Conference Travel Grants: How to Get Travel Grants for Conferences in 2024
Did you know that there are organizations that provide travel grants to individuals to attend conferences abroad? If you are planning to attend a workshop or conference, then this post is for you.
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Conference Travel Grants: How to Get Travel Grants for Conferences in 2024
Attending conferences can be an exciting opportunity to learn and network with industry professionals from around the world. However, there are financial obstacles that hinder people from traveling because of the high cost of travel. So, today we will disclose some useful strategies on how you can get conference travel grants and the available international conferences in 2024.
In addition to learning from workshops, presentations, and networking events, individuals who attend these international conferences might be lucky enough to extend their conference visas. Learn more about the USA conference visa here.
What Is A Travel Grant?
It is a financial award that covers expenses associated with attending professional or academic conferences, workshops, and other events.
These grants are for various categories of people, such as students, researchers, and professionals, who might not have the ability to foot the travel cost, accommodation, registration fees, and many other daily expenses they might incur.
Travel scholarships are generally awarded by universities, research organizations, professional associations, non-profits, and the government.
They aim to foster knowledge exchange, professional development, and networking opportunities by providing an opportunity for recipients to attend prestigious meetings and gatherings in their field.
So, how can you get a conference travel grant in 2024? Here are some tips to help you get the funding you need to attend the conferences.
How To Get Conference Travel Grants
1. Research the available travel grants
The first step to landing a travel grant is to research available grants. There are different types of grants, and the application and requirements differ. Foreign applicants applying for international conference travel grants must check their eligibility status to know if they can apply.
Online databases, such as Grants.govor Euraxess, are great websites that publish available and genuine updates on travel grants. They identify appropriate funding sources and submit proposals online, and applicants can use these sites to track their grant status.
2. Write a compelling application
While applying for a travel grant, it is vital to prepare a strong case for why you should be given the funds. Highlight the benefits of the conference, how it will assist your professional development, and why you have to seek financial assistance to attend.
3. Plan your budget
It is advisable to show that your travel expenses are budgeted truthfully when applying for the travel grant. State clearly how you plan to spend the money with a breakdown.
4. Network with professionals in your field
“No one is an island”. You should network with professionals in your field, as one of your contacts can link you up with an opportunity for sponsorship through travel grants. Keep tabs on these people who will be able to support you or who can recommend you for funding opportunities.
Types of Conference Travel Grants
1. Government-funded grants
Many governments have travel grants to support international collaboration and knowledge sharing. These grants are accessible to researchers, students, and members of the global workforce from all over the world.
Government-funded grants are available, and those that want to apply may be required to meet certain eligibility conditions, like presenting at a conference or doing research in one specific field.
2. Organization-funded grants
Such organizations as non-profits, foundations, and research institutions sometimes offer grants for travel to individuals who attend conferences. Funds of this kind are usually awarded on merit, and applicants have to submit a detailed proposal describing the significance of their work and the impact of attending the conference.
3. Institution-funded grants
Universities and research institutions usually award travel grants to students and researchers to enable their participation in conferences. These grants may cover registration fees, transport expenses, and accommodation fee, which help foreigners participate in foreign-granted events.
4. Sponsorship from companies
Some companies can sponsor their employees to attend conferences abroad. This way, they promote the company’s brand or products.
To obtain sponsorship, the candidates must provide details showing that it is the company sponsoring the travel. Documents like employment letter, certificate of incorporation, company’s bank statement of account, pay slip, etc.
Alternative funding sources
i. Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding offers a great alternative to raising the funds needed for participation in conferences and other business trips.
Websites such as GoFundMe, Kickstarter, and Indiegogo enable individuals to collect money from friends and family as well as a wider group of online communities.
ii. Scholarships
Another notable source of funding for conference travel is scholarships. Several academic institutions, foundations, and professional associations provide scholarships that mostly target students and researchers.
These scholarships have a pretty extensive budget to cover the fees for registration, travel costs, and accommodation.
iii. Academic Departments or Programs
Some academic departments have internal funding opportunities for their students to participate in conferences.
This grant might be in the form of travel grants, research support funds, or discretionary funds allocated by department heads. To get this money, it is very important to call your school’s administration office, advisors, or program directors.
According to Google, everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue a career in computer science and technology, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or disability.
To help break down the barriers that prevent underrepresented groups in computer science from attending leading tech conferences, the tech giant is offering GoogleTravel and Conference Grants for selected conferences in computer science and related fields.
Grants are available in North America for all traditionally underrepresented groups; in Europe for women in technology. In India and Africa for students who have their research papers accepted at top-tier conferences in computer science and related areas.
This is another top provider of conference travel grant. The DAAD grant enables active participation in a designated international scientific event (conference, symposium, etc.) abroad.
With the congress and lecture journey program of the DAAD, the active participation of scientists in congresses and lectures abroad will be funded. Therefore, the current scholarly pieces have to contribute to the further scientific development of the scientist.
funding amounts:
The valid DAAD travel allowance
financial contribution to the conference fee
subsistence allowance for the period of participation in the event.
Application process and required documents:
Applications can be submitted in German or English (the application form is only available in German!).
Reasons for an application (letter of motivation)
A letter of recommendation from your supervisor
Official confirmation letter
Abstract (a short description of your lecture, poster, etc.)
Assurance that no other funding exists
The amount of the conference fee and the duration of the event
Application Deadline:
Applications have to be submitted to the DAAD no later than four months before the first day of the congress.
The WARC conference travel grants promote intra-African cooperation and exchange among researchers and institutions by providing support to African scholars and graduate students for research visits to other institutions and regions on the continent.
The WARC Travel Grant provides travel costs up to $1,500 and a stipend of $1,500.
Travel grant funds may be used to:
Visit libraries or archives located in Africa with resources necessary for the applicant’s academic work.
engage in collaborative work with colleagues at another African institution.
travel to a research site in Africa.
This competition is open only to West African nationals, with priority given to those affiliated with West African colleges, universities, or research institutions.
Application requirements:
An abstract (50–80 words) of the proposed activity with a clear statement of purpose
Project/Research description (6 double-spaced pages maximum) including why travel is necessary (must be in language understandable to non-specialist readers)
Proposed budget
Curriculum vitae (with research and teaching record)
Photocopy of the applicant’s passport (must be a West African national)
All applications must be submitted online as PDF documents.
All applicants must have a recommendation letter.
If visiting another institution: an invitation from the host institution
If travel is to consult archives or other materials: A description of the collections to be consulted and their significance to the applicant’s research.
If you are a graduate student: a letter of recommendation from the professor overseeing your research. For more information, send a message.
IEEE ICC 2024 offers several grants to students and financially limited individuals. To be eligible for a student travel grant, the applicant must be registered for the conference, a student, and a co-author of an accepted peer-reviewed paper for the conference.
Also, a Conference Travel Grant (CTG) is available for applicants who are unable to obtain sufficient funding due to, for instance, being from a country with a low GDP. The grants are from IEEE ComSoc, the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Women in Communications Engineering (WICE), and IEEE Conference Travel.
These grants encourage participation by students or individuals who would normally find it difficult to attend.
Women, minorities, individuals from low-GDP countries, beginning graduate students, and first-time ICC attendees are especially encouraged to apply. Postdocs, faculty, or other senior research personnel may not apply for a student grant.
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for a CTG at ICC 2024, an applicant must be:
A ComSoc member
An ICC 2024 participant; and
Unable to obtain sufficient substantial funding from their institution or other sources and forced to cover most of or all the associated expenses with their funds
Priority will be given to:
Authors of accepted ICC 2024 Conference Papers
Presenters of accepted talks at ICC 2024.
Those residing in a country with a low Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita.
HOW TO APPLY FOR CTG
The application can be accessed in EDAS by selecting “Travel Grants” at the top of the page and then selecting “IEEE ICC’24: Conference Travel Grants.” Alternatively, the application can be accessed directly by clicking this link.
The FIAT/IFTA conference travel grants invite media archivists and researchers from all over the world to attend the conference.
By so doing, they will become an active part of the international audiovisual heritage community and promote the development of professional skills and opportunities. With this objective in mind, FIAT/IFTA is offering the FIAT/IFTA Travel Grant.
This grant consists of a maximum of 5 scholarships of a maximum of €1000 each, which should allow candidates to bear the costs associated with attending the conference.
Candidates wishing to apply for the FIAT/IFTA World Conference Travel Grant should submit their application via the form below by May 26th, 2024, at the latest.
Applicants will be notified of the award decisions no later than June 10, 2024. Please note that a Google account is required to fill out the form.
Getting travel grants for conferences can be a tedious process; however, you should understand that nothing good comes easy.
If you find a conference to attend, it is up to you to make sure that you put up a convincing application that will attract funding for your trip.
Exploring the different pathways, such as government, academics, non-governmental organizations, and private organizations, can get you a travel grant for a conference abroad.
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