2019 SMT Annual Meeting
Non-U.S. and non-Canadian citizens who reside outside the United States and Canada are invited to apply for International Travel Grants. Theorists at all stages of their careers, including graduate students, are encouraged to apply. It is possible to be a repeat recipient as well (though new applicants will be given priority). For a list of past International Travel Grant winners since 2002, see the Past Recipients of SMT Travel Grants page. The Committee on Race and Ethnicity administers the International Travel grant program for theorists attending the SMT Annual Meeting.
Travel Grant Application Form
- To apply for a travel grant, please fill out the online Travel Grant application form. You must log in first in order to fill out this form. If you are having trouble with the online form, please email the Executive Director, Jennifer Diaz.
- The attachments requested should be in a standard file format, such as a Microsoft Word .doc file or a .pdf.
- Complete application materials must be received by September 10, 2019.
- For comments and inquiries, please email Somangshu Mukherji.
Information regarding International Travel Grants
Applicants need not be SMT members; registration for the annual meeting will be covered as part of the grant. Three to five grants are awarded typically, up to a maximum amount of $650 per grant.
General: A statement of research interests within the field of music theory and financial need (in the case of students, junior faculty, and non-affiliated scholars) will be used to evaluate the applications. Preference will be given to students and junior scholars (in that order). A junior scholar is defined as a scholar who received a Ph.D. less than seven calendar years ago or (in the case of a scholar who does not hold a Ph.D.) is under the age of 40.
Senior scholars: At least one grant is guaranteed in support of senior scholars attending the Annual Meeting. A brief description of the scholar’s contribution to the meeting, a statement of research interests in relation to the field of music theory, and a statement of anticipated expenses and financial support will be used to evaluate the applications.
Information required on the application forms
Applicants are asked to provide the following information whether submitting a grant application online or via PDF:
- name, address, telephone, e-mail, and institutional affiliation, if any;
- anticipated expenses for travel to and lodging during the conference (demonstrating responsible approaches to minimizing costs); also, indicate whether your institution has funds to support your travel expenses to the conference, and if so, the results of your application for those funds;
- purpose for attending the conference, and (for senior scholars) brief description of contribution to the Annual Meeting;
- a clear statement of research interests and their relation both to conference participation and the field of music theory in general; and
- a short curriculum vitae (no longer than two pages).
- Students must also submit a letter of support from one of their major professors. The professor should email the letter of support directly to SMT’s Executive Director at smt@societymusictheory.org with the following in the message line: “recommendation for international travel grant”. Although each committee member makes their own decision on how to use letters of recommendation, these letters are typically very helpful in two ways—(a) they provide a description of the applicant’s interests and work in music theory, and therefore how attending the annual conference will be beneficial to them; and (b) the applicant’s individual background, and how this makes them suitable for the specific grant to which they are applying. Though this information is very helpful to the committee, it does not need to be comprehensive, and a typical letter of recommendation does not need to be longer than a couple of paragraphs to a page in length.