Travel Fellowship Program at Feinberg Graduate School | Weizmann Institute of Science

The Feinberg Graduate School has initiated a program to award travel fellowships for conferences and international courses, and the purchase of laptop computers, to its doctoral students. These fellowships are awarded through individual research budgets and in accordance with the program regulations (see below).

Individual research budget

Every full-time FGS doctoral student receiving a fellowship from the Weizmann Institute will have an individual research budget opened on their behalf, on condition that s/he meets the criteria detailed below.

Transfer of allowances to individual research budgets

1. On submission of the research proposal or interim report, the school will verify that the student submitting it has abided by the academic requirements for submission deadlines (whether the reports were presented on time).

2. In accordance with the results (and subject to the above regulations) the School will transfer the relevant allowance to the doctoral student’s individual research budget, as follows:

- $2,000 (in NIS) during the month following the submission of the Proposal.

- $2,000 (in NIS) during the month following the submission of the interim report.

3. The program includes students accepted to the direct Ph.D. track.

4. In the Graduate School’s notification to the students approving the research proposal or interim report submitted, a paragraph will be included informing them of the relevant transfer of the allowance to their individual research budget, and encouraging them to utilize it before the expiration of the time allocated for its use (see below).

Time limit for use of an individual research budget

Doctoral students can make use of the entire credit in their individual research budget on condition that they comply with the academic requirements and submit the reports and thesis in accordance with their official deadlines. The budget will be revoked, and forbidden for use (even if credit remains), when the earliest of the following conditions is met:

- 54 months have passed since the starting date of the Ph.D. (not including IDF reserve service or maternity leaves).

- Termination of doctoral fellowship payments.

- The School Dean has directed that the allowance should cease.

It will not be possible to transfer the balance to another status or institution.

Deadlines for submission of reports and theses

The deadlines for submission of the research proposal, interim report, final report and thesis are scheduled for each doctoral student at the commencement of their studies. Each student is able to verify their report and thesis deadlines in the Graduate School’s section in Internal Services. The usual deadlines are 12 months from the day of commencing studies for the research proposal; 30 months for the interim report; 48 months for the final report; and 54 months for the thesis. For students on the direct Ph.D. track: The special format research proposal should be submitted within 24 months of the beginning of the M.Sc. program; the interim report within 18 months from the date of the official transition to the direct Ph.D. track; the final report within 36 months of the date of the official transition to the Direct Ph.D. Track; and the thesis within 40 months of the date of the official transition to the direct Ph.D. track.

Official deadline for submission of reports

- The original deadline

- A deadline that has been postponed due to one or more periods of maternity leave or military reserve duty occurring during the study period.

- A deadline officially postponed by prior arrangement with the FGS (This is usually limited to three months, or a longer period if approved in advance by the Dean of the Graduate School).

Late submission of Research Proposal or Interim Report

Students who fail to submit their reports prior to the official deadline will receive a warning from the Graduate School. If the report is then submitted during the month following the official deadline, the FGS will positively consider transferring the relevant allowance. Submission at a later date will preclude any possibility of the school transferring the relevant allowance.

Failure to submit final report or thesis by the official deadline

In the case of doctoral students who fail to submit their final report or thesis by the official deadline, the school Dean may (after a warning) direct that the student’s individual budget should be frozen or revoked, starting with the end of the month following the official deadline for the submission of the final report or thesis.

Cessation of studies before fulfilling Ph.D. requirements

In the case of a doctoral student ceasing his or her studies without completing their Ph.D. requirements, their individual research budget will be revoked. However, the student will not be obliged to return the allowances received due to previous reports and that have already been utilized.

Freezing or cession of an individual research budget

The FGS Dean may freeze, revoke or reduce a doctoral student’s travel allowance in the following cases:

- The student failed to meet his or her mandatory academic requirements

- The student submitted his or her report or thesis after the deadline, without prior approval of the FGS (beyond any warning issued).

- The student has committed a disciplinary offense.

The platform for utilizing an individual research budget

- The buget is designated for use to cover expenses of conferences taking place ONLY during the PhD study (and status) period.

- Every doctoral student will be able to access his or her budget by using the e-TAFNIT system.

- Every student can check the number of their individual budget in the Graduate School’s section in the Internal Services.

- The username and password for this purpose will be the UserID and universal password, that is identical to those with which the student accesses their e-mail accounts and Internal Services.

- Students may use the individual research budget on their own for travel expenses only.

Using the individual research budget for travel expense

- Doctoral students may use their budget for travel expenses, only after completing the Travel Expenses Form through the TAFNIT system; or someone authorized by them may complete the request on their behalf and in their name, through TAFNIT. The student must sign the form.

- Traveling is conditional on obtaining all the permits according to the rules and regulations as applicable to Weizmann Institute scientists, students and staff.

- Upon returning from his or her trip, the student must report their expenses using a form on the TAFNIT system, as requisite.

- If the trip is solely funded from the student’s individual budget, the request and report will be directly transferred by TAFNIT to the travel department.

- In general, the administrator is not required to handle or approve the request for a trip, unless traveling expenses are also funded from other sources, or in a case where the balance in the individual budget will be insufficient to finance the journey.

Approval of payments

Payments from the student’s individual budget will only be approved up until the current balance in the account. Under no circumstances will withdrawals placing the balance in deficit be allowed (even if a transfer of the next allowance is expected in the near future, into the budget). Requests for exceptional expenses will not be considered.