Graeme Bell Graduate Travel Award

To be eligible for a Graeme Bell Graduate Travel Award, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Applicant’s program abroad must be considered a Spring, Summer or Fall 2025 global learning experience with respect to the starting and/or ending dates and any transfer credit to be applied to the Spring, Summer or Fall term.
• Current full-time or part-time University of Calgary student enrolled in a graduate program including a Master's or PhD program.
• Must be earning credit towards a graduate degree at the University of Calgary (UCalgary), i.e., accepted into and registered in a graduate degree program at time of application.
• Completed at least the equivalent of one semester of their graduate program prior to going abroad.
• Be in good academic standing (GPA of 2.7 or higher).
• Eligible programs include Group Study (faculty-led) Programs, Master of Social Work International Practicum Placements, exchange programs, Werklund Joint Doctoral Research Seminar program, and other graduate international learning experiences through the University of Calgary.
• All travel must register and be in compliance with the University of Calgary Risk Management. Associated health and safety risks with the travel location and/or the activity itself are factors in an activity’s eligibility. All international travel is subject to final approval from Risk Management. Travel approvals are subject to change should circumstances evolve. Visit the University of Calgary travel and risk management website to view country risk ratings and find more information.
• Have not previously received funding from the Global Learning Award, International Study Travel Grant, International Studentship, UGo, Virtual Learning Grant, Undergraduate International Research Grant, Graeme Bell Graduate Travel Award, Global Skills Opportunity Program including the Global Indigenous Skills or the Global Access Fund competitions. Recipients are not eligible for more than one award for an individual experience and preference will be given to applicants who are not receiving another award in the same term. 
• Are not receiving significant funding from other sources (such as Mitacs) for this program.

For a printable version of the above guidelines please click on the following link.

All University of Calgary graduate students who meet the above eligibility requirements may apply. All eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection committee, who will consider academic performance; alignment of the global learning program with the applicant’s academic, personal and professional goals; and extracurricular involvement and leadership (including all commitments and responsibilities outside of their University of Calgary academic program) as part of the decision-making process. 

The committee will not consider applicants who:

• Are attending conferences.
• Are registered in an undergraduate program.
• Are not registered in a graduate degree program at the University of Calgary.
• Are currently on their program abroad.
• Have completed their program abroad at the time of applying for the award.
• Have previously received funding from the Global Learning Award, International Study Travel Grant, International Studentship, UGo Virtual Learning Grant, Undergraduate International Research Grant, Graeme Bell Graduate Travel Award, Global Skills Opportunity Program including the Global Access Fund or Global Indigenous Skills competitions.
• Are receiving significant funding from other sources (such as Mitacs) for this program.
• Submit a late application.

For students participating in Group Study (faculty-led) Programs:

1. Please log into RAISA: www.ucalgary.ca/UCI/RAISA
2. Complete/update your profile.
3. Click on the ‘Funds’ tab.
4. Search for the Graeme Bell Graduate Travel Award Spring/Summer 2025 & Fall 2025 and click on the apply button.
5. Complete your application and make sure to submit it. Please note: you need to press submit. Saved applications will not be considered by the committee past the deadline.

For students participating in a Master of Social Work International Practicum Placements, exchange programs, Werklund Joint Doctoral Research Seminar program, and other graduate international learning experiences through the University of Calgary:

Please follow the above steps to log into the application system and create a profile. 

When completing the application: 

Under "program details", for program choose “Other”. For the program name, please enter in the name in the following format: Faculty – Program Type – Partner Institution (for exchanges only) – Country. For example:

• Schulich – Exchange – Stuttgart, 
• Education – TAB – Vietnam,
• Haskayne – Exchange – Bocconi, or
• Social Work – Practicum – Barbados.

To check the status of your application, please follow these steps:

1. Log into RAISA: www.ucalgary.ca/UCI/RAISA
2. Click on the tab labelled “My Applications” and then click on "view fund applications".

The status of your application will be shown on the right-hand side of the Fund application title.

Here is what each status means:

Accepted - Congratulations, you have been awarded an award. You will receive an email within 24 hours of this status change with the award details. If it has been more than 24 hours, please email intlstdt@ucalgary.ca to have the letter re-sent. Please make sure to check your junk/spam mailbox.

Applied - Your application has been completed and successfully submitted. Your application will remain at the applied status until the system is updated with the committee decisions.

Declined- Unfortunately, you have not been awarded an award.

Saved - You have a draft application. Any applications that are saved are not considered by the committee. Please ensure you complete and submit your application by the deadline.

Withdrawn -You have not been able to complete the study program or an acceptable alternative and are therefore ineligible for an award so your funding has been withdrawn. This is only used for students who withdraw an application before the committee considers it or who withdraw after they have been awarded.

What do I need to do to have my award paid out?

Once you have been accepted, here are the steps you will need to complete to receive your award:

Accept Terms and Conditions:

1. Log into RAISA: http://www.ucalgary.ca/UCI/RAISA
2. Click on the tab labeled "My Applications", and then click on "view fund applications".
3. You should be able to see a button called “Registration." Please click on it and check the box that confirms you have read and understood all the terms and conditions for receiving the grant.

Update your banking information:

1. Enter your banking information through your Student Centre: http://my.ucalgary.ca
2. Go to the "My Financials" section and click on "Submit Direct Deposit Info" (NOTE: this is in very small text at the base of the "Awards and Scholarships" block.)

When will my award be paid out?

Students must provide their banking info and accept the Terms & Conditions prior to receiving their award.

The award payment will be scheduled for disbursement once all terms and conditions of the award have been accepted and acceptance by the host institution is confirmed by the awardee or the Global Learning Advising team. 

For a printable version of the Graeme Bell Graduate Travel Award Terms and Conditions please e-mail intlstdt@ucalgary.ca.

All award recipients must complete a report for the funder. Details TBA.

1. I have applied for a study program but have not received confirmation of my acceptance, am I still eligible?

Yes. You can apply based on the tentative dates and details for your proposed program. If the committee chooses to award you funding, it will be contingent on you providing proof of participation in the program.

2. How much is the Graeme Bell Graduate Travel Award, ?

Since available funds are divided among chosen recipients, no exact estimate for funding amounts can be provided. We anticipate between $500 – 1,000 per recipient, however, this is subject to change.

3. If I am participating in a UCalgary program as a Visiting Student (e.g. from MRU) am I eligible for the Graeme Bell Graduate Travel Award?

No. Students must be earning credits towards a UCalgary degree.

4. I am an Open Studies Student, am I eligible?

No. Open Studies students are not officially registered in a degree program so they are not earning credit towards a degree. If you were an Open Studies student in the past but you have been accepted into a degree program at UCalgary by the application deadline, you are eligible. 

5. I am looking to attend a conference related to my thesis/research/degree, am I eligible?

No. Conferences are not eligible for funding through the Graeme Bell Graduate Travel Award. Please contact the Students’ Union (if you are an undergraduate student) or the Faculty of Graduate Studies (if you are a graduate student) to see what other funding options may be available to you.

6. I am not eligible for the Global Learning Award. Can you suggest other sources of funding?

We have compiled a list of funding options for students to further investigate. Click here for more information.

7. I am an International Student. Can I apply for a Global Learning Award to help with the cost of my studies at UCalgary?

No. The Global Learning Award is only awarded for studies undertaken outside of Canada. However, international students who are participating on a global learning program (such as an exchange or group study) are eligible to apply for the Graeme Bell Graduate Travel Award.

8. I applied for the Graeme Bell Graduate Travel Award,  in a previous year or previous degree but did not receive it. May I apply again?

Yes! You are only ineligible if you have received the award before and were paid. 

9. I have not yet received my award. What do I do?

Please check your bank statement for the month that you were supposed to receive your award. The money should have been deposited either on the 10^th or 25^th of the month. If you do not see it, please connect with our awards team at intlstdt@ucalgary.ca for next steps.