Reed College
Reed College

The Center for Life Beyond Reed

Thomas Daniel Sophomore Exploration Fund

The Thomas Daniel Sophomore Exploration Fund is a fund for sophomores to make it easier for you to explore your purpose and is generously funded by Reed parent and Trustee Thomas Daniel. You can apply for up to $500 in support of a range of career exploration pursuits by applying via Handshake. Since this fund and CAF are similar, applications are accepted any time while the CAF is open and are reviewed weekly. The CAF is open for most of the year, including the summer. Anything listed on the CAF website is eligible, but these items may be of particular interest to sophomores:

  • Support to job s​hadow​ an alum or professional in a field about which you'd love to learn more (support for travel, food, accomodations, or other expenses related to the experience)
  • ​Travel to ​an internship or employment​ interview
  • ​Register for c​areer-related conferences, trainings, and related events
    • Conferences/events must have a career-related component with a clearly established connection between the event and your professional goals
    • If you are presenting research at a conference, then apply to the Opportunity Grants first.
    • The funds can be used to cover travel expenses, registration expenses, or relevant membership dues
  • Purchase of professional attire for a specific and scheduled career related event (interview, conference, etc).
    • Applicants should provide a reasoning for the selections included in the budget
    • Requests for clothing for potential and unscheduled events are unlikely to be funded

Eligibility

Currently enrolled Reed students in their sophomore year.

Funding

Applicants may receive a maximum of $500 from the Thomas Daniel Sophomore Exploration Fund per academic year. You may apply more than once if you have not yet reached the $500 limit. If you apply to CAF or have applied to CAF in the same academic year, your awarded amount counts towards the $500 limit for both funds.

Application Process

Applicants are required to first meet with a CLBR advisor to discuss their application before submitting. You can find drop-in hours and the link to make appointments in the sidebar of our website.

Apply via the Thomas Daniel Sophomore Exploration Fund in Handshake and follow all instructions, including the survey included.

Budget Guidance

  • If requesting a meal allowance while traveling, CLBR recommends a maximum of $55 day to cover travel and food
  • If your request includes travel, please include a budget line for transportation, which may cover commuting costs, airport transfer, and plane/train/bus tickets
  • Use of public transportation rather than taxis or rideshare services is highly recommended
  • If using a personal vehicle for travel, use the estimated cost of gas in your budget
  • Remember that this fund is offered as a cash advance, and that you'll need to save and submit your receipts

Apply in Handshake

Thank You Note and Receipts

Refer to the Thomas Daniel Sophomore Exploration Fund Terms and Conditions for details. These are detailed in the Etrieve form, and are also sent separately via email for reference. Images of all receipts should be emailed directly to the business office at business-office@reed.edu. The thank you note and any photos should be sent to CLBR at clbrfellowships@reed.edu.

Questions? Email clbrfellowships@reed.edu