81st Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Thursday, April 4 through Sunday, April 7, 2024
Hybrid Format: In-Person at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, IL or Online

All Panels/Paper Sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups will Feature a Hybrid Format (for In-Person or Virtual Participation). Undergraduate Poster Sessions will be In-Person Only.

Conference Program Co-Chairs:
Gisela Sin, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Elizabeth Suhay, American University

Learn more about the conference. Sign up here to receive email communications about the conference.

Graduate Student Travel Scholarships

Applications for Graduate Student Travel Scholarships are being accepted through January 5, 2024. Apply today! You must be logged into your MPSA account to apply. If you do not have an account, or are unsure, please click here. If you need to reset your password, please click here.   

The MPSA provides 13 different $500 travel scholarships (four Harrell Rodgers Graduate Student Travel Scholarships, one John Bohte Memorial Graduate Student Travel Scholarship, one Luis R. Fraga Graduate Student Travel Scholarship, one Pi Sigma Alpha Graduate Student Travel Scholarship, one Valerie Martinez-Ebers Diversity Travel Scholarship, one Vincent Hutchings Diversity Travel Scholarship, two MPSA Status Committee on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Scholarships, and two MPSA Status Committee on Gender and Sexual Minorities Scholarships) for graduate students in a doctoral program who are members, presenting at the annual conference, and have not been previous recipients of a Graduate Student Travel Scholarship.

In addition to the requirements above, other eligibility requirements may vary based upon the intent of each individual scholarship to serve a population in the discipline, please see the descriptions below for more information. You will be asked to self-report your eligibility during the application process. Applicants can self-certify eligibility through identification with the groups outlined in the scholarship purpose description or they may indicate they are actively involved in research in an area which seeks to represent these groups and advance the discipline.

Graduate Student Travel Scholarships are applicable to in-person conference participation only. Recipients will receive their travel fund scholarship in-person at the conference. Funds are NOT dispersed prior to the conference. Please do not delay registering for the conference until you hear the status of your scholarship application. You do not want to delay registering as you may miss out on the best conference pricing.

Available Travel Scholarships

The Harrell Rogers Graduate Student Travel Scholarship started with funding from the Policy Studies Organization (PSO) in 2004, and expanded by the MPSA Council in 2010. This program provides $500 in travel funding for doctoral-level graduate students who are members of the MPSA to attend the MPSA Conference. The scholarship is named for Harrell Rodgers, who has organized panels at the MPSA conference on behalf of the PSO for many years. Historically only 4% of the applications have received support.

The John Bohte Memorial Graduate Student Travel Scholarship was established to fund travel for graduate students presenting research in the subfield of public policy/public administration. This program provides $500 in travel funding for graduate students. The scholarship is named in honor of John Bohte, who was an active scholar in the field of public policy/public administration and a popular teacher and mentor to undergraduate and graduate students alike.

The Luis R. Fraga Graduate Student Travel Scholarship seeks to support PhD students from underserved populations to attend the MPSA annual conference.

The Pi Sigma Alpha Graduate Student Travel Scholarship was established in 2022. Sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha, this $500 scholarship provides travel funding for doctoral-level graduate students who are members of the MPSA to attend the MPSA Conference. Pi Sigma Alpha, also known as the National Political Science Honor Society, brings students together to foster critical thinking and an exchange of ideas on issues of government, public affairs, international studies, political philosophy, public policy, and activism. Learn more about the honor society and its mission, vision and purpose, as well as how to join here.

The Valerie Martinez-Ebers Diversity Travel Scholarship. This was established in 2023 to honor the work of Dr. Valerie Martinez-Ebers, whose research specializes in education policy, Latino/a politics, and women in politics. This program provides $500 in travel funding for doctoral-level graduate students who are presenting at the annual conference, with an awarding preference to students with a Latino/a or other diverse background.

The Vincent Hutchings Diversity Travel Scholarship. This was established in 2023 to honor the work of Dr. Vincent Hutchings, an internationally known scholar of political behavior with significant contributions to the literature in public opinion, elections, voting behavior, and African American politics. This program provides $500 in travel funding for doctoral-level graduate students who are presenting at the annual conference, with an awarding preference to students with a diverse background.

The MPSA Status Committee on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Travel Scholarship awards travel funding to a select group of qualifying members of the MPSA to attend and present at the MPSA Annual Conference.

The MPSA Status Committee on Gender and Sexual Minorities Travel Scholarship awards travel funding to a select group of qualifying members of the MPSA to attend and present the MPSA Annual Conference.

Please note: if you are awarded a Graduate Student Travel Scholarship, you are not eligible to receive a Conference Fee Waiver, and vice versa.

Apply now for a Graduate Student Travel Scholarship! 

Graduate Student Travel Scholarship Committee

Thank you to the following professionals for their service on the Graduate Student Travel Scholarship Committee for the 2023 MPSA Annual Conference:

Chair: Dr. Brian Lai, University of Iowa

Committee Members: Dr. Meina Cai, University of Connecticut; Dr. Songying Fang, Rice University; Dr. Samantha Vortherms, University of California; Dr. Matthew Wright, University of British Columbia.

If you would like to serve on the Graduate Student Travel Scholarship Committee, please indicate your interest on this form.

Additional Conference Fee Waivers and Childcare Scholarships

The MPSA offers additional financial assistance opportunities through Conference Registration Fee Waivers and Conference Childcare Scholarships.