Attending national conferences of various professional organizations can provide students with valuable networking and learning experiences, in addition to opportunities to demonstrate research. For this reason, the School prioritizes student conference travel. We are proud to say that our students tend to be very successful at these conferences, often winning awards for undergraduate presentations and posters. Please visit the “News” section of our site to learn about the awards our students have won recently.

Funding dependent, it is the policy of the School to provide each undergraduate student with funding to attend at least one professional conference during their undergraduate career. The funding can be used to support flight costs, food, lodging, meeting registration, and other approved travel costs. The number of students supported in a calendar year will be limited by the amount of available funds, with students who are presenting a talk or poster at a conference, as well as upperclassmen, given priority when making funding decisions. If you are interested in applying for travel funds, please fill out the form below at least 90 days before your trip. Late submission may result in a reduction in travel support.

For AMS and AGU travel, we will calculate the average amount needed for 5 days/4 nights at the meeting destination and provide a common maximum allowable amount of funds to each student.
No travel should be booked until you receive confirmation of travel support. Details of how to book travel will be provided at that time.

All travel awards come with a requirement. In order to receive your reimbursement, you must submit a report to the Associate Director for Undergraduates following your travel. A maximum 2-page single space paper that answers the following questions:

  • Describe an oral presentation that you attended (from a non-Oklahoma presenter), what you learned, and how it relates to your education at OU
  • Describe a poster presentation that you attended (from a non-Oklahoma presenter), what you learned, and how it relates to your education at OU
  • How has the conference influenced your career plans?