Travel Grants
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IMCC5 Diversity Travel Grant Awards Competition
Supported by Speak Up For Blue Media & Communications
The IMCC5 Travel Grant Award application process opens 4 March 2018 and closes 9 April 2018. We cannot accept late submissions. Grant recipients will be announced by 13 April 2018.
TRAVEL GRANT APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
The 5th International Marine Conservation Congress, OceansOnline, and the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) Marine Section are offering Travel Grant Awards as part of our Diversity Initiatives. In 2018, the Travel Grant Awards will focus on international diversity, awarding competitive grants to present at IMCC5 for delegates from countries defined as developing by the World Bank and delegates from countries designated by the United Nations as member or affiliate Small Island Developing States (excluding Singapore). Delegates from indigenous communities in any country are also encouraged to apply. Please read the guidelines in full. Delegates must first submit an abstract in the Call for Abstracts, then apply for the travel grant. Delegates who made successful applications to the Call for Proposals may also apply for a Travel Grant Award. Continue to check this website for updates.
We thank Speak Up For Blue Media & Communications who are sonsoring 6 Travel Grant awards!
Guidelines:
The SCB Marine Diversity Committee is considering applications for Travel Grant Awarsd to help offset costs for qualifying delegates to present at the SCB Marine Section’s 5th International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC5) in Kuching, Malaysia from 24 – 28 June 2018, as well as for OceansOnline on 29 June 2018. Awarded funds will be used to reimburse awardees to offset the travel costs and/or registration fees to present at IMCC5 or OceansOnline.
The need for support of marine conservation efforts is acute in many parts of the world, especially in so-called ‘developing nations’ and nations with little or no access to conservation funding. SCB Marine thus initiated the Travel Grant Awards to fund attendance to present at IMCCs and OceansOnlines.
The availability of travel reimbursement funds is determined by the amount of money raised through sponsorships. Individual reimbursement awards are expected to help delegates who have an accepted abstract offset some of the costs of presenting at the meeting and will vary between $200 and $3,000 USD.
Important Dates:
Interested applicants must first submit an abstract during the IMCC5 Call for Abstracts or have an already accepted workshop, symposium, or focus group. Applicants can then download an application form here to apply for a Travel Grant Award (check back after 4 March 2018 for form). Applications will be accepted through 1 April 2018. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application by the SCB Marine Diversity Committee by 13 April 2018, and awardees must register for IMCC5 by 13 May 2018. Presenting at IMCC is required to receive the funds. Before you start your application, please read the full guidelines and instructions below. Applications that do not follow the instructions will not be considered.
General Instructions
Eligibility: Delegates who meet the following criteria may apply for an IMCC Diversity Travel Grant Award:
- Must be a member of the Society for Conservation Biology and the Marine Section (Become a Member). New members can join the Marine Section in Step 5 of 6 of the join process (see this screen shot). Already a member? Join the Marine Section via your SCB Member Home page (here's how).
- Must be residents of developing countries (as defined by the World Bank) or small island developing states (as United Nations member of affiliate states, but excluding Singapore), or members of indigenous communities in any country. Applicants must be a citizen of or currently a long-term resident of the country/region. If you are from an underserved community that is not listed, please put your justification in the comments section. Researchers from a non-qualified region who conduct research in a qualified region are not eligible.
- Must have abstract accepted by IMCC5 Scientific Program Committee. (Applications will need to be completed prior to notification of abstract acceptance. The SCB Marine Diversity Committee will check on the behalf of applications to be sure abstracts were accepted.) Submitting a Travel Grant Award application does not guarantee acceptance of the abstract.
Preference: You must meet the eligibility criteria above to apply for a travel and/or registration reimbursement award. Applicants increase their chances of receiving an award if their abstracts receive the best evaluations by the IMCC5 Scientific Program Committee and SCB Marine Diversity Committee.
The IMCC5 Travel Grant Award application will be shortly be available as a Google Form. It will be emailed to those who have submitted an abstract and indicated an interest in applying for a Travel Grant Award. It will also be accessible on this page from 4 March 2018. Please check back. Application forms should be filled out in English unless otherwise agreed upon with the IMCC5 Organizing Committee. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Completed application forms are to be submitted by the deadline of 1 April 2018. (No extensions will be granted.)
Award decisions will be made by the SCB Marine Diversity Committee. Funds must be used to travel to IMCC and/or OceansOnline. If you are among the awardees, you will be asked for your preferred reimbursement payment mode. You will receive instructions to submit receipts for reimbursement. If you have a Paypal account, it is a much more convenient option. If not, a certain portion of the reimbursement (usually $50 USD) will be taken by the bank as an international money transfer fee. Ability to pay for travel up front and be reimbursed is preferred, but not required. If you are fully unable to pay for approved travel costs up front and be reimbursed, the SCB Marine Diversity Committee and IMCC5 Meeting Manager will help book travel.
Questions? Email info@imcc5.com
External Travel Funding for Conferences
We understand affording conference travel may require a lot of work for delegates and putting together funding from various sources. We hope to help as much as we can. Beyond the Society for Conservation Biology Marine Section, there may be funding sources to travel to the International Marine Conservation Congress, including universities, professional societies, non-profit organizations, and companies.
If you need assistance with a travel grant application to attend IMCC5, please contact:
- Travis Nielsen for any letters you need to attach to applications, including invitation letters, abstract/proposal acceptance letters, or registration confirmation letters. If the letter needs to contain specific information, please include that in your email.
- Edward Hind-Ozan for any general information about IMCC5 that you need for a travel grant application.
- Luli Martinez for any questions related to external diversity travel grant applications. Non-native English speakers who need help filling out forms in english should also contact her, and she wil help partner them with a member of the organizing committee or other voluteers who can help with the translation.
If you know of an available travel grant we can list on this page, please send the link to info@imcc5.com
External Travel Funding Sources:
World Wildlife Fund Professional Development Grants:
WWF offers travel support of up to $6,500USD to individuals from certain countries. These grants are for mid-career conservationists to pursue short-term, non-degree training to upgrade their knowledge and skills. These trainings can include short courses, certificate trainings, or conferences, among other training opportunities. Mid-career conservation professionals from select priority countries must meet all of the eligibility criteria to be considered for a grant.
British Ecological Society (BES) Travel and Training Grants
BES provides conference travel funding of up to £1,000 to PhD students and postgraduate research assistants who are presenting at meetings with an ecological component. Applications open in early January, 2018.