Programs & events · Chapter funding
Funding always starts within your institution, but sometimes that's not enough. That's when MAP International comes in.
Before you apply
Any MAP chapter that has been active for at least one semester and cannot secure sufficient funding from its department or university. Funding is limited, and priority goes to chapters with the fewest local options. MAP International may also consider funding requests for events that align with MAP's mission without being organized by a MAP Chapter.
Submit at least one month before you need the funds, and you should hear back from us within that month. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Tell us what the event is, who it is for, and how it furthers MAP's goals, and include an itemized budget. Since we can often grant only partial funding, tell us which items you would like prioritized.
Funding is disbursed by reimbursement. Save receipts as you go; you will submit them together with a funding cover sheet as a single PDF.
How reimbursement works
Current cycle: AY 2026–27 · applications open
At the request of our funders, we are now moving toward reimbursement as the default payment method for tax purposes. This requires you to submit receipts, along with a funding cover sheet, as a single PDF at the end of the semester or when you have spent your allotted funds, whichever comes first or is more convenient. You may also provide us with payment information at the time you submit receipts.
Can't front the costs? We are sensitive to the difficulties this poses to graduate students. If fronting the funds you need for your event would be overly burdensome, we have a very limited amount of funding that we can disburse ahead of time to cover the costs of your event. You will have the chance to indicate this preference when submitting your funding application, though we cannot guarantee that advance funding will be available.
One deadline that matters. For tax reasons, funding from Fall cannot carry over into Spring, so any excess funds must be used before the end of the term. Spring funds may carry into the following Fall.
Questions? Write to the funding teamKeeping costs down
Look for free or inexpensive rooms. Invite local or regional speakers to minimize travel. Consider whether you need more than one keynote. Co-sponsor with a nearby department. Vegetarian catering is usually cheaper, and often the right call anyway. We look most favorably on budgets that keep lunch under $15 per person, dinner under $30, recurring-event snacks under $40, and speaker accommodation under $150 per night.
Printing and books for reading groups. Summer institutes that replicate existing models. They align with our goals but are simply too expensive for us to share the cost long-term. Prizes for individuals. Travel for individual students to attend conferences, though we do fund travel for students coming to a conference you are organizing. And, of course, events unrelated to MAP's goals.