Travel & Conference Grants
11 funding opportunities
Support for attending conferences, workshops, research visits, and collaborative meetings.
Overview
Travel grants help researchers attend conferences, present work, network with colleagues, and engage in collaborative research visits. These are particularly valuable for students and early-career researchers building their networks.
Key Features
- Amount: $500 - $3,000 typical range
- Coverage: Airfare, registration, accommodation
- Timeline: Often rapid decisions (2-8 weeks)
- Requirements: Usually need accepted paper/poster or invitation
- Audience: All career stages, especially students
Travel Grants by Region
Global
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: Rolling deadlines
- Audience: IEEE WIE members (women)
- Domains: Engineering, computer science
- Description: Travel grants for women attending IEEE-sponsored conferences
Asia-Pacific (India-focused)
Microsoft Research India Travel Grants
- Amount: Up to $2,500 USD
- Deadline: Apply 45+ days in advance
- Audience: Students at Indian institutions
- Domains: Computer science
- Description: Travel grants for Indian students attending top-tier CS conferences
Google Conference and Travel Scholarships
- Amount: $1,000-$3,000 USD
- Deadline: Rolling applications
- Audience: Students in India, Africa, APAC
- Domains: Computer science
- Description: Travel scholarships for attending top-tier CS conferences
- Amount: ₹60,000-₹1,00,000 INR
- Deadline: Rolling applications
- Audience: Students and faculty at Indian institutions
- Domains: Computing science
- Description: Travel grants for attending computing science conferences
ANRF International Travel Support (ITS)
- Amount: ₹1,50,000 INR + Registration up to ₹50,000
- Deadline: Apply 60-90 days before event
- Audience: Indian researchers (age <35)
- Domains: All science & engineering
- Description: International travel support for Indian researchers
- Amount: ₹50,000 INR
- Deadline: Rolling applications
- Audience: CSIR-affiliated researchers
- Domains: All sciences
- Description: Travel grants for CSIR-affiliated researchers in India
- Amount: ₹1,00,000 INR
- Deadline: Rolling applications
- Audience: Faculty and researchers at Indian universities
- Domains: All fields
- Description: Travel grant scheme for university faculty and researchers
AICTE-INAE Travel Grant Scheme
- Amount: ₹50,000 INR
- Deadline: Rolling applications
- Audience: Faculty and students at AICTE-approved institutions
- Domains: Engineering and technology
- Description: Travel grants for engineering faculty and students in India
Sir Ratan Tata Trust International Travel Grants
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: Rolling applications
- Audience: Indian researchers
- Domains: Various fields
- Description: International travel grants for Indian researchers
Inlaks Research and Travel Grant
- Amount: Up to $1,000 + $2,000/month (max 3 months)
- Deadline: Rolling applications
- Audience: PhD students at Indian universities
- Domains: Humanities & Social Sciences
- Description: Research and travel grants for PhD students
- Amount: Partial/Full travel support
- Deadline: Apply 3+ months in advance
- Audience: Mathematicians in India
- Domains: Mathematics
- Description: Travel grants for mathematicians in India
Application Tips
Eligibility Requirements
Common Criteria
- Accepted paper/poster at conference
- Student or early-career status
- Institution affiliation
- Citizenship/residency requirements
- First-time attendee priority (some grants)
Documentation Needed
- Acceptance letter from conference
- Abstract/paper submission
- Budget breakdown
- Letter from advisor/supervisor
- Proof of registration
- CV/resume
Timeline
Advance Planning
- 6-9 months before: Submit conference paper
- 3-6 months before: Receive acceptance, apply for grants
- 2-4 months before: Receive funding decisions
- 1-2 months before: Book travel, register
- After conference: Submit reimbursement or reports
Quick Turnaround Grants
- Some require 45-90 days advance notice
- Others have shorter timelines
- Apply to multiple sources
Maximizing Success
Strong Applications
- Significance: Why this conference matters for your research
- Impact: How you’ll benefit (networking, exposure, collaboration)
- Presentation: Highlight accepted paper/talk/poster
- Budget: Realistic costs, itemized breakdown
- Future plans: How you’ll apply what you learn
Budget Considerations
- Compare flight options
- Consider conference hotels vs. alternatives
- Account for meals and local transport
- Include registration fees
- Some grants cover partial costs only
Funding Strategies
Multiple Applications
- Apply to general and domain-specific grants
- Combine conference-specific and external funding
- Some institutions have internal travel grants
- Professional societies often have member grants
Stacking Support
- Partial grants can be combined
- Some conferences offer registration waivers
- Advisor/department may supplement
- Student government funding (some universities)
Cost Reduction
- Share accommodations with other attendees
- Book flights early
- Look for student volunteer opportunities
- Apply for conference scholarships directly
Beyond Conference Attendance
Research Visits
- Some grants support collaborative visits
- Typically longer duration (weeks to months)
- May include living expenses
- Often require invitation letter
Workshops & Summer Schools
- Specialized training events
- Often have dedicated travel support
- May include registration waivers
- Networking-focused
Networking Opportunities at Conferences
- Poster sessions
- Doctoral consortia
- Social events
- Mentorship programs
- Job fairs
- Collaboration meetings
Field-Specific Resources
Computer Science
- Microsoft Research India
- Google Travel Scholarships
- ACM India-IARCS
- Individual conference grants (many ACM/IEEE conferences have grants)
Engineering
- AICTE-INAE
- IEEE WIE
- Society-specific grants
Mathematics
- NBHM
- Mathematical society grants
General Science
- ANRF ITS
- CSIR
- UGC
- Sir Ratan Tata Trust
Humanities & Social Sciences
- Inlaks Foundation
- UGC
- Society-specific grants