AIR Forum Scholarship
The AIR FORUM SCHOLARSHIP helps defray the cost of attending the AIR Forum for a current NEAIR member who would otherwise not be able to attend. This scholarship was established in 2015 with the generous support of the Association for Institutional Research through its AIR Affiliated Organization Forum Travel Grant.
The emphasis of this scholarship is to support the lifelong learning and development of those who are maturing in our professional field by providing opportunities to:
- refresh and/or enhance technical/analytical skills;
- learn about trending topics in higher education, institutional research, assessment, and effectiveness;
- learn about best practices in the field; and
- network with colleagues from across the nation and throughout the world.
When you are ready to submit your completed application, please sign into the NEAIR website using your username and password. Your information will be pre-populated in the application below for you to then upload grant application materials. Complete the information on the application form and upload the required document. Recipients will be notified before March 31 (the AIR early bird registration deadline) about the outcome of their application.
What documents do I need to submit?
The completed proposal must include a statement by the applicant describing the anticipated benefits of attending the AIR Forum and planned forms of participation at the conference (workshops, sessions, networking, volunteering, etc.). Please include a statement of financial need, if applicable.
What is considered when selecting the recipient(s) for the scholarship?
- Eligibility - Applicants need to have:
- Been a member of NEAIR for a minimum of 3 years;
- Attended a NEAIR Annual Conference;
- Be currently employed in higher education;
- Not have received a travel grant from NEAIR in the last 3 years.
Once eligibility is confirmed, proposals are blinded for review.
- Criteria for selection: Proposals are evaluated by the Grants Committee using the AIR Forum Scholarship Scoring Rubric. Basically, the Committee is looking for a clear and compelling rationale for why attending the AIR Forum will benefit the applicant in the professional development as an institutional researchers, and a description of the ways in which they will participate in the various learning experiences that are available at the AIR Forum.
The individual evaluations then are shared with the full committee and discussed by the group. Selection is made by a simple majority vote of the Grants Committee.
What happens if I am the recipient of the scholarship?
A travel expenses report with receipts must be provided at the latest within two weeks of the end of the conference. The recipient will be reimbursed for up to $1500 directly.The scholarship recipient is required to provide a report to the Grants Committee Chair via e-mail that will be shared with the Steering Committee at its annual summer meeting in June/July. The report should be no longer than one page and should highlight the recipient’s engagement in the AIR Forum and learning gained from attendance. That report also will be used to inform the Grants Committee report at NEAIR’s annual meeting and to satisfy any reporting requirements to AIR.
Past AIR Forum Scholarship Recipients
"Due to budget constraints I would not have been able to attend without this scholarship. The application process was easy and took very little time, I even ended up filling this out and turning it in on the last day because of a reminder email I had received.
I really enjoyed the conference and got a lot out of it. With budget constraints, which are only getting tighter, I wouldn’t have been able to attend this conference without this scholarship. I wasn’t sure about applying, because I felt other folks probably had better things to write about on their application, but I was really thrilled when I found out that I had received this scholarship!” —Sharon Hoover