Grants and Help with Attendance


We aim to have a number of travel and subsistance grants available. These will be awarded by the SOC in consultation with the LOC, on the following basis:

    (1) Country of origin: we will make every effort to give priority to helping attendees from eastern Europe, Third World countries and South America. We will only help attendees from wealthy countries in wholely exceptional circumstances.

    (2) Contribution to the conference: if you intend to request assistance it is a necessary to make a significant contribution to the conference. We will give special consideration to people who plan to present particularly new or important results, or to present results for several colleagues from the same institute.

    (3) Scientific quality of the work to be presented: we will obviously give the highest priority to the best quality work, particularly if, as we fear, our grants are heavily oversubscribed.

    (4) If you are a student, please include a letter of reference from your Ph.D Director, a senior member of staff, or a research colleague from outside your institution. A good recommendation greatly increases your chances of success.

What grants are available?

In principal, there are two sources of funding.

The International Science Foundation, through the Saros Foundation, will usually fund approximately 2 people per 100 attendees. These grants must be requested from the ISF at least 3 months before the conference. The organizers must nominate recipiants, in order of priority, and communicate these names to the ISF.

We will select the candidates for ISF grants from the applications received.

The LOC will offer a few travel grants and some subsistance allowances. The number depends critically on the level of registrations and on the success of grant applications which we have made, or are making.

Our initial budget estimates that we will have perhaps 5 travel grants and 15-20 subsistance grants. A travel grant will cover all travel costs by the cheapest possible means of transport (to allow us to help as many people as possible), plus local accomodation. A subsistance grant will cover only local accomodation.

As a very rough guide, we expect to offer 1 full grant and 4 subsistance grants for each 40 participants who pay the full registration fee.

People who receive grants will not be expected to pay the registration fee. We will attempt to offer either free, or heavily subsidised conference meals too; these details will be confirmed later.

How to apply for a grant:

Please request the grant when you send your registration. Justify carefully your need for a grant, particularly if it is not immediately obvious. State what assistance you need (full funding, local funding only, etc.). Bear in mind the guidelines above and please ask for the minimum assistance necessary so that you can attend.

In some cases you may be able to obtain some local funding with our assistance. Please do not be afraid to ask for it.


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Last Updated: September 6, 1997