Experience: myCHOICE Travel Award

The myCHOICE Travel Award is designed to help trainees attend professional development conferences and workshops. The award (for a maximum of $500) is open to applications each quarter, due by the first friday of the quarter. A maximum of one award will be awarded each quarter.

The myCHOICE Travel Award is restricted to payment for registration fees, travel, and/or accommodations associated with professional development conferences. Once awarded, the funds are not transferrable to travel to another conference. This funding will not be awarded to attend an academic conference or training related to your academic field of study. Examples of typical uses include events related to science policy, consulting, leadership training, or some other form of professional skill development.

To apply for this award, you must:

• Be a PhD student or post-doctoral trainee in UChicago Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, or Molecular Engineering.
• Complete the travel award application form by the first Friday of the academic quarter for which you are seeking the award (ie March 27 for Spring 2026)
  • The travel award form will ask you the following questions:
    • Name, Email, Division, Department
    • Which academic quarter are you requesting a travel award for?
    • Which option best reflects your application?
    • Please describe the opportunity for which you are seeking funding. Please make sure to include the type of training, duration, location and name of opportunity.
    • Please describe your career goals and how attendance at this specific opportunity will prepare you for this career.

If you receive the award you must:

• Provide a letter of acceptance/registration from the organizers; if not available at the time of application, it must be submitted before funds will be awarded.
• Provide an anticipated budget for the experience.
• Receive a letter of support from your PI or Program Chair (if you have not yet committed to a lab)
• Within 2 weeks of your return from the event, submit a brief report that describes the primary take-aways from the conference.

Please email mychoice@uchicago.edu with any questions