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NSF Student Travel Grant - VTC2026-Fall Boston

VTC2026-Fall Boston > Authors > NSF Student Travel Grant

Call for Applications: NSF Student Travel Grants for IEEE VTC2026-Fall

IEEE VTC2026-Fall is pleased to announce the availability of NSF Student Travel Grants to support U.S.-based students attending the 2026 IEEE 104th Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC2026-Fall), to be held in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, September 6–9, 2026. VTC2026-Fall is the semi-annual flagship conference of the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society and brings together participants from academia, government, and industry to exchange ideas in wireless, mobile, and vehicular technology.

The NSF Student Travel Grant program is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and is intended to broaden participation by enabling undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at U.S. institutions to attend and actively participate in VTC2026-Fall. Students whose research interests are related to wireless communications, mobile networking, vehicular systems, intelligent transportation, IoT, UAV/satellite/non-terrestrial networks, AI/ML for communications, spectrum sharing, security, and related areas are encouraged to apply. The VTC2026-Fall technical scope includes topics such as 6G and emerging technologies, IoV/IoT/sensor/ad hoc networking, AI/ML for communications, satellite/UAV/maritime networks, spectrum and radio access technologies, and vehicular cooperation, communication, radar, and control.

Award Information

A limited number of NSF Student Travel Grants will be awarded competitively. Each award will provide partial reimbursement for eligible conference-related expenses, subject to the availability of funds and the number of qualified applicants.

Eligible expenses may include:

  • student conference registration;
  • economy-class airfare or other transportation to/from the conference;
  • local transportation;
  • lodging during the conference period.

The grant may not cover all travel expenses. Applicants are encouraged to seek supplemental support from their advisors, departments, institutions, or other sources as needed.

Awards will be administered in reimbursement mode. Reimbursement will be issued only after the conference and after the awardee submits all required documentation, including itemized receipts, proof of payment, participation verification, and a brief post-conference report.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

  1. Be a full-time undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at a U.S.-based institution at the time of application and during the conference.
  2. Have research interests, coursework, or professional goals related to VTC2026-Fall technical areas.
  3. Attend IEEE VTC2026-Fall in person in Boston, unless otherwise approved by the NSF Student Travel Grant Committee.
  4. Participate actively in the conference and complete the required post-conference reporting.
  5. Submit a complete application by the stated deadline.

Students with accepted papers, posters, demos, workshop papers, recent-results papers, or other VTC2026-Fall contributions are strongly encouraged to apply. However, an accepted paper is not required for consideration.

Undergraduate research students, M.S. students, Ph.D. students, first-time VTC attendees, students from underrepresented groups in STEM, and students from institutions with limited travel resources are especially encouraged to apply.

Postdoctoral researchers, faculty members, and other senior personnel are not eligible.

Application Materials

Applicants should submit the following materials through using this link: https://forms.gle/XcYYrQsKe4GJBteZ7, by June 22, 2026.

1. Student Statement

Maximum 1 page. The statement should include:

  • current degree program and full-time student status;
  • research interests and accomplishments to date;
  • relevance of VTC2026-Fall to the applicant’s research, education, and career development;
  • whether the applicant has an accepted paper, poster, demo, workshop paper, recent-results paper, or other contribution at VTC2026-Fall, if applicable;
  • whether this will be the applicant’s first time attending VTC;
  • expected benefits from attending the conference;
  • statement of financial need and any other available or pending travel support.

2. Curriculum Vitae

Maximum 2 pages.

3. Advisor Recommendation / Support Letter

Preferably 1 page. The letter should confirm:

  • the applicant’s full-time student status and good standing;
  • the relevance of VTC2026-Fall to the student’s research or training;
  • the expected benefit of conference attendance;
  • the availability, if any, of other travel support;
  • whether remaining costs beyond the NSF travel grant can be covered by other sources.

4. Estimated Travel Budget

The budget should include estimated costs for:

  • conference registration;
  • airfare or other transportation;
  • lodging;
  • local transportation;
  • any other travel support already received, requested, or expected.

5. Optional Demographic Information

Applicants may optionally provide demographic information for NSF reporting and broadening-participation purposes. This information will be used only in aggregate form where appropriate and permissible.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be reviewed by the VTC2026-Fall NSF Student Travel Grant Committee. Awards will be made competitively based on the following factors:

  • relevance of the student’s research or professional interests to VTC2026-Fall;
  • expected benefit of conference participation to the student’s education, research, and career development;
  • quality of the student statement and advisor letter;
  • financial need and availability of other travel support;
  • broadening participation considerations;
  • first-time VTC attendance;
  • participation in the conference through an accepted paper, poster, demo, workshop paper, recent-results paper, tutorial, student event, or other technical contribution, when applicable.

An accepted paper is not required, but students with accepted conference contributions may receive priority when other factors are comparable.

Active Participation and Accountability

NSF-funded students are expected to actively participate in IEEE VTC2026-Fall. Each awardee will be required to:

  • register for and attend the conference;
  • complete conference check-in and/or daily participation verification as requested by the Travel Grant Committee;
  • participate in at least one structured conference activity, such as presenting a paper/poster/demo, attending a student mentoring or networking event, participating in a student poster or research discussion session, or volunteering for a short conference support activity if requested;
  • submit a brief post-conference report within 14 days after the conference.

The post-conference report should summarize sessions attended, key lessons learned, professional-development outcomes, and how attending VTC2026-Fall benefited the student’s research or career plans.

Reimbursement will be processed only after the awardee submits all required receipts and completes the participation verification and post-conference report.

Reimbursement and Travel Rules

NSF Student Travel Grants will be administered as reimbursements. Awardees must submit itemized receipts and proof of payment for allowable expenses. All reimbursements must comply with NSF and institutional travel policies.

For air travel charged to NSF funds, awardees must comply with applicable U.S. federal travel requirements, including the Fly America Act where required. Students should use a U.S.-flag carrier or a U.S.-carrier-ticketed codeshare when required by NSF/institutional policy.

Expenses that may not be eligible for reimbursement include, but are not limited to:

  • meals;
  • entertainment;
  • regular/on-site registration surcharges, if avoidable;
  • visa or passport fees;
  • personal expenses;
  • expenses reimbursed by another funding source.

Final reimbursement eligibility will be determined according to NSF and institutional policies.

Important Dates

  • Application opens: May 30, 2026
  • Application deadline: June 22, 2026
  • Award notification: July 13, 2026
  • Award acceptance deadline: July 20, 2026
  • IEEE VTC2026-Fall: September 6–9, 2026

Submission Instructions

Please submit all required materials through:

Application portal: https://forms.gle/XcYYrQsKe4GJBteZ7

Applications must be completed by the deadline. Incomplete or late applications may not be considered.

Contact

For questions about the NSF Student Travel Grant program, please contact:

Shuai Nie (shuainie@unl.edu)
Student Travel Grant Co-Chair, IEEE VTC2026-Fall

Acknowledgment

This student travel grant program is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Award No. IIS-2624387. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in connection with this program are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Short Website Announcement Version

NSF Student Travel Grants Available for U.S.-Based Students

IEEE VTC2026-Fall is pleased to announce that, with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation, a limited number of student travel grants will be available to support U.S.-based undergraduate and graduate students attending VTC2026-Fall in Boston, MA, USA. The grants are intended to broaden student participation and support students who may not otherwise have sufficient travel funding.

Students with accepted papers, posters, demos, workshop papers, recent-results papers, or other conference contributions are encouraged to apply, but an accepted paper is not required. First-time VTC attendees, undergraduate research students, M.S. students, Ph.D. students, students from underrepresented groups in STEM, and students from institutions with limited travel resources are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications will be reviewed competitively. Awardees will be required to actively participate in the conference and submit a brief post-conference report before reimbursement. Additional details, eligibility requirements, and the application link will be posted on this page.