INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

This information is for undergraduate students who are thinking about applying or who have been awarded grants from Northwestern and whose projects include international travel.

FOR EVERYONE

To minimize health and safety risks, the University links approval of undergraduate international travel to U.S. Department of State (DOS) Travel Advisories. If you are considering a trip abroad for undergraduate research, first read the Travel Advisory for your destination.  If your destination is located on Northwestern’s “restricted travel” list (see Undergraduate International Travel Policy), then you must seek approval from Northwestern before your funding can be released. Contact NU’s Office of Global Safety and Security (OGSS) in the early planning stages of your trip to discuss your formal request for travel permission.

GeoBlue Health Insurance

Northwestern students traveling internationally on university-affiliated programs are automatically covered by Northwestern’s GeoBlue health insurance plan. To be eligible, students must register their travel in Northwestern’s International Travel Registry. GeoBlue offers comprehensive benefits, including care for pre-existing conditions, emergency medical evacuation, and access to a global network of healthcare providers. For more details, review GeoBlue for Students.

FOR URG APPLICANTS

Supplemental Travel Funds for Summer Undergraduate Research Grants (Summer URGs) and Academic Year Undergraduate Research Grants (AY URGs) ONLY:

  • If you plan to travel internationally to conduct your project, you will receive half the cost of your airfare in addition to the $4000 of a SURG or $1000 of an AYURG.
  • This extra travel money for your flight must be requested in your application, not after the grant is awarded to you. This timing is important because the review committee needs to know up front how many students are requesting travel money.
  • To request travel funds when you apply, include a budget listing the anticipated cost of your roundtrip international airfare as an appendix to your proposal. You will be eligible to receive up to 50% of the cost of the flight (on top of the regular grant amount).  This supplement cannot be used by students travelling to their home country.

FOR GRANT RECIPIENTS

All grant recipients whose plans include international travel (unless you are traveling to your home country) are required to complete Northwestern’s health and safety pre-departure requirements, which included enrollment in Northwestern’s International Travel Registry. When you have completed all requirements, you have the option within the Registry to obtain a PDF “receipt.”  Upload this form to the SOAP system.

  • If you propose to research in a country on the Undergraduate Travel Restricted List, you will need to complete the Travel Permission Request process prior to completing the travel registry. This request must be approved by the International Travel Risk Management Committee, so it is essential you work with OGSS to begin this process immediately.
  • Your grant cannot be processed and paid to you until you complete all the health and safety pre-departure requirements, which for most students includes enrolling in the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
  • Northwestern students traveling internationally on university-affiliated programs are automatically covered by Northwestern’s GeoBlue health insurance plan. To be eligible, students must register their travel in Northwestern’s International Travel Registry. GeoBlue offers comprehensive benefits, including care for pre-existing conditions, emergency medical evacuation, and access to a global network of healthcare providers. For more details, review GeoBlue for Students.
  • Grants can only be paid on the last day of the month, and it requires that an early-month payroll deadline is met. The earlier that you complete the pre-departure requirements, the quicker we can start processing your payroll paperwork, so that you can receive your funding. Check the Info for Grant Winners page for exact dates.
  • Your Travel Registry must be complete at least two weeks before your departure, or your grant could be revoked.

HELP

Don’t hesitate to contact the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research.