SPUR (Sponsoring Promising Undergraduate Research)

Travel Grants

Are you considering attending a professional conference to present your work with a faculty member?

SPUR wants to encourage CHSS undergraduates to attend conferences and other research events with their CHSS faculty mentors, especially when the student plays an active role. If you are planning to attend a conference, part of your travel costs might be supplemented by our initiative. To apply for funds to cover part of your travel, please do the following:

Fill out this form in its entirety: SPUR Application.
The form requests that you describe how this travel will benefit the university. Here’s an example of what a request might say from the political science department:

“Being able to attend this conference will benefit me with my professional goals, which therefore benefits the university. I will be able to see a national conference first hand and get some experience presenting my research before a room of like-minded scholars. I am thinking about pursuing an advanced degree once I graduate, and attending a national conference will expose me to the world of networking and real “politics” in political science.”
Once you have completed the form, email it to chss@shsu.edu with the subject line “SPUR Travel Request.”

Travel awards are made on a rolling basis. You will be notified as soon as possible whether you will receive funding from SPUR for your travel request. Travel request forms must be submitted 60 days in advance for International travel and 45 days for Out-of-State or In-State travel. CHSS students can request up to $500 for in-state, $1000 for domestic, and $1500 for travel outside the continental U.S.

Fall 2026 Deadline: October 9, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

Undergraduate students conducting research with a CHSS faculty member can apply for research support up to $500 per long semester. Applications will only be open for a short period of time each semester and must be submitted by the announced deadline. Decisions on funding will not be announced once the SPUR committee has reviewed all applications. All SHSU policies and procedures must be followed to use the funding.

The faculty sponsor must provide a letter of support explaining the need for funding and confirming their responsibility for overseeing and maintaining accountability for any items purchased with the awarded fund.

SPUR Committee

The SPUR Committee is made up of one member from each department within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. For any questions related to travel or research grants, please email at chss@shsu.edu or the representative from your department.

Caleb Hubbard – Communication Studies
Tracy Bilsing – English, Chair
Maria Barker – World Languages and Cultures
Jeffrey Gardner – Sociology
Pinar Emiralioglu – History
Hillary Langley – Psychology
Jessica Elkayam – Philosophy
Jonathan Brown – Political Science