Funds for Educational and Scholarly Opportunities (FESO)

For Academic Year 2026-27, maximum award amounts for FESO are $1000. Students may receive only one FESO award during their tenure as a student at Larner.*

Only two days/nights of accommodations, food and related daily expenses will be considered for FESO reimbursement. Students are encouraged to be particularly judicious in their requested budgets for discretionary items such as local transportation (including prioritizing public transportation when available) and food.

Applicants should review the FESO website carefully and completely to ensure familiarity with the latest eligibility criteria and maximum award amounts.

*The FESO committee may make adjustments to eligibility and award amounts, as needed, during this and future academic years. All awards are subject to availability of funds.

To be eligible for a FESO award, an applicant must:

• Be in good academic standing
• Be accepted to present scholarly work, to represent  a leadership role on behalf of Larner, or to receive an academic award at a national or regional conference.
  • Research performed at UVM by Larner students with oversight by UVM faculty will be prioritized.
  • If a Larner student has a unique research interest requiring pursuit of opportunities outside of UVM and has been accepted to present that research FESO funds may be available on a case-by-case basis. The maximum award amount and other terms and conditions of an award in this case may differ from the standard FESO award.
• Not have previously received a FESO award during their LCOM tenure.
• Submit a complete application prior to the conference (ideally two months or more prior to intended travel date)

The application and acceptance process for FESO is intentionally designed to serve as an educational experience for students. We have structured the application and review process to emphasize constructive feedback and support student growth. In this spirit, students are expected to approach the FESO application with the same diligence and professionalism as they would any formal grant submission.

Students should ensure their applications are complete, well-prepared, and submitted in accordance with FESO guidelines. Applications submitted by the 15th of the month will be reviewed within the following month, and students are encouraged to apply at least one month in advance of their proposed activity; Applications submitted after a conference has already taken place will not be considered.

Repeated submission of incomplete or poor-quality applications may result in the denial of funding. FESO reserves the right to decline applications that do not meet the expected standards of completeness and clarity.

Students are strongly encouraged to submit their application for FESO funds as early as possible, ideally two months or more prior to their travel date. Applications submitted after a conference has already taken place will not be considered.

Applications that meet criteria will be reviewed and approved by the FESO Committee Chair monthly. Applications received by the 15^th of each month will be reviewed for that month.  Award decisions will be communicated by the first week of the following month.

Funds are not awarded retroactively. Students must be approved for FESO funding prior to their date of travel. 

FESO funding is awarded via Student Reimbursement. To receive the awarded funds, students must submit the required documentation to the Office of Medical Education (OME) Finance Manager within sixty days of the return date of travel, in adherence with University reimbursement policy. 

Funds will be distributed as a reimbursement check approximately one month after receiving a completed Student Reimbursement Form.

Students who may experience financial hardship and are unable to carry expenses until funds are disbursed are encouraged to contact OME (studentCOMservices@med.uvm.edu). In cases where up-front costs would otherwise prevent participation, OME may be able to assist by arranging conference registration and airfare purchases using a UVM credit card. Please note that the office cannot support hotel accommodation bookings.