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Travel Grants

Eligibility: Travel grants are available to both active members and newcomers. Newcomers are individuals who have not attended a SAIR conference in the past and will become new members of SAIR at the annual conference.


Applying for Grants: To be considered for the travel grants, applicants must complete the electronic travel grant form. The link to this form can be found on the SAIR travel grant page below and will also be included in communications about the conference. Applicants will upload a brief curriculum vita/resume, a description of how attending the conference will contribute to their professional development, and a statement of financial need and existing financial support. 


Questions about the travel grants should be submitted to the Member-at-Large for Member Engagement and Marketing at membership@sair.org.


The travel grant application submissions for the 2024 Conference in Atlanta will be announced in Spring 2024.


Awarding of Grants: Recommendations by the Member-at-Large to the Board of Directors for travel grant awards will be based on information submitted in the application materials. Applications from individuals who have not received a travel grant from SAIR within the past two years will receive priority.


Travel grant awards and checks will be presented during the closing meeting of the SAIR conference. Travel grant recipients are expected to stay for the entire conference and must attend the closing meeting to receive their award and check.


Available Grants

  1. Newcomers Grants for First-time Attendees: A maximum of eight grants in the amount of $300.00, plus waiver of conference registration fee, will be available each year for travel to the SAIR conference. To be eligible, applicants must have never attended a SAIR conference.
  2. Bill Fendley Travel Grant for Second-Year Attendees:
    This grant in the amount of $300.00, plus waiver of conference registration fee, will be available each year for travel to the SAIR conference. To be eligible, applicants must have attended the SAIR conference as a Newcomer the previous year.

    The Bill Fendley Travel Grant was established in 2007 to honor William R. Fendley who was a Distinguished Member, recipient of the James R. Montgomery Outstanding Service Award, and a Past President of SAIR. Bill served as a mentor to many and was always one of the first to greet newcomers to the profession and/or the organization.

  3. Larry G. Jones Graduate Student Travel Grant: This grant, in the amount of $500, plus waiver of conference registration fee, will be available each year for travel to the SAIR conference. To be eligible, applicants must have a presentation accepted for the upcoming SAIR conference. Applicants must either be currently enrolled as a graduate student or have graduated in the spring or summer term immediately preceding the SAIR conference. Only master's or doctoral level students and recent graduates from accredited institutions of higher education are eligible.  Established in 2005 to honor past SAIR president and executive board member Larry G. Jones, the travel grant will be awarded annually to a deserving graduate student.
  4. Edith H. Carter Travel Grants: A maximum of ten grants in the amount of $500.00 will be available each year for travel to the SAIR conference. To be eligible, applicants must be a member of SAIR.  The Edith H. Carter Travel Grant is named for a charter member of SAIR. In Atlanta in 1974, James R. Montgomery and Edith H. Carter co-chaired the first meeting of the Southern Conference for Institutional Research, which later was renamed the Southern Association for Institutional Research. She was a recipient of the James R. Montgomery Outstanding Service Award and an active member of SAIR for many years. Dr. Carter established a bequest of $5,000.00 per year for five years for the designated purpose of travel grants. This generous donation will fund travel grants for SAIR members for the 2019 to 2023 conferences.

Previous Winners

Bill Fendley Travel Grant for Second-Year Attendees

  • 2023 – William Luton, University of Holy Cross
  • 2022 – Carolyn Beamer, University of West Florida
  • 2021 – Dawn Mitchell, Northwestern State University
  • 2019 – Smriti Ingrole, Florida State University
  • 2018 – Emily Wilkins, Auburn University
  • 2017 – Phillip Brodeur, Auburn University at Montgomery
  • 2016 – Melanie Fox, Radford University
  • 2015 – Elizabeth Riesser, Kentucky Community and Technical College System
  • 2014 – Marisa Yates, Miami Dade College
  • 2013 – Austin Ryland, University of Alabama
  • 2012 – Brenda Turner, Faulkner University
  • 2011 – Terry Zhu, Lurleen B. Wallace Community College
  • 2010 – Leslie Odom, University of Dallas
  • 2009 – Joy Evans, McLennan Community College
  • 2008 – Nikki Thompson, Alvin Community College

Larry G. Jones Graduate Student Travel Grant

  • 2023: Shelby Morris
  • 2022: Cassandra Kepple
  • 2021: Jacob Carver
  • 2019: John Eric Novosel-Lingat
  • 2019: Stephen Mayfield
  • 2016: Holly Thomas
  • 2014: Mondrail Myrick
  • 2013: Jaya K. Soni
  • 2012: Austin Ryland
  • 2011: Jay Prakash Mishra
  • 2010: Chary-Sy Copeland
  • 2009: Emily C. Saleh
  • 2006: Deborah Worley

Edith H. Carter Travel Grants

  • 2023
    • Ashton Davis
    • Rebecca Elliott
    • Jessica Harber
    • Jennifer Hutson
    • Stacy Lynch
    • Will Miller
    • Teja Plyler
    • Berdikul Qushim
    • Cynthia Senior
    • Christopher Weldon
    • Charlie Wilder
  • 2022
    • Vicki Cleveland
    • Veronica Leonard
    • Srisuda McCollough
    • Stuart Miller
    • Melba Kennedy
    • Jessica Carroll
    • Nicole Connors
    • Laura Wilkins
    • Robert Aycock
    • John Thomas
    • Ellissa Brooks Nelson
    • Mandy Sessions
    • Samantha James
    • Wendy Broyles
  • 2021
    • Jacob Carver
    • Dawn Mitchell
  • 2019
    • Blake Robert
    • Cassandra Sessoms
    • Emily Campbell
    • John LeMay
    • Meaghann Wheelis
    • Melinda Turner
    • Melissa Lewis
    • Patrick Sanger
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The Southern Association for Institutional Research (SAIR) is dedicated to the advancement of research leading to improved understanding, planning, and operation of institutions of post-secondary education. SAIR provides a forum for the dissemination of information and interchange of ideas on problems of common interest in the field of institutional research. In addition, SAIR promotes the continued professional development of individuals engaging in institutional research and fosters the unity and cooperation among persons having interests and activities related to research.