Society-Supported Conference Grants

Awards of up to £2,000 are available to members who wish to organise a conference (in person or virtual) in any field of microbiology, either independently or in partnership with another Society.

Key details

Maximum award: £2,000
Deadlines: 3 June 2024 and 20 November 2024
Eligible membership categories: Full, Full Concessionary or Postgraduate Student members
Minimum membership categories: one year (two consecutive membership payments). 

Enquiries about this scheme should be made by email to [email protected]. Please read all information on this page carefully and ensure you have read the guidance notes before submitting an application.

Society-Supported Conference Grant guidance notes

 

• Eligibility
• Application process
• What is covered by the grant
• Award criteria
• Administration of awards
• Conditions of the grant

Eligibility

Current paid-up Full, Full Concessionary or Postgraduate Student members who have held membership for a minimum period of one year (two consecutive membership subscription payments).

What is covered by the grant?

Awards of up to £2,000 are available to contribute towards funding the costs of invited speakers travel and accommodation only (see guidance notes for further details on expense allowances).

Application Process

In order to apply, please submit the below application form to [email protected] in advance of the conference or meeting. Applicants are advised to submit their application at least six months prior to the conference date.

There are two rounds of applications per year. Applicants are advised to submit their application at least six months prior to the conference date.

Closing dates for events taking place in 2024 are 3 June 2024 and 20 November 2024.

Applicants must include the following information with their application:

• A full meeting programme
• An event Code of Conduct must be submitted demonstrating how you have clearly addressed the Society’s EDI policy when identifying invited speakers for the meeting. You can view the Society’s Code of Conduct as an example.

All required supplementary material should be provided at the point of application. Full expected costs of invited speaker expenses should be given in the appropriate part of the application.

Society-Supported Conference grant application form

 

Award Criteria

Award decisions are made by a panel and informed by a points system based on a defined set of criteria. Please find the criteria below.

Society-Supported Conference Grant scoring criteria

Thinking of submitting an application? Take a look at this how-to guide to give you the best chance of it being successful.

How to...write a great Society-Supported Conference Grant application

 

Administration of awards

Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome of their application within two months of the closing date. Applicants are notified of an awarded grant via email.

To claim a grant, applicants must submit a completed expense claim form to [email protected]. All claims must be made within three months of the funded project and substantiated by receipt or copies of invoices or other documents as appropriate.

Conditions of the grant

If a grant is awarded, the organisers will be required to:

• Acknowledge the financial support of the Society in all subsequent publicity, conference programmes and any resulting publications.
• Include printed materials, supplied by the Society, such as information on Society publications or upcoming conferences in the delegates packs or to display them for the whole duration of the conference.
• Display the Society’s logo on the conference website in line with the Society's branding guidelines.
• Clearly badge speakers funded by the Society as such, within but not limited to the following: programme book, abstract book, website and opening slide of a funded speaker’s presentation.
• Display the Society’s slide on rotating holding screens.
• Submit expense claim forms within three months after the meeting.

Enquiries about new applications to this scheme should be made by email to [email protected].

 Below are some of the events which have received funding through our Society-Supported Conference Grant.

2024

20 – 22 February	Osara, Nigeria	Awareness on Microbes and Antimicrobial Residues In Animal Proteins Processed for Human Consumption: Confluence Meeting 2024
15 March	Oxford, UK	Sir William Dunn School of Pathology Postdoc Symposium
29 – 30 April	Norwich, UK	Norwich and Cambridge Science Symposium 2024 (NoCaSS 2024)
Between May and July 2024	This workshop will be delivered twice, once in person in the UK and once online. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK	Education and Outreach Publication Writing Workshop
04 June	Glasgow, UK	26th Glasgow Virology Workshop
10 June	London, UK	London Infection Postdoc Network Annual Symposium
11 – 12 June	Liverpool, UK	Recently Independent Virology Researchers (RIVR) 2024 meeting
24 – 25 June	London, UK	Bacterial Machines in Action
3 July	Leicester, UK	East Midlands Microbiome Research Network One‐Health Research Day
15 – 16 July	Leeds, UK	Bunyavirus 2024
5 – 7 September	Nottingham, UK	6th International Conference of the European College of Veterinary Microbiology