Conference Funding

It is in the interest of the Engineering Society that all undergraduate engineering students who wish to attend an academic conference or design competition to represent Skule, EngSoc and the University of Toronto to the engineering community have the opportunity to do so, without being restricted by financial needs. All undergraduate engineering students may thus apply for a subsidy from the Engineering Society to attend an academic conference or design competition that clearly demonstrates these points.

Eligibility

Expenses eligible for reimbursement include any travel, accommodation, and registration costs related to the conference/competition. Students may apply as individuals or as members of a club attending a conference or competition as a group. A club executive needs to apply only once on behalf of all attending members. Please keep in mind the following points:

• Individuals can only be approved for conference funding once per fiscal year, whether as an individual or with a club
• This fund only applies to conferences that students/clubs attend, not direct or organize. Please apply for Affiliated Club Funding and Special Projects for student run initiatives.
• The Engineering Society reserves the right to compare your application against others as funding is limited.
• Students applying for conference funding must be Undergraduate Engineering Students at the University of Toronto.

Finances and Logistics

While previous conference funding was limited, the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Engineering and associated Alumni Fund have generously donated $60,000 for the 2T4-2T5 school year to sponsor students to use conference funding and attend conferences/events for their own personal development or community achievement. We thank the Faculty and alumni for their support!

• For academic/technical/design conferences: the maximum amount that may be received is up to $500 of the expenses or 50% of total costs per person of the expenses associated with the conference/competition (conference fees, travel expenses and hotel fees etc.), per individual, whichever is lesser.
• For recreational/hobby conferences: the maximum amount that may be received is up to $200 of the expenses or 50% of total costs per person of the expenses associated with the conference/competition (conference fees, travel expenses and hotel fees etc.), per individual, whichever is lesser.
• A maximum amount of $5000 may be allocated towards each conference/competition for academic/technical/design conferences, and a maximum amount of $2000 for recreational/hobby conferences.
• The conference/competition costs must occur in the current fiscal year, which starts June 1 and ends May 31 of the next calendar year. If the expenses occur in the next fiscal year, you will need to submit an application after May 31.
• The funding pool is limited and may be exhausted before you have a chance to apply. To improve your chances, we encourage you to apply early and provide cost estimates.

Application Process

Group Application Template Individual Application Template Application Form

• The conference funding application period runs from the 1st to the 15th of each month.
• Please ensure you submit your application with the subject: (Name of Organization/Conference)_Conference Funding
• Copy the appropriate template and fill it out accordingly.
  • If you are part of a club, please complete the group application form.
  • If you are an individual or a group of individuals planning to attend a conference, please use the individual application form.
• The application will be discussed during the monthly Finance Committee meeting to reach a recommendation. Once the recommendation is approved by the Board, the finance secretary will let you know if your conference funding has been approved or rejected.

Note: The written application consists of two parts: conference details and a conference review. If you submit the first part of the application before the conference has occurred, the Finance Committee may confirm your funding amount beforehand. This funding will be reimbursed once the second part of application and a cheque requisition has been submitted. A member of the Finance Committee will contact you with impact report submission details after the conference.

Funding Review

Applications to this fund are accepted on a rolling basis. Once the application is received, it will be reviewed in the subsequent Finance Committee meeting. The turnaround time for applications is approximately one month. If we are requesting more information from you, we recommend you send it as soon as possible so we can process it at the next meeting, and minimize any delays in the process. You may also be requested to meet with the Finance Committee during this process.

Funding Release

Once the funding is approved and all parts of the application have been submitted, please submit a cheque requisition to claim any expenses. Visit Cheque Requisitions for more information.

Contact

If you have any questions about Conference funding, please contact the VP Finance at vpfinance@skule.ca.