The Butler Travel Fund for International
Studies in Sustainable Agriculture

Purpose

The fund will provide support to one student annually or biannually to conduct graduate-level research in sustainable agriculture or livelihoods outside of the United States.

Eligibility Criteria

  • ISU graduate students enrolled in the Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture (GPSA) as a major, co-major, or minor are eligible to apply.   Preference will be given to women, minorities, and students from developing countries.

    Should there be no eligible students in the GPSA, applications will be considered from students in the Department of Anthropology or Sociology whose proposed research emphasizes international sustainable rural livelihoods and/or sustainable agriculture.


  • The applicant's research must be conducted in a developing country.  Preference will be given to countries in sub-Saharan Africa or in which the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods is working (currently Uganda).


  • Preference will be given to applicants who can obtain commitments of matching funds from other sources to help cover the full range of expenses associated with their research projects.

Appropriate Use of Funds

The awardee must use the Butler funds for her/his own travel expenses but may also apply a portion to cover expenses associated with the travel of her/his faculty advisor.

Travel expenses include, but are not limited to:
  • airfare,
  • visas,
  • vaccinations,
  • travel insurance,
  • in-country ground transportation, accommodations, and meals, and
  • purchase of materials essential to the research project.

Amount of Awards

Successful applicants will receive approximately $3,000.  Awards will be announced early in the calendar year, with funds available May 1 of that year.  Research-related travel must be initiated within the following 12 months.

Application Procedure

Applicants must submit one electronic copy and three printed copies of their application packet to the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL).

Please send the electronic copy, in MS Word or in a format compatible with MS Word, to susrl@iastate.edu.

Please send the three printed copies of the application packet to:

The Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods
106 Curtiss Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011-1050

The application packet must include the following items.
  1. A narrative document (maximum length - 2 single-spaced pages) that includes the following information:
    • name, mailing address, and e-mail address of applicant,
    • the central research issue and key questions to be addressed, specific objectives, methods and data collection procedures, timeline, scientific importance, potential policy relevance, and how the investigation will contribute to "make a difference" to sustainable agriculture and livelihoods in developing countries,
    • a budget, including estimates of airfare and in-country expenses, such as room and board, research expenses, etc.

  2. a current résumé,


  3. two letters of recommendation:
    • one from the student’s faculty advisor, and
    • one from an official in a host institution/organization in the country where the research will be conducted.

Reporting Obligations

Within two months of the completion of travel, the awardee must prepare a short report (3-5 pages, single-spaced) that provides a summary of her/his activities and the insights gained.

Copies of the report must be sent to the student’s faculty advisor, the department chair of the student's home department, the director of the CSRL, the Wallace Chair, and the chair of the GPSA.

In addition, within six months of returning, the student must present the ideas and insights gained during her/his time abroad to a colloquium or seminar at ISU.

Questions?  Please contact:

Charles Sauer
GPSA Program Coordinator
1126L Agronomy Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011-1010
telephone:  515.294.6518
fax:  515.294.8146
e-mail:  csauer@iastate.edu