Conference participation funding for doctoral candidates and postdocs

News: Due to a 30% reduction in the budget, the Office for Gender Equality can only fund a limited number of conference trips this year and reserves the right to grant smaller amounts than usual of up to 400 euros (domestic) or 1,200 euros (international). No department can receive more than one third of the total available funding amount. Preference is given to women who are not funded via third party funded projects or staff positions at the university or who have increased financial requirements due to care duties or part-time work.

Early-career women researchers may apply once a year for funding from the University’s Programme for the Advancement of Women to offset the cost of participating in academic congresses and conferences. For domestic trips, the programme can grant funding to cover up to 100% of conference, travel and accommodation expenses (max. 400 euros), and for trips abroad, up to 60% (max. 1,200 euros). Individual applicants can receive a maximum of 1,200 euros per year in funding. Travel and accommodation expense accounting is subject to the provisions of the state Travel Expense Law of North Rhine-Westphalia (Landesreisekostengesetz).

This funding tool is aimed in particular at doctoral students and postdocs who are not funded through research networks and academic staff positions.

Candidates are invited to submit an informal application by email to the Equal Opportunity Officer no later than one week prior to departure. More information on funding opportunities at the Faculty of Medicine (05) can be found here. [de]
 

Application requirements:

1. Confirmation of active participation in the event, generally substantiated by a paper, poster presentation or lecture given by the applicant

• If there is more than one author, the applicant must clearly indicate her share of the work.
• Please submit the letter of invitation and, if possible, a screenshot of the conference website showing when the applicant’s talk is scheduled.

2. Reasons for requesting funding, briefly describing why attending the conference is important

3. A brief reference to your own position situation (scholarship, research network, budgeted staff position, part-time) or special financial requirements

4. Written proof showing (e.g. by way of a notice of denied funding) why other sources of financing (e.g. professorship, working group, institute, department) are unsuitable or insufficient

5. Applicants are required to seek funding first from the DAAD. Only if the DAAD rejects the application can funding be obtained through the Equal Opportunity Office. The DAAD’s application deadline is at least four months prior to the conference; applicants may submit proof that their academic contribution has been accepted up to 30 days prior. Conference fee expenses can be substantiated with documentation at a later time (DAAD PDF)*

6. A cost calculation which outlines the extent of the requested funding

Important: No more than three persons can receive funding for one and the same conference. We do not grant a daily allowance. We do not support the participation in the same conference in two consecutive years.

We support conference trips within the scope of our financial possibilities.

Funding for virtual conferences:

Even if conferences cannot take place in person, applicants may still apply for funding to cover conference fees (max. 400 euros). The requirements described above apply.