School of Medicine

Berman Travel Fund for MD Students

The Bernard A. Berman, M48, Travel Fund is a small fund for students who have been offered the chance to present their research at a conference. If you are the primary speaker/presenter of the body of work, you can submit a request to be partially funded for travel costs associated with the conference.

Applications are accepted, and funds are awarded on an ongoing basis. Awards are limited to one per student, ranging between $100-$300 during their time at Tufts School of Medicine to give all students an opportunity for support. The student should seek funding from alternate sources if additional assistance is needed (check with the PI or faculty mentor).

The student is responsible to pay upfront for all conference/travel related expenses. Reimbursements will be processed after the student has returned from the conference and has provided all required documentation. Complete documentation must be submitted to the OSA within 30 days of the conference.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • All Tufts University School of Medicine students matriculated in the MD degree program, who are in good academic and professional standing are eligible to apply. This includes students who are in the research concentration program. Students who are currently on a leave of absence are eligible to apply, with the condition that the conference will be attended when the student returns to full-time status.
  • Student research must have been conducted at TUSM or at one of TUSM affiliates.
  • Student research must have been conducted while matriculated as a TUSM MD student.
  • Funds will only be awarded towards future conference attendance. Presentations that occurred prior to the submission of the application will not be considered for funding.

Allowable Expenses:

  • Conference registration fees.
  • Coach class travel - If frequent flyer premiums are used, there is no out-of-pocket expense. Therefore, reimbursement can only be made if the cost of the ticket was paid by cash or credit card with valid receipt/bank statement.
  • Mileage is currently $0.67 per mile for privately owned vehicles. Mileage reimbursement is subject to change without notice, as dictated by the federal government.

Application Checklist:

(contact med-osa@tufts.edu for an application)

  • Complete Bernard A. Berman Travel Fund application Note: Application must be submitted to the OSA prior to conference attendance.
  • Letter of support from a principal investigator or faculty mentor associated with the presentation
  • Copy of the submitted abstract
  • Web page listing all conference details (e.g. purpose for conference, location, date(s), registration costs, etc.)
  • Confirmation of acceptance for poster or podium talk
  • Flight itinerary; or MapQuest depicting roundtrip mileage from your home to your destination
  • Confirmation of approved absence by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs
  • For international conferences, students must complete the Tufts Travel Registry in advance

Reimbursement Checklist:

  • A brief written statement/comments regarding your travel/conference experience is required.
  • Copy of accepted conference registration form and bank/credit card statement showing the full amount paid (expenditure line only, not the full statement)
  • Copy of flight/travel itinerary showing all travel times and amount; bank/credit card statement showing the full amount paid (expenditure line only, not the full statement)