Grant Fund Academic Forum

1. General Information

As of the academic year 2012-2013, the student initiative Grant Fund is anchored in the objectives of Academic Forum, and is now named Grant Fund Academic Forum. Students and associations can apply for subsidy for activities in the field of the four domains of Academic Forum: Ethics of Science, Reflection on Life, Science & Society, and Cultural Diversity. Additional information about the domains can be found on the Academic Forum website.

The subsidy applications should be linked to (at least) one of these four domains, and meet the following criteria:

The initiatives are new and non-regular activities for and organized by students of Tilburg University (e.g. symposia, lectures, debates, workshops);
The applications are provided with a clear project description, planning and budget;
Applications by university student associations are expected to contain a balance sheet that shows the association does not possess the necessary means to finance the intended activity (with the exception of study trips, see 2. below);
The granting is conditional; after the activity, it will be verified if the activity has been completed as planned. With this in mind, the definitive payment will be determined.

The Fund falls under the supervision and management of Academic Forum (Student Services), and project manager Luc Jeurissen is the fund’s chairman and secretary. The management committee of the Fund consists of five Tilburg University students and three Tilburg University employees. The committee reviews applications four times a year: in October, February, March and June.

You are advised to submit your request at the secretariat of the Grant Fund two weeks before the meeting (see: 3. Filing an application). Four times a year the committee reviews applications. The upcoming date is:

● 27 June 2013
The due date for requests for this round is 14 June 2013.
Make use of the possibility to contact the secretary before officially submitting your request for review. He will consult you on the feasibility of the request.

2. Study trips

The subsidy grant for study trips is part of Academic Forum’s formative function within the domain Cultural Diversity. Study trips contribute to internationalizing student traffic by exploring and discovering other countries and cultures. In the framework of broad academic formation, which is of great importance to Tilburg University, study trips have an added value. Study trips are an amazing experience, but they also lower the threshold for going on a study exchange or even obtaining a degree abroad. Annually, about 500 students participate in study trips, and in their own way contribute to the international character of Tilburg University.

The international experience of a study trip works on four levels.

Student level: contacts with students elsewhere are often an excellent source of knowledge about differences in study approach. Therefore, it is desirable that the participants are welcomed by delegates of a partner institute.
University level: Tilburg University has a number of partner universities that are basically open to visits from Tilburg University students.
Company level: traditionally, students visit interesting companies as well as social and political institutions (e.g. parliament).
Cultural level: visits to museums, social, and cultural institutions.

2.1 Quality requirements study trip

Applicants substantiate the choice of their destination with an explanation of the destination’s special cultural characteristics, for example on the basis of classifications from standard literature (think about Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, for example). The application further shows due dedication aimed at gaining insight on how specific cultural characteristics of the country to be visited have an influence on a company-level and on the organization of societal and political institutions.

The following actions are recommended to make the content of the trip a success:

A meeting of the participants with an expert on the destination before the trip (preferably Tilburg University scientists);
Expert guidance by one or more professors during the trip;
Assignments in the form of an essay or a presentation of several parts of the trip;
Reporting back and a group presentation for one or more professors after the trip.

2.2 Own contribution and sponsorship

Each participant pays a reasonable amount as their own contribution to the trip. This ‘reasonable amount’ cannot be exactly determined, because this depends on the destination, the length, and the planned activities of the trip. The judgment of the exact amount is considered in the decision-making process of the fund. However, sponsors (and Schools and departments of the University) can be sought to contribute to the study trip. This is often possible when the sponsor’s company in the destination country is visited and an advertisement is included in the travel guide.

2.3 Maximum Grant amounts

Subsidizing study trips is not related to the equity of an association. Point of departure is the individual participant.

The maximal subsidy per participant for traveling within Europe is 65 Euros; for traveling outside of Europe a maximum subsidy of 110 Euros per participant applies. Only Tilburg University students will be granted a subsidy.

2.4 Support Academic Forum

Internet Community

To give study trips more depth, continuity and dynamics, Academic Forum experimentally introduced an Internet community: ‘Study Trips’. Study trip organizers can use this community to raise their trip to a higher level. The following elements can be found in the community:

Travel reports of earlier trips;
A list of partner universities;
Examples of cultural models to classify countries (Hofstede);
The regulations for applying for subsidy;
Information, facts and tips;
Information exchanges.

Workshop cultural dimensions

On request, Academic Forum can provide a workshop on Cultural dimensions for students who will take a study trip. With Geert Hofstede’s culture model, specific cultural features or ‘dimensions’ can be explored and compared for different countries.

3. Filing an application

You are advised to submit your request at the secretariat of the Grant Fund two weeks before the meeting. Four times a year the committee reviews applications. The upcoming dates are:

● 27 June 2013
The due date for requests for this round is 14 June 2013.

Make use of the possibility to contact the secretary before officially submitting your request for review. He will consult you on the feasibility of the request. The request should contain the following information:

A letter in which you argue the choice of destination (including name, address, bank account number, amount of money requested);
A travel program in half-day periods;
A budget with clarification;
A list of participants with their administration numbers.

Submit nine copies of the request at the secretary of the Grant Fund (Academic Forum), room A 203 (Academia Building).

3.1 Payment

In principle, payment occurs after the activity has taken place and after submission of a realization of expenditure and revenue. (Please note that the realization has the same construction as the budget of the application). If you want to be in possession of the granted funds earlier, you can request a payment advance.

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