2026 AERA Annual Meeting Graduate Student Assistance Fund

Call for Applications

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: January 7, 2026 11:59pm (PT)

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) invites applications for the Annual Meeting Graduate Student Assistance Fund (AMGSAF). This fund will provide support to enable Graduate Student members of AERA with demonstrated need to offset the cost of attending the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, California, April 8-12. This Association-wide Annual Meeting Assistance Fund reflects AERA’s continuing commitment to prioritize graduate students in our field and to support their success through targeted programming and initiatives.

This initiative aims to expand access to the Annual Meeting for graduate students by offering an additional funding resource for those who might not otherwise be able to attend the Annual Meeting. While many universities are able to offer some funding to support graduate student conference attendance, there is both considerable variability across institutions in terms of what they can provide and an increasing scarcity of funds available to graduate students to cover conference attendance costs. Many of AERA’s Divisions and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) also have longstanding awards that provide travel assistance to their graduate student members. These programs remain an invaluable resource for facilitating graduate student access to the Annual Meeting; nonetheless, demand for support consistently exceeds the availability of funds.

The Annual Meeting Graduate Student Assistance Fund builds upon AERA’s commitment to investing in access and inclusion for graduate students at its Annual Meetings. AERA will make up to 100 awards (maximum amount: $500) to Graduate Student members to help offset the cost of attending the 2026 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

Award Details

Deadline: The deadline to apply for support from the Annual Meeting Graduate Student Assistance Fund is Wednesday, January 7, 2026.

Award: Awards will include up to $500 to cover registration and travel costs associated with attending the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

Eligibility and Application Information

Eligibility: To receive AMGSAF support, students must:

• Be enrolled in a graduate degree program (within or outside the U.S.) at the time of application and during the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting;
• Be a 2025 or 2026 AERA Graduate Student member at the time of application
• Be a 2026 AERA Graduate Student member during the 2026 Annual Meeting;
• Not be a recipient of travel funding for the 2026 Annual Meeting from other AERA sources (e.g., divisions or SIGs)

Application Requirements:

• Complete the AERA Annual Meeting Graduate Student Assistance Fund application no later than January 7, 2025, 11:59 PM (PST).
• Upload a letter of support from your advisor which verifies your current enrollment status and your financial need.

Where to Apply

AERA will only accept application materials through the AERA Annual Meeting Graduate Student Assistance Fund online application portal. All applicants need to have a “My AERA” user profile with a username and password to submit. AERA membership is not required to create a profile. However, AERA membership is required at the time of submission for the application to be considered for the AMGSAF.

To apply, go to AERA APPLY PORTAL. Sign in using your “My AERA” credentials. Review and update your AERA contact information, then click “Save and Continue.” Review and update your current information, then click “Save and go to AERA APPLY.” On the AERA APPLY Portal page use the drop-down menu to select “Annual Meeting Graduate Student Assistance Fund.”

Complete applications must be submitted as FINAL by 11:59 pm PT, Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Applicants who are selected to receive funding will be notified by mid-February.  

If you have questions about the Annual Meeting Graduate Student Assistance Fund, please email edresearch@aera.net and include “AMGSAF” in the subject line.