College of Agricultural Sciences Tag Along Fund
The Tag Along Fund program was established in 2004, following the 2005-2008 strategic planning recommendations of the International Programs Advisory Council (IPAC). This program replaces the Global Travel Fund Program of 2001-2003.
The Tag Along Fund program supports college faculty who are working in international activities and are willing to bring other college faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, staff and cooperative extension personnel with them to research sites, teaching ,or extension locations overseas. The program is intended to introduce first-time travelers to international experiences; seasoned travelers may apply as a tag-alonger, but a strong preference will be given to those with little or no international experience. The fund covers travel expenses of the individual(s) traveling with the faculty, the "Tag Alonger." The funds do not support the travel expenses of the faculty applying to the program.
Applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis according to the following schedule:
- May 15: For travel between July 1 and September 30
- August 15: For travel between October 1 and December 31
- November 15: For travel between January 1 and March 31
- February 15: For travel between April 1 and June 30
Award recipients will be notified within one week of application deadline. Applications received after these deadlines will only be considered if funding from the previous period has not been fully spent.
Awards are made on merit of the proposal reviewed by selected IPAC members, up to $1,500 per award, contingent on the availability of funds. Funds must be spent by June 30 of the requested fiscal year, but travel can take place after June 30.
Download the application form (MS Word document)
Application Eligibility
- College faculty members must be the principal applicants for the Tag Along Fund.
- The Tag Alonger must be an employee or student in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences or be working directly with a faculty member within the college. (First preference will go to applicants within the college.)
- Application must show evidence of unit and/or college financial support (matching funds).
- Applicant must demonstrate that existing international activities are taking place or have a strong base for potential development.
- The Tag Alonger must be a first-time recipient of this program and must be identified in the application cover sheet.
- Tag Along Funds will not be awarded to support the principal investigator's travel expenses.
Each of the above criteria must be met in order for an application to be considered. Tag Along Funds are not typically awarded to support basic conference and meeting attendance. However, applications may be considered if the international conference/meeting attendance is directly related and contributes to the faculty international programs described in the application description.
Application Guidelines
The application description is limited to a maximum of three pages; cover sheet and CVs of applicant and Tag Alonger are submitted as attachments. Each application must include the following components:
- One-page (maximum) summary demonstrating the faculty international activities, the purpose of the request for Tag Along funding, and the impact on the college's mission.
- One-page (maximum) essay by the Tag Alonger demonstrating the potential impact of the international travel experience, in terms of career options, professional development, study, or research opportunities.
- One-page budget of estimated travel expenses to be covered by the Tag Along Fund.
- A one-page CV for each faculty and Tag Alonger and letters of support are considered attachments
One copy of the application should be mailed to the Office of International Programs, ATTN: Tag Along Fund, 240 Ag Administration Building, University Park, PA 16802. Application can also be e-mailed to the director of the Office of International Programs and cover sheet with signatures faxed to 814-865-3055.
Review Process and Criteria
Tag Along Fund applications are reviewed by selected members of the International Programs Advisory Council and evaluated on the following criteria:
- Meets all eligibility requirements outlined above.
- Contributes to the college's efforts to internationalize its research, teaching, and extension programs by making opportunities available to a larger pool of individuals in academic units in the college and throughout the cooperative extension system.
- Demonstrates the potential impact for the individual Tag Alonger in terms of career options, professional development, and study or research opportunities.
Impact Reporting
Upon travel completion, the Tag Alonger and the faculty must submit a one-page impact statement to the Office of International Programs, including a final report of expenditures.
For more information, contact the Office of International Programs at 814-863-0249 or e-mail us.
