Good Morning Geographers, Sustainers, and GIST Folks,

If you are planning on attending the 2024 TNGIC conference at Montgomery Bell State Park next month, be sure to check out the UTK Office of Undergraduate Research Travel Funding. This funding is available for students who are traveling to a conference to present their research in some capacity. This can be either a traditional presentation, a map gallery, or a research poster. Be sure to read the full description on their website to confirm you are eligible and applying the funds correctly. Note that you will have to submit the application and receive a reference letter.

 

As part of the application you will need to provide an estimate for your travel costs. I have created a sample Excel spreadsheet (attached) you can use to help calculate this total that includes conference registration, mileage, and lodging costs.

• Some of you may have received a TNGIC student assistantship to cover the cost of registration. If so, simply zero out that value in the spreadsheet. Otherwise, use the $100 student rate.
• Mileage is determined by your roundtrip mileage from Knoxville to the destination (MBSP) multiplied by the mileage rate ($0.67 per mile) from the GSA office. Update the default value of 100 miles to your actual roundtrip mileage. Do NOT change the mileage reimbursement rate. See the screenshot in the spreadsheet for the mileage reimbursement rate.
• Depending on where you are staying will impact your lodging cost. Use either the option to include the lodging total as a lump sum (option 1) or calculate the lump sum if it isn’t provided using both the nightly rate plus taxes/fees (option 2). Don’t use both options. See the screenshot in the spreadsheet for example costs from the Holiday Inn Express in Dickson, TN.

 

 

Michael Camponovo

GIS Outreach Coordinator and GIST Program Director

Department of Geography and Sustainability, University of Tennessee Knoxville

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https://gislab.utk.edu/