on their experience for consideration at local, regional or national scientific meetings. Students with an accepted paper, presentation or poster at a conference such as the annual meeting of the Global Health Education Consortium (GHEC) may apply in advance for financial assistance from the Onward Fund through the OIP Office, or for conference funding from the Student Affairs office.