In the professional journey of every graduate student, conferences play a major role. Not only do they serve as a great platform for showcasing your research work during the year, but also provide the opportunity to interact with fellow graduate students, and distinguished researchers from your field (and sub-field) and learn new things about areas of research you might not have thought of. However, there are a few quirks of the process that a lot of us are often not aware of. Let this blog be about conferences and the processes involved in ensuring that you make the most of your valuable time and limited resources in research and learning, rather than anything else.

It all begins with your abstract being selected. Congratulations! There aren’t many feelings as good as receiving that acceptance email. All the hard work that you and your team have put into the research has finally been acknowledged by a conference of your peers and experts. An important note here is that even before you decide to send your paper to a conference, remember, there aren’t just predatory journals. Predatory conferences exist as well, and they are flourishing, especially in a post-COVID era of hybrid/online conferencing. It is pertinent that you, as a novice researcher and graduate student, consult your PIs and Advisors before sending your work to a journal.

Once acceptance is out of the way, it’s time to secure funding. While almost all your graduate school conference travel will be funded by your PI or Advisor, it is not a rule. However, most departments do have a pool of money reserved for conference travel and if you reach out, they will help you with it. Departments across the A&M system want their students to excel and being able to fund their travel to conferences is one way of showcasing their talents and is also a feather in the cap of those nurturing this competence and skill.

Once the money has been arranged, it’s CONCUR time! If you have been to conferences before, you know what I am going to write next. CONCUR is A&M’s system to keep track of travel requests and expenses. Location on your Howdy under SSO, you will be required to set up a travel request through the system. While it is not too complicated, if it is your first time dealing with the system, it is natural to be extra cautious. I would recommend talking to your department advisor or administration staff and seeking their help. A&M requires you to complete the request and for its approval before you are to begin your travel. You must ensure that it is taken care of because delays at your end would result in delays at the University’s end, and we want to avoid any unnecessary hassle.

Now that you are approved, make the most of the conference! Your itinerary at the conference will be filled with multiple sessions, often simultaneously, requiring you to be judicious with your time and choice of session. Remember, focus on what directly impacts your area/topic of choice, then what the PI might have recommended you gain knowledge of, and lastly, a session that might be futurist or interesting. This way, you will avoid being overwhelmed.

Lastly, based on your conference location, you will have a per diem expense rate fixed by the General Services Administration (GSA). You must follow the guidelines on their page to get a clear sense of the expenses you are allowed and the limitations. Following this, you must keep track of all your expenses in the form of physical (I prefer it) or digital receipts.

Lastly, once you are back from your travel, you will be asked to clear an expense report, through CONCUR of course. This will allow you to upload your expense receipts during the conference trip. Once you do that and are approved, you will receive your reimbursement.

In conclusion, it is evident that conference travel is a tad complicated process, but with careful planning and some support from your department, it could be a great experience. If you are to take my advice, I would overwhelmingly recommend you attend relevant and important conferences as much as possible. These trips are often the ones that will decide the direction of your post-A&M life and I am hopeful that my blog here will contribute to this journey in some form or another.

Happy Conferencing, Aggies!