🌿 Conference Funding Guide
Support for Students and Early-Career Researchers in Ecology, Conservation & Biodiversity
Attending a conference is a brilliant opportunity to share your work, meet others in your field, and explore exciting new ideas. If you're keen to come but need financial support, you're not alone — and there’s plenty of help available through both your university and external organisations.
This guide shows you how to find funding for conference attendance, with a focus on ecology, biodiversity, conservation, and related disciplines. Please note the advice is useful for all students / researchers, but specific links may only be applicable to those based in the UK.
🎓 1. Start with Your University
Your first step should always be to check what funding your university offers — many UK institutions have internal bursaries specifically for conference travel, separate from any research budget or training support included in your programme.
Here’s where and how to begin:
Ask your supervisor – they may:
Have access to their own discretionary funds or research group bursaries
Be able to point you directly to the right internal contacts
Speak to your department – reach out to your postgraduate coordinator, department administrator, or head of postgraduate studies
Check with your university’s graduate school or doctoral training programme
If you're at a collegiate university (e.g. Oxford, Cambridge, Durham), email your college office or bursar — many colleges offer small academic grants
Search your university’s student portal or intranet for terms like “conference bursary,” “travel fund,” “PG research support,” etc.
If unsure, contact your research office or a central team like studentfunding@youruniversity.ac.uk
These funds often support travel, accommodation, or conference-related costs and can be combined with external bursaries. Starting here is often the simplest and most direct way to secure funding.
🌍 2. External Bursaries and Grants
Many professional societies and environmental organisations offer bursaries and travel grants to help students and early-career researchers attend conferences — especially if you're presenting a talk or poster. Not all of these will be relevant to your exact discipline, so check the eligibility criteria carefully.
Here are some of the most relevant and reliable options:
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Each of these schemes has different deadlines, expectations, and application formats — but many are very accessible and awarded regularly. If you're planning to present research, it’s well worth applying.
✏️ 3. Tips for a Strong Application
Apply early – deadlines often close well in advance
Join the relevant society – most grants are for members, and student membership is usually low-cost
Emphasise impact – explain how attending will benefit your research, skills, or future plans
Presenting helps – grants are often prioritised for those giving a talk or poster
Get a short support letter – from your supervisor or academic advisor
Be realistic and clear with your budget
Combine sources – it’s common to fund your trip using multiple small grants
💡 Extra Resources
ECRcentral Travel Grants Board – regularly updated list of travel and conference grants
WeMakeScholars – searchable global funding database
Ask around – your supervisor or peers may know of smaller or field-specific funds not widely advertised
🎉 Final Thoughts
There’s a lot of support out there — and many students each year fund their conference trips entirely through bursaries and travel grants. The key is to start early, ask widely, and apply to more than one opportunity where you can.