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Partial Funding Undergraduate Masters PhD Research Award the USA

PDF Student Travel Award 2027 - Up to $1,000

Deadline After Summer Student Fellowship start (travel request timing varies) 269 days left · Hosted by Parkinson's Foundation · Published

The PDF Student Travel Award name still appears in scholarship databases because the Parkinson''s Disease Foundation offered it for years to graduate and medical students conducting Parkinson''s research who needed help attending scientific conferences. Awards historically capped at $1,000 and covered registration, transportation, and hotel costs tied to a justified budget. Undergraduates who had completed a PDF Summer Student Fellowship could also apply. The Parkinson''s Foundation now describes the same up-to-$1,000 conference travel support for awardees of its Summer Student Fellowships and Visiting Scholar Awards after they finish the funded project and want to present results at a related meeting. You apply through the Foundation''s online grant systems, document projected costs, and file receipts plus a conference report after you travel. Eligibility follows the parent fellowship: PD-focused research, an approved mentor, and compliance with Foundation payment rules.

Conference travel support
Up to $1,000
SSF & Visiting Scholars
Grad / med students
After fellowship work
Post-project
At eligible institutions
US & international
How to apply Am I eligible? Official website

What is the PDF Student Travel Award?

If you search CareerOneStop for the PDF Student Travel Award, you land on Parkinson's Foundation territory even though the acronym PDF once meant Parkinson's Disease Foundation before the 2016 merger. The travel award solved a narrow problem: students had promising Parkinson's data but no departmental cash to register for a society meeting. Up to $1,000 could cover the unglamorous line items, registration, a hotel block, and a coach flight, so long as you showed receipts afterward.

The standalone application form is largely gone, but the money did not disappear. Summer Student Fellowship and Visiting Scholar awardees now hear about the same supplemental travel pot once their ten-week project wraps. That sequencing makes sense. The Foundation already paid for the lab time; presenting the poster completes the pipeline from bench work to field conversation.

Graduate and medical students still benefit even when the label on the website says fellowship travel rather than PDF Student Travel Award. You need an accepted abstract, a mentor who will vouch that the talk reflects fellowship work, and discipline about documentation. Parkinson's research moves through ProposalCentral like other Foundation grants, so treat the travel request with the same seriousness as the original fellowship application.

Plan early if you are an international student. Foundation FAQs welcome eligible visa holders, but your university must sign off on travel and employment rules. And budget honestly: $1,000 covers many domestic meetings but not every international congress once airfare spikes.

Who can apply

Eligibility

Your progress 0 / 7
  • ✓
    Parkinson's disease research focus
    Travel funds support meetings where you present work on Parkinson's disease or closely related neuroscience. Generic neurology conferences only qualify if your abstract clearly centers on PD.
  • ✓
    Summer Student Fellowship or Visiting Scholar status
    Current Foundation materials tie up-to-$1,000 travel requests to awardees of the Summer Student Fellowship or Visiting Scholar programmes after project completion. Standalone PDF Student Travel Award cycles may no longer be advertised separately.
  • ✓
    Graduate or medical student (historical standalone track)
    Legacy PDF Student Travel Award announcements invited graduate and medical students working in PD labs, plus undergraduates who previously held a PDF Summer Student Fellowship, to apply before attending a conference.
  • ✓
    Accepted abstract or presentation slot
    You should have confirmation that you will present data from your funded Parkinson's project. Reviewers expect a poster or talk tied to the fellowship work.
  • ✓
    Budget within the $1,000 cap
    List registration, airfare or ground transport, and lodging. Amounts above $1,000 are not covered; partial awards match justified needs.
  • ✓
    Mentor and institutional affiliation
    Your PD research mentor typically co-signs progress reports. International students need valid visa status and institutional approval before travel.
  • ✓
    Receipt and report requirements
    After the meeting you submit receipts matching the approved budget and a brief report on conference outcomes, as required in historical PDF travel guidance.
What you get

Benefits

  • Conference registration Up to $1,000 total package
  • Transportation Airfare or ground travel within cap
  • Lodging Hotel costs within approved budget
  • Presentation opportunity Share PD fellowship data nationally
  • Full fellowship stipend Separate from SSF or Visiting Scholar pay
  • Open-ended travel account One-time supplemental request
What to prepare

Document checklist

Documents gathered 0 / 7
  • ✓
    Travel fund request through Foundation portal
    Log into ProposalCentral or the Foundation grant interface linked from parkinson.org when your programme opens travel requests. Follow the year-specific checklist.
  • ✓
    Conference acceptance letter or abstract
    Upload proof that your Parkinson's research abstract was accepted for poster or oral presentation.
  • ✓
    Itemized travel budget
    Break out registration fees, airfare or mileage, hotel nights, and ground transport. Stay within the $1,000 maximum unless official instructions change.
  • ✓
    Mentor confirmation of project tie-in
    Your mentor verifies that the presentation reports findings from the Summer Student Fellowship or Visiting Scholar project.
  • ✓
    Receipts after travel
    Keep itemized receipts for registration, transport, and lodging. Historical PDF travel rules required reimbursement documentation before final payment.
  • ✓
    Post-conference report
    Summarize sessions attended, feedback received, and next steps for your PD research. Foundation staff use reports to measure impact.
  • ✓
    Fellowship progress report status
    Visiting Scholar and Summer Student Fellowship programmes require approved interim or final reports before releasing supplemental travel funds.
Step by step

How to apply

Secure a Summer Student Fellowship or Visiting Scholar Award if you are not already an awardee. The travel supplement is designed to follow funded PD research.
Foundation copy invites travel requests after you finish the fellowship work and can present findings from that project.
Choose a meeting where Parkinson's research is featured and confirm your abstract acceptance before requesting funds.
Quote registration, travel, and hotel costs honestly. Historical PDF Student Travel Award rules rejected vague estimates.
Use ProposalCentral or the portal linked from parkinson.org/advancing-research/for-researchers. Email submissions are not accepted for standard grants.
Pay upfront where required and keep documentation that matches your approved line items.
Return receipts and a short narrative so the Foundation can close out the travel supplement and maintain compliance records.
When

Deadline and timeline

Application deadline
After Summer Student Fellowship start (travel request timing varies)
269 days left
Jan - Mar (SSF cycle)
Summer Student Fellowship applications typically open early in the year for ten-week PD research projects.
Spring - summer
Fellows and Visiting Scholars conduct PD research under mentor supervision.
Mid-project
Submit progress reports required for stipend payments per Foundation rules.
After project completion
Request up to $1,000 travel funds to present fellowship results at a scientific conference.
Conference dates
Attend the meeting, present your poster or talk, and network with PD researchers.
Within weeks after travel
Upload receipts and the conference report to close the travel award.
Questions

FAQ

What is the PDF Student Travel Award?

It was a Parkinson's Disease Foundation programme that paid up to $1,000 for graduate and medical students, and eligible former Summer Fellows, to attend scientific conferences and present Parkinson's research. The Parkinson's Foundation now describes the same travel support for Summer Student Fellowship and Visiting Scholar awardees.

How much does the PDF Student Travel Award pay?

Historical announcements and current fellowship pages cite up to $1,000 for registration, transportation, and lodging tied to presenting PD research at a related conference.

Who is eligible for PDF Student Travel Award funds today?

Check the Fellowships and Early Career Awards page. Supplemental travel is offered to Summer Student Fellowship and Visiting Scholar awardees after they complete the funded project. Legacy rules also allowed graduate and medical students plus undergraduates who had finished a PDF Summer Student Fellowship.

Can undergraduates apply for PDF Student Travel Awards?

Standalone undergraduate eligibility historically required completing a PDF Summer Student Fellowship first. Undergraduates now most often access travel funds by winning the Summer Student Fellowship and then requesting the conference supplement.

Where do I apply for the PDF Student Travel Award?

Use the Parkinson's Foundation online grant portal linked from parkinson.org/advancing-research/for-researchers. The Foundation does not review standard proposals sent by email except where a specific programme says otherwise.

Does the travel award cover international conferences?

Budgets must justify each expense. Foundation materials focus on presenting PD research at scientific meetings; confirm with [email protected] if your meeting location affects eligibility.

Are international students eligible for PDF travel support?

Parkinson's Foundation FAQs state that international students meeting eligibility requirements may apply for grants. Visa compliance remains the student's and institution's responsibility.

What reports are required after I travel?

Historical PDF Student Travel Award guidance required a conference report and receipts matching the approved budget. Fellowship programmes also require mentor-signed progress reports before releasing funds.

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