NSF JCDL DC Travel Award Application and Review Criteria

DC Travel Award Submission Guidelines

Given that the conference may also receive sponsorship from SIGIR to support student travel, students will be permitted to apply for both awards; however, up to one award will be conferred per applicant. To streamline the application process, applicants will only be required to complete a Google Form. In addition to contact information and their DC submission paper ID, applicants must provide the following documents.

  1. An application letter (see below).
  2. A travel budget estimate.
  3. A current curriculum vitae.
  4. A letter from the advisor or supervisor confirming that the dissertation covers the target topic on Research Data Management (RDM). This letter is only required if the letter submitted with the DC paper does not confirm such coverage.

The application letter must include the following information.

  • A brief description of the DC paper being presented, highlighting how the dissertation is aligned with the  DCL: Leveraging Cyberinfrastructure for Research Data Management (RDM)
  • A statement of financial need explaining why travel support is necessary
  • A declaration of any other travel support already secured or applied for
  • The student’s current career stage (e.g., first-year, post-candidacy, or post-prospectus)

DC Travel Award Review Process and Criteria

Dr. Wu and Dr. Jayarathna both serve as members of the DC Travel Award Committee. They will work together with the DC co-chairs to review applications for financial support, disseminate information, and provide financial support to student participants of the DC. The DC Travel Award Committee will evaluate each application and rank them based on how well they satisfy the review criteria below. An applicant must meet the following conditions to be eligible.

  1. The applicant is a graduate student officially enrolled in a doctoral program at a higher education institution in the United States.
  2. The student’s dissertation topic is well aligned with at least one of the topics outlined in the DCL [20]. Concretely, the student must justify that at least one chapter is strongly connected to Research Data Management using Cyberinfrastructure, or the research outcomes directly empower, facilitate, or support RDM research.
  3. The DC paper must highlight the dissertation’s coverage of the target RDM topic and outline the current progress of the research.
  4. The advisory letter must include confirmation from the advisor or supervisor of the dissertation’s coverage of the target RDM topic.
  5. The student must present their proposed RDM topic at the DC workshop.
  6. The student must demonstrate a financial need to cover all or part of the cost of attending the DC.

Important Dates

The tentative deadlines for the 2026 DC Travel Award application are listed below.

  • Application deadline: September 14 (two weeks after DC notification)
  • Notification of awards: September 28 (two weeks after the application deadline)
  • Reimbursement submission deadline: October 27, 2026 (two weeks after the DC workshop)

DC Travel Award Coverage

Reimbursable travel expenses include the following.

  • Conference registration
  • Domestic airfare
  • Hotel (up to $200 per night for up to four nights)
  • Parking
  • Baggage: one checked bag per trip, excluding excess baggage charges
  • Ground transportation between the airport and the hotel
  • Allowable per diem for meals not covered by JCDL on travel days