phd travel grant uk

Travel grants for early career researchers

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Travel Grants

Scope, purpose, and limits 

These grants are intended to support attendance at scientific meetings that relate directly to the applicant's research interests, and where they will be presenting their original work. The grant contributes to costs incurred by clinical and non-clinical neurologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists and others for overseas visits or attendance at scientific meetings.

Travel Grants are restricted to those in doctoral training (ie. PhD students, or UK based 3-year research MD) and post doctoral training (whether clinically qualified or not) and for work undertaken while based in the United Kingdom. A maximum of three separate awards may be available to each applicant, with not more than one award in any 12 month period. 

The awards are not intended to support student electives, undergraduate projects or MSc students. Support will not normally be given where the applicant is supported by a Fellowship or grant funding that already provides travel costs. The awards are not intended to support taught training courses or teaching-based summer schools. We prioritise candidates at an early stage of their career, and so if you are 10 or more years from your PhD, please ensure that the letter of support explains your special case or exceptional circumstances.

If a travel grant is awarded then a single payment is made. The outcome of applications is typically notified by email, ~4 weeks ahead of travel . A hard copy confirmation of the award and cheque is then sent by post. It is your responsibility to ensure that the UK address you provide is correct and sufficiently detailed to receive a cheque. Please note we do not send post abroad.

We provide up to up to £400 for UK meetings, up to £600 for European meetings outside of the UK, and up to £1000 for meetings further afield, depending on the destination. As part of the assessment, we also expect partial funding from your institution or for example a travel award from the conference. Application must be initiated on this website at least 9 weeks before the planned meeting and fully submitted at least 8 weeks before the meeting date . Do not attempt to subvert these rules by misrepresentation of the dates of travel or the dates of a meeting.

Applications for support for virtual conference fees will be considered. The same application criteria apply.

The following data are required by the application process:-

• Name and Title (including the name you use for your UK bank account , should an award be made)
• Organization:
• Address (with sufficient detail to receive a cheque , if an award is made):
• Mobile Tel:
• Current Status in Organization (PhD student, Post doc, etc):
• Up to five recent papers (if you have published your work in peer-reviewed journals)
• Travel Destination and Method:
• Reason for Travel:
• Travel Date Out:
• Travel Date Return:
• Costs of Travel, Accommodation, Extras, Registration Cost, and the Total cost
• Grant Requested from Brain (note the limits above, and expectation of co-funding from other sources.)
• Your other Travel Cost Support and amount unspent: 
• Other Sources of funding secured or sought (and Decision date if known):
• Do not request funding above our limit of support.
• Upload a copy of the submitted abstract [Scanned image in jpg and png format OR Acrobat pdf file, not .doc or .docx]. An email confirmation of acceptance is NOT sufficient and you must include the abstract . A grant to attend a scientific meeting is conditional on acceptance of the abstract, but the abstract does not need to have been accepted by the time of application. An acceptance letter/email can be uploaded at the same time as the abstract, if the abstract has been accepted before 8 weeks ahead of the meeting.
• Upload of a brief CV (1-2 pages, summarising Degrees, Institutions, Dates, Postgraduate Education) as .jpg or .pdf ( NOT  .doc or .docx format)
• Upload a supporting statement from your Head of Department. Note that the letter must be from the Head of Department or Director of the institute in which you work, not your PhD supervisor or a departmental lecturer or Head of the institution to which you are traveling. (use .jpg or .pdf   NOT  .doc or .docx format)

MANY PEOPLE UPLOAD THE WRONG FILE TYPE - IN PARTICULAR WORD FILES (.DOC OR .DOCX). THESE CANNOT BE READ BY THE SYSTEM. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS, UNLESS YOU WANT YOUR APPLICATION TO BE REJECTED! Please ensure your uploaded PDFs do not have restricted permissions and are not password protected .

Cancellation of travel

If you are unable to travel, you must notify the Guarantors of Brain (using the contact form) and return the cheque.  You cannot carry forward an award to pay for another meeting.  

If your application is successful a short report (equivalent to one side of A4 paper) must be uploaded (image or pdf) within three months of the stated meeting date, countersigned by your supervisor and confirming that the grant was required in full for travel or refunding un-spent amounts to Brain. Failure to submit a post meeting report will make you ineligible to apply for future Brain travel grants.

If you have not needed all of the money that was awarded, please return the remainder as a cheque made payable to "Guarantors of Brain"

Please see our General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) page before signing up or applying

Doctoral College

Monash warwick alliance phd travel grant- guidance.

The Monash Warwick Alliance PhD Travel Grant is a fantastic opportunity to connect with academics and fellow research students across the globe, expand your network, generate and share new ideas, and enhance your professional and personal development.

This short-term travel grant scheme aims to help build research connections between Monash and Warwick, as well as enhance and bring international dimension to your own research project, without requiring a long-term commitment to studying abroad. This could include accessing facilities or resources not available at your home institution, participating in research workshops e.g. to prepare a co-publication, or presenting your research at a conference.

Eligibility Criteria

• You must be currently enrolled on a PhD course;
• You must have successfully completed your Confirmation Milestone (Monash) / upgrade (warwick);
• You are yet to submit your thesis for examination;
• You must remain enrolled for the duration of the travel period;
• Maximum duration is 10 weeks;
• All travel must be within 12 months of the application submission deadline (refer to Important Dates section below)
• You must have the support of your main supervisor and host supervisor;
• You must not have previously received this grant;
• (Monash students only) must be based at Monash at the time of application; and
• Monash Malaysia-based students are ineligible at the present time.

If you are unsuccessful in an application round but are still eligible, you may re-apply in future rounds.

Travel Grant Value & Eligible Costs

• Monash PhD students will receive $6,000 (AUD);
• Warwick PhD students will receive £3,000 (GBP) ;
• Monash Financial Procedures
• Warwick Financial Regulations

Important Dates

Application and travel process.

• Warwick PhD students speak with their supervisor to identify a host supervisor at Monash and plan the visit.
• The Monash host supervisor must complete a Visitor Request in REX in accordance with the University Visitors Procedure .
• Monash HR will assess the request and provide a formal invitation letter which will include relevant details on the appropriate visa.
• Students apply for the Monash Warwick Alliance PhD Travel Grant via the Application Form , once they have an offer from Monash HR.
• Successful applicants will be allocated an internal order code within their Department, against which all expenditure should be recorded.
• Students are responsible for obtaining the necessary visa, health insurance, vaccinations, and any associated costs.
• Upon completion of the trip, a Travel Report must be submitted to the Alliance Project Team.
• Acknowledge in your thesis the support received from the Monash Warwick Alliance PhD Travel Grant.
• Monash PhD students speak with their supervisor to identify a host supervisor at Warwick and plan the visit.
• Students apply to Warwick via Visiting Research Students . Note that is can take 6-8 weeks to hear back regarding your application so please take this into consideration when applying for a travel grant.
• Students apply for the Monash Warwick Alliance PhD Travel Grant via the Application Form .
• Students apply for Study Away . Note that students are also eligible to apply for Study Away Travel Grants separately to the Monash Warwick Alliance Travel Grant.
• Students whose Monash Warwick Alliance PhD Travel Grant application has been successful must provide the Alliance Project Team with confirmation of their acceptance at Warwick and approval of their Study Away upon which the funds will be released to a nominated cost centre and fund.

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Postgraduate Travel Fund

Lse's postgraduate travel fund assists research students who are presenting at conferences related to their degree., eligibility.

The Postgraduate Travel Fund is open to PhD students who have been invited to give a paper at the conference related to their research degree. Other types of students are not eligible to apply. Students can be assisted with more than one conference per academic year, but will not normally be awarded more than £1000 in total per academic session. 

Please note that ESRC award holders are expected to have exhausted the Research and Training Support Grant available to them under the terms of their award, and to show how this has been spent, since the costs of attending conferences would normally be met by the RTSG.

There are limited funds available in the Postgraduate Travel Fund and it is expected that funds will normally run out before the end of the academic year. Early application is therefore advisable, ie as soon as you receive an invitation to present a paper.

Application process

Please complete the  Postgraduate Travel Fund Application .

Applications must be completed clearly and in full. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

Completed applications should be submitted to the Financial Support Office at least two weeks before the conference. Retrospective applications will not be considered.

You can submit your application and supporting documents by email to [email protected].

Provided all the supporting documentation has been submitted you will normally receive a decision by email within ten working days.

Should an award be approved, it is unlikely to cover the full costs of attending the conference and we are currently making awards capped at 70% of the costs applied for to allow the budget to last for the full length of the academic year. Applicants are therefore encouraged to explore all other sources of funding. Some academic departments have funds available to assist students with conference costs. It may be a pre-requisite that recipients of these funds have also applied to the Postgraduate Travel Fund for assistance.

Supporting documentation

• Evidence of your confirmation to present a paper at the conference. 
• Evidence of the cost of registration / membership in order to present at the conference
• Evidence of travel costs in order to attend the conference
• Evidence of accommodation costs in order to attend the conference
• Evidence of insurance cover by LSE Health and Safety Team (if travelling outside the UK) - you will need to complete the Notification to Travel form
• Supporting statement from your supervisor (included in your application or emailed directly to [email protected])

If you wish to add 'holiday' or leisure days to your travel for conference attendance, the School may not be able to provide you with insurance and you will need to make alternative arrangements with an external provider. Read more about adding leisure days to your conference attendance .

In the event of the conference being cancelled, or you being unable to travel for any reason, you must refund any unused award made to you immediately and claim on your travel insurance to refund the balance. Any monies successfully claimed must then be used to refund the award. In the event that some of the award cannot be refunded you should provide evidence to explain this.

RADMA Research Student Conference Funding Programme

RADMA (Research and Development Management) provides funding for conference attendance under its Research Student Conference Funding Programme. The awards provide support to talented mid-study PhD students to attend a conference relevant to their PhD.  Candidates must be undertaking a PhD within the research and development management discipline at a UK university. The award will cover costs related to attending the conference, specifically conference fees, travel, subsistence and accommodation, and will provide:

(1) up to £500 for those students presenting a paper (2) up to £250 for attendance only.  

There is no deadline for receipt of applications, but please note that applications are reviewed quarterly in January, April, July and October.  More information about the RADMA Postgraduate Student Research Support .

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Travel Grants Guide

Introduction.

Attending national and international conferences is seen as an essential part of academic development as it gives you the opportunity to present your latest research results and provides a platform to network with your peers, the publishing sector, or even industry. Unfortunately, given the University's large and diverse postdoc network, travel grants, which can be used to cover conference tickets and fees, travel costs, as well as accommodation abroad, are often not directly available through their PIs. Hence, postdocs are expected to apply for external funding opportunities which, if successful, do not only support your travel but also improve your CV.

While there is no standard route and the different avenues of travel funding often vary significantly depending on the field, department, or even group, below we have listed some general guidance starting with the most accessible. If you are, instead, looking for guidance on research grants, please click here for a brief summary of resources provided by PdA.

Overall, given the highly competitive nature of most of these funding pathways, it is suggested that postdocs try multiple avenues simultaneously (as also sometimes required by certain funding bodies or charities). This is even more relevant as many funding opportunities have strong limitations concerning the awarded amount, so a single grant might not be sufficient to cover all of your expenses. However , it is also worth mentioning that the University of Cambridge hosts a broad range of conferences throughout the year, such as PdOC's annual research showcase usually taking place in Michaelmas term, which might provide you with the possibility to present your work without having to cover extensive costs.

Department, Research Group, or Conference

Depending on the funding source for your position, your PI might be able to offer some limited travel support. While this is unfortunately not guaranteed, given that it comes with the lowest effort, make sure to ask them about the availability of travel funding before investing a lot of time to apply for competitive grants.

Additionally, depending on your department, your local Research Grants team might be able to offer financial support for conference attendance or advice on opportunities that might only be available to members of your institute. If so, it is highly recommended to apply for such funds first as they are generally less competitive.

Finally, it might be worth looking into potential travel funding offered by the conference you intend to attend, as your chance of success increase strongly given the limited number of applicants as well as the perfect match in discipline or research area.

University and Colleges

In case you are affiliated with a College, it might be worth inquiring about travel support. Depending on the number and type of affiliations your College has , they might not be able to provide a separate grant for postdocs. However, in exceptional cases, it might be possible to apply for the same funding scheme as offered to postgraduate or graduate students.

Additionally, although their main focus is on major research grants, the Research Operations Office (ROO) might be able to provide further guidance on travel grant opportunities.

Local or National Networks

Various local or national networks or societies linked to your discipline might be able to offer funding for travel, though their application process can already be very competitive. To learn more about what networks and societies are available within your field, it might be worth getting in touch with other researchers and peers or asking your PI about existing or former links to networks and organisations. However, it is important to note that many of these networks require a subscription or membership and that some travel grant opportunities might be restricted to their long-term members or fellows, so make sure to plan well ahead!

Travel funding might also be available on a national level through the main funding bodies. To get more details and dig through the various opportunities more effectively, it can be useful to start an advanced search on Research Professional and specify your discipline as well as the type of grant you are looking for, i.e. , a travel grant.

Other useful resources might also be G Research and the British Council .

International Networks and Publishers

Finally, many international networks invite funding applications for travel purposes, though, as mentioned above, memberships might be required. Additionally, a large number of publishers or journals offer frequent travel grant opportunities specifically intended for early career researchers within their field, such as the one mentioned here on ECR Central . However, given the international reach and the correspondingly high number of applicants, the chances of success are relatively small. Nevertheless, it is worth a try as the success of securing such international funds do not only ensure that you will be able to attend a conference of your choice but can also increase the impact of your CV significantly.

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Doctoral Loan

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD.

There’s different funding if you normally live in Wales . Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

You can also get extra support if you have a disability .

You will not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance if you’re studying a doctoral course.

When you can apply

You can now apply for funding for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

When you repay your loan

You’ll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain amount (the ‘threshold’ amount).

You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.

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Types of funding

Funding sources can differ according to career stage and eligibility criteria can vary between organisations. Be sure to check your eligibility for certain sources before applying.

Travel grants

Travel grants provide funding for researchers to travel to or from the UK for conferences, workshops or short courses. They can also support travel to partner institutions to develop collaborations.

Different schemes will vary according to their requirements, levels of funding and restrictions concerning total or part costs, including the registration fees and travel.

Fellowships

A fellowship is a research opportunity on a temporary or fixed-term contract for researchers who have gained a graduate or postdoctoral qualification. These are usually completed in an institution or involve laboratory-based research in the UK or another country. UK research funders offer support both for UK researchers to work abroad and for international researchers to work in the UK.

International exchanges

Some funding agencies offer support for international events, meetings, conferences or workshops. These may cover a range of subjects, skills, training, networking and knowledge-sharing.

The funding is often aimed at fostering international collaboration through, for example, the exchange of staff or pooling of research findings, or the creation of research networks focused on a specific problem.

External links

Search for funding opportunities

Find a job in the UK

Funding opportunity: EPSRC Overseas travel grant

This funding opportunity is now closed on Je-S. It will reopen on the new UKRI Funding Service in May 2023.

This guidance page is no longer in use.

Find the latest guidance for EPSRC responsive mode: overseas travel grant .

Find out more about  our pathway for change .

The overseas travel grant is for researchers at UK higher education institutions, research council institutes, UKRI-approved independent research organisations and NHS bodies.

Funding can include travel and subsistence costs for visits overseas to learn new techniques or form and develop collaborations.

Who can apply

The overseas travel grant is open to UK higher education institutions, research council institutes, UKRI-approved independent research organisations, Public Sector Research Establishments and NHS bodies with research capacity.

Find out more about institutional eligibility .

You can apply if you are resident in the UK and meet at least one of these criteria:

• are employed at the submitting research organisation at lecturer level or equivalent
• hold a fixed-term contract that extends beyond the duration of the proposed research project, and the host research organisation is prepared to give you all the support normal for a permanent employee
• hold an EPSRC, Royal Society or Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship aimed at later career stages
• hold fellowships under other schemes (please contact EPSRC to check eligibility, which is considered on a case-by-case basis).

Holders of postdoctoral level fellowships are not eligible to apply for an EPSRC grant.

Clinical applicants must be employed or be on a fixed-term contract longer than the proposed project at an NHS trust, hospital, board, primary care trust or general practice.

Find out more about individual eligibility .

We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UKRI or any other funder.

This funding opportunity is also subject to our policy on repeatedly unsuccessful submissions.

What we're looking for

We will provide funding for international travel and subsistence to study new techniques at recognised centres anywhere outside the UK and for travel to start or develop new international collaborations, such as for Horizon 2020 projects. Single visits of up to six months or several visits totalling up to 12 months could be to overseas universities or industrial organisations.

Your application for an overseas travel grant does not need to be linked to an existing EPSRC award, but it is expected that new techniques learned or collaborations formed will lead to future research proposals in areas we support.

We support excellent research in:

• digital economy
• engineering
• global uncertainties
• transforming health and healthcare
• information and communication technologies
• living with environmental change
• manufacturing the future
• mathematical sciences
• physical sciences
• quantum technologies
• research infrastructure.

Find out more about our research areas and themes .

We can support costs including:

• subsistence
• salary of principal investigator
• indirect costs

How to apply

Please read the EPSRC guidance on overseas travel grants before applying.

You must apply using the Joint Electronic Submission system (Je-S) . We are always open to applications for overseas travel grants. You should apply at least 16 weeks before your first proposed visit.

When adding a new proposal you should select:

• council: EPSRC
• document type: standard proposal
• scheme: overseas travel grant
• on the project details page, you should select ‘none’.

Your application should include the following attachments:

• case for support: eight pages – two on your track record and up to six on the case for travelling
• workplan: one page
• justification of resources: two pages
• letters of support from all project partners included in the Je-S form: no page limit
• cover letter: optional attachment, no page limit, not seen by peer review.

You should attach any documents as PDFs to avoid errors. They should be completed in single-spaced 11 font Arial or similar sans serif typeface.

We recommend you start your application in good time. You can save completed details in Je-S at any time and return to continue your application later. When you submit the application, it will first go to your host organisation for review.

See the Je-S handbook for advice on completing applications.

Find out more about  completing your application .

How we will assess your application

Your application is assessed by peer review. It will be sent electronically to at least three reviewers, including at least one nominated by you. You will have the opportunity to respond to reviewer comments.

If your application gains enough support from reviewers, we may approve funding without the need to go to one of our review panels. We aim to provide a faster turnaround on overseas travel grants.

If it goes to a panel, your application is assessed first and foremost on quality (primary), followed by national importance (secondary major). It is also assessed on applicant and partnerships (secondary) and resources and management (secondary).

Find out more about the assessment process .

Contact details

[email protected]

01793 444120

Additional info

Find out more about:

• overseas travel grants
• resubmissions
• repeatedly unsuccessful applications
• responsible research and innovation
• ethical considerations
• equality, diversity and inclusion
• other EPSRC funding options
• equality impact assessment (PDF, 149KB) .

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Travel funding schemes for doctoral students

The Doctoral and Researcher College Travel Support Scheme permits eligible doctoral researchers to apply for funding towards travel relating to conferences, data collection or research visits.

Successful applicants will receive up to a maximum of £200 towards their travel. Schools are expected to make a contribution of 50% of the travel costs, up to a maximum of £100.

• Example 1:  Travel costs of £600. School travel contribution of £100. Doctoral and Researcher College award of £200.
• Example 2:  Travel costs of £80. School travel contribution of £40. Doctoral and Researcher College award of £40.

The scheme supports travel only, which must be a single trip, and not other costs such as conference registration, visas, subsistence or accommodation.

Funding is allocated at three points in the year (deadlines below). Applicants should be aware that the Doctoral and Researcher College has a limited budget of £6,000 to award per year. Each of the three rounds of the competition will award a maximum of one third of the total annual budget.

Applications are reviewed by a panel of Doctoral and Researcher College senior staff and decisions will be communicated within approximately four weeks.

Where more eligible applications are received than can be funded, priority may be given to:

• researchers who are self-funding their studies
• (for data collection) researchers who are collecting data that is critical to the completion of their doctorate
• (for conference travel) researchers who are presenting at a conference rather than just attending.

Researchers receiving a travel award are expected to meet the minimum level of engagement with RRDP training. 

Deadlines  

Eligibility: who can apply.

You should be:

• a current doctoral researcher at the University of Reading
• in your second/third year of study when the travel takes place (if full time)
• in your third/fourth/fifth year of study when the travel takes place (if part-time)
• applying for travel which takes place within the specified period for the round.
• How to apply

Apply using the travel bursary application form . Include a supporting statement from your supervisor confirming

1. that the School has agreed to provide 50% of the travel costs, up to a maximum of £100

2. whether you have an authorised risk assessment.

For further advice about risk assessment, speak with your School Health and Safety Officer. Include an RRDP certificate of attendance, which you can print from RISIS.

Email your complete application, including RRDP attendance certificate and supporting statement to [email protected] , by the relevant deadline.

• Applications must be for travel within the period stated.
• Applications which are received after the closing date, are incomplete, or are for travel outside the relevant period for the deadline, will not be considered. Applications cannot be made retrospectively. Please check carefully before submitting. Applications must provide a true reflection of your funding status.
• You can only receive one award during your doctoral programme.

Conditions of award

1. Funding will be provided on provision of an accurately and fully completed application and an accurately and fully completed expenses claim made by the deadlines given above. If you do not submit a claim by the given deadline, the funding will be lost. If your School will be booking your travel on your behalf, please inform the Doctoral and Researcher College Office and provide a named contact for the person making the booking.

2. You are asked to submit, preferably with photographs, a short report on the travel. This should be completed within six weeks of travel using the travel support post-award report form.

Further information

Awards made from the Doctoral and Researcher College Travel Support Scheme are funded by contributions from several sources, including generous support from the prize fund of the Clifford Norton Award.

University research travel grants

The University's Research Travel Grant Sub-Committee makes awards to eligible applicants for funding towards activities such as participation at research conferences and seminars. 

The Sub-Committee meets once a term but is able to consider applications on a rolling basis. Full information can be found on the Research Travel Grant Sub-Committee page ; you will need to input your University username and password to access this page.

Take the next step

• Get a prospectus

• Training & Travel Grants

This grant supports the training and development of PhD students and postgraduate research assistants. Grants of up to £500 are available.

These grants help PhD students and postgraduate research assistants to meet the costs of specialist field training courses and to network and publicise their research by presenting their work at workshops and conferences.

Applications for round 1 are closed. Applications for the second round will open July 11th.

REGISTER ONLINE

When applications open, register/login to our online grants system, complete your contact details, and navigate to ‘Your Applications’.

Applicants can only submit one grant application per round across all grant schemes.

As part of the application process, you will need to provide information regarding your training/conference. All training/conferences must have an ecological focus. If you are unsure if your training/conference would be eligible, please get in touch with the grants officer.

You will also need a statement of support from one referee which shows their support for you to attend the training/conference.

Your statement of support should be a short statement (300 words max) supporting your attendance at the meeting/course outlined in your application and how this will be of benefit to your studies. Please ensure that within this statement the referee specifies how they know they applicant. This should be written on your institutions’ headed paper and include a signature from the referee.

If you are attending a conference, you will need to upload an invitation letter to your Flexigrant application as part of the application process.

Virtual Events and Courses

Applicants can use these grants to attend a virtual conference/course, to cover registration fees up to £250. In these circumstances, the applicant must provide proof of registration on acceptance, and meet the standard eligibility and criteria as outlined below. If you are unsure that your event meets the BES criteria, please contact: [email protected]

Round 1 Applications will open on January 11th and will close on January 25th. Once applications close, a lottery system will be used to award at least 32 grants to all eligible applicants.

You will be notified regarding the outcome of your application by the end of January.

If you apply during round 1, the training/event should take place from early February 2024 to the end of July 2024

Applications will open on July 11th and will close on July 25th. Once applications close, a lottery system will be used to award at least 32 grants to all eligible applicants.

You will be notified regarding the outcome of your application by the end of July.

If you apply during round 2, the training/event should take place from early August 2024 to the end of January 2025

Eligibility and Conditions

All applicants are required to:

• Be a BES member.
• Be a PhD student, postgraduate research assistant (within 3 years of completing relevant degree) or equivalent (Postdoc researchers, undergraduates and masters students are therefore not eligible to apply).
• If you were previously awarded a BES training and travel grant, it must be at least three years before you can apply for another BES training and travel grant
• Work or study at a university or research institution (including field centres, NGOs, museums, etc.) that provide research facilities.
• Work in scientific areas within our remit (the science of ecology) and of relevance to the training course or meeting they are applying to attend.
• Give a presentation if attending a meeting. For example, poster presentations, delivering workshops, delivering a plenary talk, etc.
• No retrospective claims for funding will be considered.

Clarification on eligibility criteria for training courses

• Applications for travel to informal training or masters/degrees/fellowships etc. will not be considered.
• Applications to attend mandatory training in order to complete their degree will not be considered; examples include health and safety courses.
• Applications for skills-based training courses that do not have a strong ecological focus will not be considered, e.g. diving courses, mountaineering courses, hunting courses
• Applications for specialist training/identification courses that have an ecological focus that will help improve your current research will be considered
• Applications for building analytic skills for analysing results will be considered, for example, statistical courses
• Training courses must not be longer than a month
• No applicant may receive more than two Training & Travel Grants in any five year period. There must be at least three years between grants.

Applications should demonstrate what ecological skills they will learn on the training course.

Our Training and Travel grants are awarded on a lottery-based system once the two week deadline has passed; submitting an application does not guarantee funding.

A maximum of two places per training course may be funded. No more than two applicants from the same institution may attend the same meeting/conference.

The applicant is responsible for booking to attend the course/event/workshop and as the grants are paid in retrospect, must pay the relevant institution/organiser the required fee at the time of booking as well as all monies additional to the award amount i.e. single supplements.

Successful applicants are bound by the booking conditions of the organisation running the event, course or workshop and non-attendance on a booked course or event will result in the applicant being personally liable for the cancellation fee.

It is a condition of all of our grant schemes that applicants submit a report within three months of the end date of your award. Reports will be submitted via our online grants system.

BES SIG Events

Grants will be considered for Global South applicants to attend BES SIG events if the meeting occurs outside the country where the applicant resides.

Unless the applicant is self-funded, their organisation is expected to provide at least £150 of support towards the event’s costs.

• A maximum of £250 is available to cover the registration fees for virtual conferences/courses.
• A maximum of £500 is available for events in person
• the grant will be paid after the event has taken place, on receipt of a brief report, certificate of attendance and any appropriate receipts.
• All costs must be justified within the budget section. Costs that are not justified will not be considered. Please ensure all costs are calculated in GBP (British Sterling).

If you have been awarded a £500 grant to attend a conference in person but attended the conference virtually, you can claim up to £250 to cover registration fees.

For any grant related enquires, please contact [email protected]

Carbon Policy

The BES is committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 30% by 2025. As a society that supports the global ecological community, travel is a significant proportion of our total annual emissions.

We recognise the importance for students to attend international conferences and training but also the large carbon footprint this can have

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide your mode of transport and the expected distance you expect to travel by your main mode of transport. If you are flying, you must justify why you need to fly for the event and state why other, more sustainable options are not possible. (e.g. train, bus, ferry)

Applicants will need to state what part of their training/conference that the grant is covering. For example, the registration fees, travel or accommodation.

If there is a high demand for this funding in any given round:

• 51% of the funding will be allocated to the Global South without restrictions on where they can travel or how they get there.
• 49% of the funding will be allocated to all other applicants (including Global South) with the lowest Carbon Footprint. For example, those travelling by more sustainable options such as ferry/train will receive higher priority.

Based on the UK government Green House Gas conversion factors, the BES will convert all travel to a kgCO2 emission value. We value our carbon emissions at £252 per tCO2e. We are committed to ensuring where travel cannot be reduced; we will purchase offsets in the highest integrity schemes based on the best available evidence.

We offset our emissions through UK peatland code accredited and verified schemes and additionally allocate funding to longer-term investments in avoiding carbon emissions through peatland restoration projects.

Grant applicants do not need to budget for this cost. We ask all grant applicants to consider their carbon footprint and ensure they have taken the best steps to reduce their carbon footprint where possible.

Annual Meeting

Grants of up to £1000 are available to attend our annual meeting.

Please note that grants to attend our annual meeting are part of a separate grant scheme.

These grants are open to anyone from a global south country who has been invited to present at our annual meeting.

If you are awarded a standard training and travel grant, it must be at least three years before you can apply for another training and travel grant. This means that if you are awarded a standard training and travel grant, you would not be eligble for an annual conference grant unless at least three years have passed.

Deadline: Applications for these grants will open on the same day as abstract submissions are announced. For more information, click here

To apply for a grant, you will need to register/log in to our online grants system, complete your contact details, and navigate to ‘Your Applications’.

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Travel Grants for Research Students

Our Conference Travel Grant programme is open to students at UK universities working towards a doctoral qualification (PhD or EngD) in Materials Science. It is intended to support attendance at academic conferences to give oral or poster presentations of their research. Priority is given to applicants giving oral presentations. The amount awarded depends on the location of the conference. The maximum grant awarded is £900.

Applications will close at 5pm on Sunday 16th June 2024.

Depending on demand, we may decide to close the application portal ahead of this date.

Travel Grant Application Form

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• Find funding

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• → Our interest groups can also help with funding and training, such as travel grants and conference bursaries.
• → Our Chemists’ Community Fund provides access to guidance, information and financial assistance for you and your family in difficult situations, this includes retraining grants and employment support.

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You can also browse our other funding options that may be of interest:

Rideal Travel Bursaries

Closes 15/04/2022

Bursaries of up to £500 are available for our members and standard or student members of the SCI to attend international conferences in the general field of colloid and surface science.

8th EuChemS Chemistry Congress Bursaries

Closes 07/06/2022

The Royal Society of Chemistry is providing bursaries for early career researchers, who are members of the RSC based in the UK and Ireland, to attend this meeting.

Graduate internship grant

Closes 01/09/2022

We understand that it can be difficult to find the right people to grow your business. Our graduate internship grants offer the financial support needed to help you derisk the recruitment process.

Training voucher grants

We are offering training vouchers, each worth up to £1,000, to reimburse the cost of a training course for a staff member at one of our EnterprisePlus companies.

LGBT+ Inclusion in STEM grant

Closes 14/04/2023

We have awarded five research grants each worth up to £100,000 to tackle LGBT+ under-representation in STEM in the UK and US. Applications for this grant scheme are closed on 14 April 2023 (5pm BST).

Missing Elements Grants Scheme

Closes 31/05/2023

Funding to support and empower chemical sciences departments in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Technician Skills Development Grant

Closes 18/10/2023

Grants of up to £7000 are available to support technicians working in all sectors with the aim of developing skills to support their career progression.

Sustainable Laboratories Grant

Closes 30/10/2023

£10,000 grants to help make research more environmentally sustainable.

Primary science teaching empowerment fund

Closes 17/11/2023

Apply for a £600 (€690) grant to organise your collaborative project or event that supports primary science teaching. The next round will open in October 2024.

Chemistry Teaching Empowerment Fund

Apply for a £600 (€690) grant to organise your collaborative project or event that improves chemistry teaching. The fund is currently closed. The next round will open in October 2024.

Department of Greek & Latin

Conference & Research grants for PhD students

Grants are available for PhD students to attend conferences and for other necessary research expenses (e.g. travel to examine a manuscript). Please note:

• Contributions to conference expenses are usually made only to students who are giving papers
• Students in the CRS period are not generally eligible for funding

LAHP-funded Students

Research grants for students who are funded by the LAHP (an AHRC-funded doctoral training partnership in London) are administered by the LAHP office

GRS/ORS-funded Students

Students who are supported by a UCL Graduate Research Studentship (GRS) may draw on an annual allowance for research expenses. This money may be used towards attending conferences, and other research travel (for example, to examine a manuscript abroad). Other necessary research expenses may be allowed: students should consult their supervisors or the PhD tutor. In certain circumstances conference expenses may be paid even if the student is not giving a paper. All expenses should be approved in advance by the supervisor and PhD tutor.

All PhD Students

The Department holds funds to help research students attend conferences, and for activities associated with their research (e.g. travel to visit an archive). Applications for funding are considered by the Department.

• Fill out an application form
• Give the form to your supervisor to be endorsed and signed
• Then pass the form to the Head of Department, or ask your supervisor to do this

The Classical Association  Conference Bursary 

The Association generously makes bursaries available for students who wish to attend the annual CA conference, which takes place in April. Applications for these bursaries are handled by the Head of Department, whom students should contact if they wish to be considered. The closing date for these applications is likely to be around the last Friday in January.

Small research grants are also available from

• The Wiedemann Fund
• The Dover Fund

Learned Societies

Various Learned Societies provide support for students to attend conferences.

• The Royal Historical Society offers conference grants: "Funding is reserved for research projects that are both clearly and predominantly historical in orientation, with a specific chronological remit. Applicants do not, however, have to be formally registered for degrees in History".
• The Philological Society offers conference grants to students working on linguistic topics.
• The Postcolonial Studies Association offers conference and research grants to student members.

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UK will pay the price for an international student exodus

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Elizabeth Kiss

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

The writer is chief executive of the Rhodes Trust

The UK has long been an attractive destination for the best and brightest global minds. The country’s universities are the envy of the world and consistently listed at the top of higher education rankings. But the UK government’s attempts to block talented international students from working and studying here poses a grave risk to these institutions and the country.

The government is about to publish its review into the graduate visa, a two-year unsponsored work permit for overseas graduates of British universities. The review comes on the heels of other changes, including one implemented in January that prevents overseas postgraduate students on a taught course (such as a masters degree) from bringing spouses or children with them.  

Home secretary James Cleverly says this latest review is designed to ensure graduate visas are “not being abused” . But these changes, and the government’s rhetoric, create an unwelcoming atmosphere for international students. This goes against the UK’s values of openness and innovation, which have enabled our economy and society to thrive.  

Facing an increasingly hostile environment, the smartest students will look elsewhere for university places, notably the US, where they often receive more generous financial support for postgraduate degrees. Some international students are already turning away. According to Financial Times analysis of Universities and Colleges Admissions Service data, a third of UK universities saw fewer overseas non-EU applicants in 2023.

The UK will pay the price for this exodus. International students bring tremendous economic benefits with them, putting nearly 10 times more into the economy than they take out. UK universities also rely on income from international students to subsidise places for British students, who pay lower tuition fees. 

Alongside our world-class universities, the UK is home to prominent scholarship programmes, including the Rhodes scholarship, which brings exceptional young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. Since our founding in 1903, 8,000 Rhodes scholars have come to learn and to foster friendships across national boundaries — building affection for their host country as they do so.

I came as a Rhodes scholar from the US in 1983 and was privileged to return in 2018 to oversee the programme from which I benefited so much. Other Rhodes scholars have also made the UK their home, and include well-known figures in public health, education, engineering and other fields.

We are proud of the many ways our scholars contribute to British society. For example, Emmanuelle Dankwa, from Ghana, was one of the early-career researchers selected to present her research to parliament as part of the Stem for Britain competition. 

Access to a graduate visa has played a key role in enabling Rhodes scholars to make a positive impact. Take the fintech company founded by three scholars from Singapore, Syria and Palestine. Run by Amer Baroudi and Abdallah AbuHashem, nsave has secured major seed funding and is committed to making banking more inclusive and accessible by providing safe accounts for people from countries with high inflation and distressed economies. These founders demonstrate how opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration enable students at UK universities to become part of a global network of entrepreneurs, academics and leaders. 

Instead of creating more barriers for such qualified, hard-working young people, we should welcome and encourage those eager to come here to learn, work, and contribute. The government may claim to be cracking down on abuse of the graduate visa system but it is only shooting itself in the foot, jeopardising the UK’s competitiveness and harming all students, both British and international.

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