Deadline: February 23, 2008
The Association of American Geographers (AAG) has received funding from the National Science Foundation to defray the expenses of participation by US scientists in the 31st International Geographical Congress in Tunis, Tunisia to be held in coordination with the Association of Tunisian Geographers from August 12-15, 2008.. The AAG will provide a total of approximately 45 travel grants of $2,000 each to 27 junior scholars, and awards of $1,500 each to 18 senior scholars. Details regarding the conference is available from IGU (www.igu-net.org) and the Association of Tunisian Geographers (www.igc-tunis2008.com)

Eligibility
To be eligible for support you must:

1. be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States;
2. register for and attend the main conference, even if your major presentation will be made in a commission or study group symposium;
3. travel on United States-flag carriers in accordance with United States government travel regulations; for clarifications on this requirement, please contact the NSF General Grant Conditions Guide and click on 10. Travel.
4. NOT have already received other NSF funding with a specific budget item for travel to the IGU Regional Congress; and
5. agree to write a post-conference report detailing your meeting activities.

Criteria: Proposals for travel grants may be submitted for evaluation in one or more of four categories:

1. presentation of a scholarly paper;
2. workshop development and presentation;
3. international collaborative research; and
4. distinctive contributions that enhance the scientific value and scholarship of the conference or of the International Geographical Union.

Whatever the category, the screening committee will emphasize basic science benefits for U.S. scholars and institutions in its selection of those to receive awards. The overriding criterion the committee will use in evaluating applications is the intrinsic scientific merit of each applicant's contribution to the IGU conference. When competitors' contributions are of approximately equal merit, preference will be given to minority, female, and junior scholars, and to those who have previously received fewer travel grants through the IGU travel grant programs. Also scholarship that has been largely disseminated previously will be ranked lower than contributions consisting largely or wholly of fresh materials.

Applications: To apply, submit the following information no later than February 23, 2008 to Dr. Patricia Solis at psolis@aag.org.  Digital submissions are preferred. Hard copies may be sent to the AAG offices at 1710 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009.

1. A completed application form;
2. The materials appropriate to the category of participation for which you seek funding, including:
   • a copy of the paper to be presented for category 1 applications;
   • a detailed outline of the workshop and a description of expertise and experience for category 2 applications;
   • a description of the international collaborative research in which you are engaged, including progress to date and publications completed or submitted, for category 3 applications; or
   • a description of the nature and extent of your other kinds of participation for category 4 applications.
3. A one page letter explaining why it is important that you participate in the conference. Please describe the ways your participation will enhance basic geographic research and teaching in the United States, and explain how you will share those benefits with those who do not attend the Congress in Tunis.

Reports and Acknowledgement:
By accepting an AAG Travel Grant you agree to submit to the AAG Executive Director a brief (one to two-page) report that summarizes the discussions at the symposia, conference sessions, or field seminars you attend. You should also make every effort to have your reports published in appropriate outlets, such as The Professional Geographer, AAG Newsletter, or the newsletter of a relevant specialty group. Such publications should acknowledge AAG and NSF support for your participation at the IGU Congress. AAG also requests that each grantee make available copies of their documents, manuscripts, presentations, or other materials prepared for the IGU event on the internet for viewing by the scientific community, students and the general public. Please include in your report any electronic availability and/or url locations of such information.
Download Acknowledgement here