Heatley-payne Travel Award

Purpose

This scheme is offered jointly with the American Society for Microbiology and supports the reciprocal exchange of one postgraduate student member to present their research at the other society’s annual main conference and to visit a research laboratory in that country. The award has been developed to strengthen a long lasting bond between the SGM and the American Society for Microbiology. It is designed to benefit PhD students in both countries by giving them the opportunity to present their work overseas and experience the best of microbiology in the partner country.  
Postgraduate Student Associate Members of the SGM are invited to apply for a limited grant of up to £3000 to present work at the Annual General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology and make a short research visit of up to three weeks at laboratory in the USA.

Rules

1. All applicants must be paid up members of the SGM of at least 3 calendar months standing before the date of their application for a grant.
2. Applicants must be resident and registered for a PhD in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
3. Applicants must submit an abstract to the Annual General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. A copy of the abstract must be included with the grant application.
4. The proposed laboratory visit may be to learn a new technology or to carry out a short research project and must take place either in the three weeks preceding or following the scientific meeting.
5. The research work to be carried out in the host laboratory must be clearly defined. It must also be microbiological, but any appropriate area of the discipline will be considered for funding.  The scheme supports visits within established collaborations and the development of new collaborative initiatives.
6. Applicants must submit evidence of acceptance by the host institution e.g. a copy of the letter of invitation from a senior member of the staff, with their completed application form.
7. The research visit may be up to three weeks in length (minimum 1 week)
8. Up to £3000 is available to contribute towards costs as follows: flight to USA, accommodation and subsistence costs during the scientific meeting, travel within USA to host laboratory, accommodation and subsistence costs during research visit. Meeting registration costs will be met by the American Society for Microbiology.
9. Grant holders will normally be expected to continue to receive a salary / student stipend from their home institution or other source.
10. Payment of the award is conditional on acceptance of the abstract by the scientific committee and the applicant presenting his/her research at the ASM meeting.
11. Applicants are expected to have adequate insurance arrangements and to provide evidence of this. The scheme does not cover the costs of insurance.
12. All grant recipients must complete a short project report and provide a statement of expenditure (backed up by receipts/invoices as appropriate) within one month of return from the USA.
13. THREE copies of the completed application form and all supplementary documentation must be submitted for consideration.
14. Retrospective applications will not be considered.
15. There will be one application deadline each calendar year. The next closing date is 20 November 2009

Applications

There will normally be one round of applications during each calendar year. Applications must be made on the appropriate form, accompanied by the required supporting documents, to the Grants Office, SGM, Marlborough House, Basingstoke Road, Spencers Wood, Reading, RG7 1AG.

Closing date 20 November 2009.

Last modified 11 August 2009