Leadership Development, Conference, and Travel Fund
We are committed to supporting students who desire to enhance their leadership skills through participation at local, regional, state and/or national conferences. The Student Leadership Development Training and Conference Fund is available to undergraduate students who seek financial support to participate in leadership conferences and activities (e.g., conferences, workshops, training) that relate to their current roles in the Duke community and benefit their overall Duke experience.
Past recipients of the Student Leadership Development Training and Conference Fund have participated in programs such as:
- American Mock Trail National Championship Tournament
- Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education Conference
- Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Student Leadership Conference
- InterCollegiate Taiwanese American Student Association Conference
- The LeaderShape Institute
- National Conference for College Women Student Leaders
- Pan-American Collegiate Chess Championship
- Society of Women Engineers Regional Conference
A reimbursement of up to $150.00 is typically awarded on a one-time per academic year basis. Note that this fund is for individual requests and is not designed for group submissions. In order to serve as many students as possible, no more than two students will receive funding to attend the same program. Note also that this fund is not available for academic-related travel (ex: for a class project or individual research interests). Below are the general guidelines and application process:
You can apply by submitting an online application. Applications are due at least three weeks prior to the activity for which funding is requested. The application will ask you to provide general information about yourself, as well as details regarding your financial and travel needs for the conference/program/workshop you wish to attend. Every effort will be made to review your application and notify you of the decision in a timely manner (typically within 5 business days).
If your application is approved, the following items must be submitted to the Office of Student Activities and Facilities, ATTN: Leadership Training/Conference fund within two weeks of completing the activity for which you are receiving funding:
- Report on your activity - Provide a description of what you did and what you gained from the conference/travel experience. Indicate how you will apply what you learned to your student leadership role.
- Detailed expense report - Include an itemized list of all expenses you incurred. Original receipts must be attached for every submitted expense. If you are requesting reimbursement for airfare, you must submit your boarding pass (e-ticket alone is not accepted for reimbursement ). Once all travel information has been submitted, a reimbursement will be processed. Please allow 2-3 weeks for the check reimbursement process to be completed. You will receive an email from our office once the check is ready for pick up at the Bursar’s Office.
Funding is limited and distributed on a semester basis beginning in September and January.
For assistance or more information regarding the Student Leadership Development Training and Conference Fund, please contact leadership@studentaffairs.duke.edu.