Early Career Conference Grants

Grants for early career researchers at member universities to attend and take part in conferences.

Applications are now closed for 2023/2024.

Early Career Conference Grants help to ensure that emerging researchers – and the universities that employ them – can benefit from the valuable opportunity of attending and taking part in in-person conferences in Commonwealth countries.

For emerging academics, taking part in conferences can have a profound impact on their teaching and research. These events are a chance to share research, learn about the latest developments in an area of work, and build valuable professional networks.

Researchers find themselves better informed and better connected with new knowledge that can be shared and multiplied among colleagues and students.

What does the grant include?

Grants are a maximum of GBP 2,000 which can be used to cover:

Conference registration fee
Flights
Accommodation
Visa costs
Travel and health insurance

How to apply

Applicants must:

Be an early career researcher/academic at an ACU member university.
Be within 7 years of the start of their academic (research/teaching) career, with the exception of those who have had career breaks. A career break is a period of time out from employment for personal or professional reasons, including to care for children.
Identify a conference that they would like to attend in a Commonwealth country, taking place between August 2024 and February 2025.
Review the FAQs/Application Guidance.
Submit an application through the online application form.

- If you do not already have a MyACU account, please ensure that you first register for an account here, then follow the instructions in the registration email to log in to the system before accessing the application form when applications open.

Applicants cannot:

Have previously travelled for work purposes (including conferences) outside of their region of employment since the start of their academic career.
Be a previous recipient of an ACU Early Career Conference Grant (previously known as Early Career Academic Grants).

Application guidance

Information to help you complete your application.

Find out more