Program Overview
The primary purpose of the Sponsorship Program is to support the research, professional development, academic travel, and creative endeavors of UNLV’s graduate and professional students. Enrolled graduate and professional students can request up to $2,500 annually to fund activities that support their degree completion or contribute to their field of study. Applicants should understand, this is a competitive application process. Funding requests should stringently adhere to the application components as outlined.
This page provides everything needed to kick-start your application: detailed guidelines, application deadlines, material requirements, and sample applications. We strongly encourage you to read our detailed GPSA sponsorship program operating policy, a key element of the application process, conveniently accessible on this page. This policy, refined for nearly 30 years, provides answers to a wide range of questions raised by students throughout the program's history. It's your go-to resource for clear and comprehensive information to help you navigate the application process and expectations, with ease.
For additional guidance, the Sponsorship Committee hosts application workshops throughout the semester. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact the Chair of the Sponsorship Committee at gpsavp@unlv.edu or reach out to us at gpsa@unlv.edu. We're here to help you, and good luck! .
Upcoming Sponsorship Workshops
Eligibility & Funding Limitations
To qualify for the Sponsorship Program, students must be admitted to and currently enrolled in a UNLV graduate and/or professional degree program. Students must have completed or have in progress at least six (6) graduate-level credit hours and maintain both a 3.0 GPA and a minimum of one (1) credit hour enrollment upon application submission.
- Master’s students are eligible to receive up to $2,500 during their tenure at UNLV.
- Doctoral students are eligible to receive up to $5,000 during their tenure at UNLV and may request up to a maximum of $2,500 annually.
- Law (JD) and MFA students are eligible to receive up to $5,000 during their tenure at UNLV and may request up to a maximum of $2,500 annually.
- Non-degree seeking students are ineligible for GPSA sponsorship funding.
Students may apply individually or as a group. Group Travel applications may list up to ten (10) eligible students and their faculty advisors. This option is ideal for collaborations, professional development courses, co-authored projects, and group activities where the budget and supporting documentation (such as approval forms and/or budget comparisons) are the same. The Explanation of Activities should address each individual’s role in the funded activity in addition to the requirements outlined in the sponsorship program operating policy. Each student in a group application is considered on an individual basis for award tracking. Group applicants are encouraged to minimize costs and to demonstrate this in the shared budget.
Sponsorship Program Deadlines
Students are encouraged to apply early! For example, a student should submit their application for GPSA sponsorship the moment they receive notice of their conference acceptance.
| Application Deadline | Activity Starts in Month of | Committee Decision by |
|---|---|---|
| August 31 | November | September 30 |
| September 30 | December | October 31 |
| October 31 | January | November 30 |
| November 30 | February | December 31 |
| December 31** | March** | February 28 |
| January 31 | April | February 28 |
| February 28 | May | March 31 |
| March 31 | June | April 30 |
| April 30 | July | May 31 |
| May 31 | August | June 30 |
| June 30 | September | July 31 |
| July 31 | October | August 31 |
All applications must be received no later than sixty (60) days prior to the activity start date (i.e., project start date, first day of travel, first day of internship, etc.
Late applications will not be considered unless accompanied by a Sponsorship Program Policy Appeal form which explains the conditions that delayed or prevented the application from being submitted by the deadline.
While students are encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible, funds are available to accommodate applications which demonstrate extenuating circumstances outside of the control of the applicant. Late applications should be submitted through the application portal as normal. A link to the appeal form, also available in the Apply Here portal, will be sent automatically to the applicant’s email once the late application has been submitted. If you do not see an email with the link to the appeal form in your inbox, check your other email folders. Let us know immediately at gpsa@unlv.edu if it cannot be located. Appeals are an electronic form and should be completed as quickly as possible, and no later than two (2) business days after application submission.
The accepted file format is PDF only. Applications for sponsorship shall consist of: Explanation of Activities (see formatting requirements) Budget, detailed and justified Supporting Documentation (including three budget comparisons per line item; documentation to support statements made in the Explanation of Activities or Itemized Budget; conference acceptance letter; project approvals like IRB, IACUC, FDA, etc.; other documents which may strengthen your overall application) Faculty endorsement (application will be routed after submission)
All three attachments must adhere to the following formatting requirements. 1 point will be deducted for failure to adhere to the requirements, for a possible total deduction of 3 points.
- 12-point font
- Times New Roman or Arial typeface
- Single-spaced
- 1-inch margins
- Portrait orientation
- PDF file format
Name your three* attachments as follows:
1 - "YOUR LAST NAME_Explanation of Activities.pdf"
2 - "YOUR LAST NAME_Budget.pdf"
3 - "YOUR LAST NAME_Supporting Documentation.pdf"
*Any additional files not part of the three delineated here will be disregarded in the review process. Supplemental items should be included in the Supporting Documentation.
Further information on what is required for each of these documents can be found in our operating policy under Section III.D. To help with your application, we provide Example Materials for both individual and group applications at the bottom of this page, along with the application Scoring Rubric.
Funding Criteria and Scoring
Funding Criteria
- 80% or Above: If your application scores 80% or higher of the possible 20 points, it will be fully funded for the eligible requested amount.
- Between 50% and 80%: Applications scoring less than 80% but more than 50% of the possible points will be rejected with possibility to appeal this decision.
- 50% or Below: Applications scoring 50% or less will be rejected without possibility of appeal.
Scoring
Each application is carefully evaluated by the Sponsorship Committee using a detailed scoring rubric.
Review, Decision, and Disbursal Timeline
Applications are reviewed on a monthly cycle or "batch". Complete applications (with endorsement) are assigned to reviewers from the Sponsorship Committee within the first seven (7) calendar days of the month. Decision letters are sent out by the last day of the month. GPSA Sponsorship Program grant recipients must reply directly to the award letter email indicating their intent to accept or deny awarded funding.
Recipients are responsible for ensuring that funds are used accordingly and as closely to their proposed budget as possible. Awarded funds are disbursed four to eight (4 to 8) weeks after their acceptance and disbursed through Financial Aid to the student's MyUNLV account. GPSA has no ability to expedite the award disbursement. Once again, we encourage early applications as GPSA cannot guarantee that funds will be made available prior to the activity start date.
Funding Stipulations
Award recipients agree to complete two stipulations upon acceptance of their sponsorship from GPSA.
- Participate in the Annual Graduate & Professional Student Research Forum, held each spring semester. *Recipients are responsible for ensuring their participation in the Research Forum and meeting the posted deadlines for abstract submission as they become available. Volunteer opportunities are available for those who cannot present.
- Students who graduate in the fall semester are excused from the spring Research Forum requirement and are still welcome to participate if they wish.
- Complete the GPSA Sponsorship Program close-out surveyThis survey captures how the funds were utilized and should be completed upon the conclusion of the funded activity.
Failure to comply with the above stipulations will result in the suspension of any further GPSA sponsorship funding, a freeze on any existing GPSA awards (regardless of program), and potential repayment of your GPSA Sponsorship Grant.