Scholarships

SBMS Postgraduate Research Candidates Conferences and/or Short Courses - Guidelines

Objective

These grants are funded by the School of Biomedical Sciences (SBMS). The School recognises that presenting research results at National and International conferences, attending workshops, and/or undertaking short courses is an important part of development as research scientists. This scheme provides eligible SBMS postgraduate research candidates with the opportunity to apply for funding to assist with expenses for these types of research-related activities. The funds allocated towards this scheme are not enough to support all candidates and are hence allocated competitively based on the guidelines and criteria described below.  However, the Research Strategy Committee (RSC) strives to support research-related scholarships for as many PG candidates as possible.

Awards

Funding will support attendance of research conferences, workshops, short courses or related expenses, for example, travel expenses, registration and course fees, but not society memberships. Eligible candidates may apply for a maximum amount of $800. The actual amounts awarded are subject to the number of eligible applications received and careful consideration of the budget submitted. Candidates whose scholarships come with embedded support packages for conference attendance and related activities will not be funded by SBMS.  

PG candidates will have to present evidence in the application form that they have actively sought funding from alternative sources, and DRTG support is not available for this purpose. The SBMS awards will supplement funds obtained from these other sources to cover the actual conference costs. In case there is any surplus left from the SBMS awarded funds, this will have to be returned to the RSC. 

Candidates may receive a maximum of one grant per annum and a maximum of two grants over the period of their postgraduate research candidacy.

The policy requires candidates to submit their claims and reimbursement requests within one month after attending the online conference, workshop, or short course. 

Please note that RSC funding is subject to availability each year.  ALL funds awarded for the year must be spent (not just committed) before UNSW’s financial cutoff for the year in mid-November. No claims will be allowable after the finance cutoff date.

Eligibility Criteria

1. PhD or Master’s by Research candidates who are currently enrolled in the School of Biomedical Sciences, provided their candidature is on track for completion (total EFTSL no greater than 4 for a PhD and no greater than 2 for a Master’s by Research at the time of application). Conference attendance and reimbursement applications must occur while the candidate is enrolled. Applicants will only be considered if the candidate has demonstrated satisfactory progress at their latest Research Progress Review.
2. Candidates whose scholarships come with dedicated support packages for conference attendance and related activities will not be funded by SBMS. 
3. Candidates presenting at international conferences, workshops, or other research activities must apply for funding through: Other funding sources, such as through Professional Societies provided by the target conferences, if available. Candidates will have to present evidence that DRTG funding is not available or not sufficient to cover the costs. The SBMS award will supplement the difference between the costs of the research conference, workshop or short course and the costs covered by other awards. A budget will need to be provided, and in case there is surplus SBMS award funds, this will need to be returned to the RSC. 
4. Funding will only be awarded where the primary purpose is to attend a conference or major scientific meeting and present a paper, poster or exhibition on the candidate’s research work, to attend a research workshop or to do another research-related activity deemed eligible by the RSC Chair. Candidates who attend a conference without presenting or presenting a paper or poster for which the student is not the author are not eligible to apply. 
5. Candidates cannot apply for funds to attend a research conference, workshop, or similar event that is being held while they are on leave, or which takes place after they have submitted their thesis. The conference must occur while the candidate is enrolled. 
6. Awardees will have to finalise claims and reimbursement of their conference costs up to 1 month after the research conference, and before the UNSW financial cutoff for the year in mid-November. Any reimbursement requests submitted later than that will not be considered by the RSC. 

If conference falls after the UNSW financial cutoff date and before the next year’s budget is released, and thus support cannot be allocated, the candidate must register Notice of Intent (NOI) before the conference to be able to apply for the support for this conference, workshop,  or short course in the next budget year if the funding will be available. Availability of funding is not guaranteed. Applications with NOI are not given any advantage over regular applications, and thus, an award cannot be guaranteed. The applicant must satisfy all eligibility criteria at the time of both the NOI and the grant application submission. 

Application Process and Selection Criteria

1. Fill out the online application form 
2. Applications will be assessed by the Research Strategy Committee, and award recommendations made to the Head of School. 
3. Successful applicants will be notified by email with the details of how to claim payment of the grant (which unless have NOI registered, is within a month of the attendance of a research conference, workshop or short course via an ER1 expense re-imbursement form or a journal transfer to the grant account of the applicant’s supervisor if they paid for the conference). 
4. The Research Strategy Committee will consider the following when adjudicating on awards: 

• Preference for senior candidates, particularly for online conferences and workshops 
• Preference to support candidates to attend a National conference in their 2nd year and then an International conference in their final year. 
• Evidence of receipt of funds from external sources to support the current or previous conference will be positively considered 
• The scheme aims to give opportunities for all candidates to gain exposure to the International and National research community 
• Opportunities for research support available through the laboratory/research group and component covered by personnel expenses 
• Evidence of research progress and excellence as judged by awards, abstracts & publications, prizes, and postgraduate review comments 
• The Research Strategy Committee endeavours to distribute awards fairly to onsite and offsite SBMS HDR candidates
• Other circumstances may be considered by the Research Support Committee 

Awards

1. The conference presentation must comply, or have complied, with UNSW branding guideline templates – see myUNSW - for any posters or PowerPoint presentations and must include the School of Biomedical Sciences affiliation. Any enquiries regarding branding guidelines can be directed to brand@unsw.edu.au.  An A4 PDF colour copy of the poster presentation or the title slide for an oral presentation must be submitted to the RSC either at the time of application, or before the funds can be claimed. 

2. Awards can be used towards conference registration fees, fees for workshops, fees for short courses, and travel expenses. The funds cannot be used to pay for Society memberships, etc. 

3. Unless Notice of Intent has been registered, payments must be claimed and expended one month after  the awardee attends the conference, workshop, or short course. The RSC will not consider any claims or reimbursement requests submitted later than 1 month after the event. 

Enquiries should be directed to your Research Strategy Committee postgraduate candidates representative, or the RSC.