For the January 3–6, 2013 Annual Meeting in New Orleans the American Historical Association will offer ten grants of up to two hundred dollars ($200 USD) to assist AHA members who are bringing children to the meeting. The grants are intended to help offset the cost of child care, enabling attendees with dependent children to attend the meeting.

General Information

• Only one parent of a child or children may apply for a grant.
• Eligibility extends to history graduate students, adjuncts, and early-career historians (within five years of the earned degree), with priority to those who are on the program and/or who are interviewing at the meeting.  With a limited number of grants, the AHA may not be able to meet the needs of all applicants.
• Application period open from September 18 through November 1, 2012.
• Notification date:  November 15, 2012.

Allowable Expenses

• Babysitters (onsite at the conference location or extra expenses for additional child care at home).
• Airfare/hotel for a caregiver to accompany the child to the annual meeting location.

Not eligible for reimbursement

• Meals, onsite transportation, and tickets to museums or other attractions.
• Normal child care expenses (nanny, babysitter, after school care) not related to attendance at the meeting.
• Child care funds cannot be used to fund travel or other expenses related to the attendee’s participation in the meeting, including meeting registration or other expenses the attendee would already be incurring by attending the meeting.  Nor can they be used to fund travel expenses for the child (children).

Applying for a Grant

• Complete and submit the online application form no later than November 1, 2012.

• Upon submission of a completed grant application you will receive a confirmation e-mail.

Notification Process

• Award decisions will be communicated to each applicant via the e-mail address provided on the application form no later than November 15, 2012. 

Reimbursement Policies and Procedures

• Reimbursements are distributed following the annual meeting.
• Each recipient must complete an AHA reimbursement form (distributed with the award notification e-mail), and submit it with original receipts to the AHA office at the address noted on the reimbursement form.
• Reimbursement takes approximately three to four weeks to process following receipt of complete documentation in the AHA office.
• Reimbursement is paid by check in U.S. dollars and will be mailed to the address provided on the reimbursement form.
• Reimbursement checks will be made payable to the individual award recipient.
• Reimbursement may be requested for eligible expenses up to the maximum amount of the grant.  Expenses in excess of the award amount must be borne by the individual recipient.
• No funds are distributed prior to the conclusion of the annual meeting and no funds are distributed onsite at the meeting.

Questions? Contact childcare@historians.org

This post first appeared on AHA Today.