Professional Development Support Fund for Students

Application Materials

You must submit an online application, which requires the following documentation. Please read this carefully and use the links provided to obtain relevant forms.

Applying to organize an event or host a speaker. You must be approved before the event can be held. 

1. Event proposal  
   • Include details of your event which must be held at the Harvard Chan School. Please save a copy and use this Event Proposal Template.
2. Proposed budget
   • Include estimated itemized costs for all possible expenses.
   • Please use screenshots or receipts of estimated expenses.
   • Feel free to reference this Example Budget Submission and copy then use this Event Budget Template.
3. Written letter of support
   • Must be from your Field of Study Director, Program Director, or Faculty Advisor.
   • This letter must include their First Name, Last Name, Title, Department, and Harvard Email Address.

Applying to attend or present at a conference.  You may apply before or after you attend or present provided it is within this academic year. 

1. Personal statement
   • Share your role at the conference, the name of the conference with a link to the conference itinerary, and how the conference is related to your program of study at Harvard Chan along with how it will contribute to your professional development.
2. Proposed budget
   • Upload 1 file that details your itemized budget along with any receipts/screenshots/links for purchases already made OR estimates of expenses that you want the committee to consider.
   • Only budget items with documentation will be considered.
   • Budget item examples: airfare, mileage, car rental fee, taxi, hotel, conference fees, etc.
   • A maximum of $1,000 may be requested.
   • Feel free to reference this Example Budget Submission and copy then use this Conference Budget Template.
   • Written letter of support
     • Must be from your Field of Study Director, Program Director, or Faculty Advisor.
     • This letter must include their First Name, Last Name, Title, Department, and Harvard Email Address.
3. A signed Risk and Release Form for either international travel or domestic travel.
   • Download, sign, and upload your form to the online application.

If traveling outside the U.S:

1. Complete the online travel orientation from Global Support Services.
2. Create an account with the MyTrips tool provided by Global Support Services. Information and the MyTrips link here.
3. Upload a screenshot of your MyTrips registration to the online application, even though your plans may still be in process. It is your responsibility to add your travel details once you have them.
4. Complete an online Travel Safety Questionnaire (see link on this page), if traveling to a High-Risk destination. Refer to the Travel Risk Ratings from Global Support Services to see if your destination is considered a High-Risk destination.

Application status

Only complete applications will be reviewed and it is the applicant’s responsibility to provide all needed documentation. Once the committee has met you will receive an email notification with your application status.

Approvals

The goal of the fund is to reduce individual students’ costs to participate in or organize experiences that contribute to their professional development and funding is limited. Therefore, a student’s decision to make any purchases prior to an award of funding is at the student’s discretion. Please make financial decisions that are appropriate for your circumstances and plan accordingly.

Approval of funding will be based on the merit of a student’s application and the availability of funds. Late, incomplete, or group submissions will not be considered. Only one request per academic year can be approved. If you were awarded funding in the past, the content and title of the presentation must be different from any previous academic year application.

Awarded funds may only apply to expenses indicated on the award letter. PDSF award recipients who are unable to attend their professional development opportunity may be asked to return disbursed funds.

Please note that awards through this fund may be considered income and subject to federal tax regulations.

If awarded, get set up as a Harvard supplier 

Get set up as a Harvard supplier so that you can receive your award funds. This process is initiated through your application. You will receive instructions from B2P about the next steps. Respond promptly to requests for required documentation in the B2P system. Individual documentation varies. This process can take several weeks, so do not delay!

Questions? Email studentaffairs@hsph.harvard.edu

Becoming a Harvard Supplier in Buy2Pay (B2P)

Students who are awarded PDSF funds must register as a supplier with Harvard University. This process can take several weeks, so do not delay! Note: You must be registered as a supplier in the Harvard supplier system (Buy2Pay) to receive awarded funds.

After you receive your PDSF award notification, you will receive an invitation from the Harvard supplier system (Buy2Pay). The invitation will be sent from the email address, “procurement@harvard.edu”. Please be sure to check your HSPH email regularly for this email, including your Spam folder.

Once you have completed your registration as a supplier, you will receive a confirmation email; this confirmation email is not an indication of the completion of your profile in the system, but rather an acknowledgment of your registration and initiation of the process. Be on the alert for further emails from “procurement@harvard.edu” detailing the next steps. These steps will depend on your individual student status and case. For example, if you are a Foreign Individual, once you register, you will need to fill out Glacier forms. To re-access your account and complete the next steps, please use the link provided in the confirmation email or click here.

Please contact the Supplier Onboarding Team should you have any questions about registering as a supplier.