Graduate Student Travel Scholarships

82nd Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Thursday, April 3 through Sunday, April 6, 2025
Hybrid Format: In-Person at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, IL or Online

All Panels/Paper Sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups will Feature a Hybrid Format (for In-Person or Virtual Participation). Undergraduate Poster Sessions will be In-Person Only

Conference Program Co-Chairs:
Hans C. Noel, Georgetown University
Jae-Jae Spoon, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

The call for applicants for 2025 MPSA Annual Conference Graduate Student Travel Scholarships will open later this year. Please check back later for more information.

Graduate Student Travel Scholarships

The MPSA provides 14 different $500 travel scholarships (one Dianne Pinderhughes Diversity PhD Student Travel Scholarship, four Harrell Rodgers Graduate Student Travel Scholarships, one John Bohte Memorial Graduate Student Travel Scholarship, one Luis R. Fraga Graduate Student Travel Scholarship, one Pi Sigma Alpha Graduate Student Travel Scholarship, one Valerie Martinez-Ebers Diversity Travel Scholarship, one Vincent Hutchings Diversity Travel Scholarship, two MPSA Status Committee on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Scholarships, and two MPSA Status Committee on Gender and Sexual Minorities Scholarships) for graduate students in a doctoral program who are members, presenting at the annual conference, and have not been previous recipients of a Graduate Student Travel Scholarship.

In addition to the requirements above, other eligibility requirements may vary based upon the intent of each individual scholarship to serve a population in the discipline, please see the descriptions below for more information. You will be asked to self-report your eligibility during the application process. Applicants can self-certify eligibility through identification with the groups outlined in the scholarship purpose description or they may indicate they are actively involved in research in an area which seeks to represent these groups and advance the discipline.

Graduate Student Travel Scholarships are applicable to in-person conference participation only. Scholarships are designed to offset the costs of attending the conference (travel, hotel, etc) and recipients will receive their travel fund scholarship check in-person at the conference. Funds are NOT dispersed prior to the conference, so don’t delay in registering at the early registration rate!

Available Travel Scholarships

Dianne Pinderhughes Diversity PhD Student Travel Scholarship. This scholarship was established in 2024 to honor the work of Dr. Dianne Pinderhughes, whose research addresses inequality with a focus on racial, ethnic and gender politics and public policy in the Americas, explores the creation of American civil society institutions in the twentieth century, and analyzes their influence on the formation of voting rights policy. This program provides $500 in travel funding for doctoral-level graduate students who are presenting at the annual conference, with an awarding preference to underrepresented groups.

Harrell Rodgers PhD Student Travel Scholarship. This scholarship started with funding from the Policy Studies Organization (PSO) in 2004, and expanded by the MPSA Council in 2010. This program provides $500 in travel funding for doctoral-level graduate students who are members of the MPSA to attend the MPSA Conference. The scholarship is named for Harrell Rodgers, who has organized panels at the MPSA conference on behalf of the PSO for many years. Historically only 4% of the applications have received support.

John Bohte Memorial PhD Student Travel Scholarship. This scholarship was established to fund travel for graduate students presenting research in the subfield of public policy/public administration. This program provides $500 in travel funding for graduate students. The scholarship is named in honor of John Bohte, who was an active scholar in the field of public policy/public administration and a popular teacher and mentor to undergraduate and graduate students alike.

Luis R. Fraga PhD Student Travel Scholarship. This scholarship seeks to support PhD students from underserved populations to attend the MPSA annual conference.

MPSA Status Committee on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Travel Scholarship. This scholarship awards travel funding to a select group of qualifying members of the MPSA to attend and present at the MPSA Annual Conference.

MPSA Status Committee on Gender and Sexual Minorities Travel Scholarship. This scholarship awards travel funding to a select group of qualifying members of the MPSA to attend and present the MPSA Annual Conference.

Pi Sigma Alpha PhD Student Travel Scholarship. This scholarship was established in 2022. Sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha, this $500 scholarship provides travel funding for doctoral-level graduate students who are members of the MPSA to attend the MPSA Conference. Pi Sigma Alpha, also known as the National Political Science Honor Society, brings students together to foster critical thinking and an exchange of ideas on issues of government, public affairs, international studies, political philosophy, public policy, and activism. Learn more about the honor society and its mission, vision and purpose, as well as how to join here.

Valerie Martinez-Ebers Diversity PhD Student Travel Scholarship. This scholarship was established in 2023 to honor the work of Dr. Valerie Martinez-Ebers, whose research specializes in education policy, Latino/a politics, and women in politics. This program provides $500 in travel funding for doctoral-level graduate students who are presenting at the annual conference, with an awarding preference to students with a Latino/a background or other underrepresented groups.

Vincent Hutchings Diversity PhD Student Travel Scholarship. This scholarship was established in 2023 to honor the work of Dr. Vincent Hutchings, an internationally known scholar of political behavior with significant contributions to the literature in public opinion, elections, voting behavior, and African American politics. This program provides $500 in travel funding for doctoral-level graduate students who are presenting at the annual conference, with an awarding preference to underrepresented groups.

Please note: if you are awarded a Graduate Student Travel Scholarship, you are not eligible to receive a Conference Fee Waiver, and vice versa.

Graduate Student Travel Scholarship Committee
Thank you to the following professionals for their service on the Graduate Student Travel Scholarship Committee for the 2024 MPSA Annual Conference:
Chair: Dr. David Doherty, Loyola University Chicago
Committee Members: Dr. Jonathan Homola, University of California-Los Angeles; Dr. Clayton Nall, University of California-Santa Barbara; Dr. Robin Best, Binghamton University; Dr. Evan Crawford, University of San Diego.

If you would like to serve on the Graduate Student Travel Scholarship Committee, please indicate your interest on this form.

Additional Conference Fee Waivers and Childcare Scholarships

The MPSA offers additional financial assistance opportunities through Conference Registration Fee Waivers and Conference Childcare Scholarships.