The CASS Foundation - Guidelines for 2018 Travel Awards

The following Guidelines for Round 2 of the 2018 Travel Awards are to assist prospective applicants. [The Application portal opens on Monday 6 August 2018 and close on Friday 24 August 2018.]

Conditions apply - please check your eligibility below.

Funding objectives

The purpose of the Travel Awards is to enable Early Career Researchers (ECR) to attend an international conference of significance to their research.  At this conference applicants are expected to be presenting their current research as an invited presenter, as an oral presentation or a poster presentation. The research material to be presented at the conference should be current and not based primarily on the Applicant's PhD studies.

Who is an ECR?

We consider an ECR to be a researcher whose PhD conferral (the date of the PhD award certificate) falls within a five-year window between  24 August 2011 and 24 August 2016. That is, in the period not less than two years or more than seven years before the closing date of this current round of Travel Awards.  An earlier date may be considered if absence from research due to career disruption can be demonstrated. ‘Career disruption’ involves a prolonged interruption to an applicant’s capacity to undertake research due to pregnancy, major illness or injury or carer responsibilities.

NOTE: ECRs who do not hold a PhD award but who can demonstrate an equivalent research intensive qualification may be eligible to apply. This is a qualification equivalent to the Level 10 criteria of the Australian Qualifications Framework Second Edition January 2013 where research is the defining characteristic of the Doctoral Degree qualification.

Conference time frame

For the second round of 2018 Travel Awards, the conference commencement date, published on the official conference website must fall within the specified time frame of 1 November 2018 to 31 May 2019.

Eligibility

Applicants must be either Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents.  A visa issued for the purpose of full-time study or temporary employment in Australia (eg Visa 457 or its successor) does not constitute permanent resident status for the purpose of a Travel Award application.

Applications from Australian citizens who are resident overseas at the closing date for applications will not be considered.

Conferences ineligible for support

The Travel Award is not available for travel to attend conferences being held in Australia or to support overseas fieldwork, independent research or courses of study.

Prior Awardees

An applicant will be awarded only one (1) CASS Travel Award within any two-year period. This means that a previous recipient is not eligible to reapply if they have received a CASS Travel Award for a conference commencing after 1 November 2016.

Other Activities

Applicants may include pre or post conference visits to institutes and research colleagues if such activities are directly related to their primary research in Australia.

Requirements - Letter of Endorsement

Applicants are required to obtain a Letter of Endorsement (on letterhead) from the person to whom they report in their organisation (ie Head of Department, Group Supervisor, etc).

The Letter of Endorsement is an important document which is taken into account in the selection process.

The writer of the Letter of Endorsement is asked to confirm that:

1.The proposed conference presentation will introduce new research that is not based primarily on the Applicant's PhD studies;

and to provide a considered response to the following topics:

2.The significance and relevance of the conference forum to the Applicant's current research work;

3.The validity of the Applicant's reasons for participating in the conference and their need for financial support; and

4.The aptitude, capability and potential of the Applicant to benefit from the opportunity of a Travel Award to attend this conference.

Other Documentation

Applicants are required to provide a copy of their PhD award certificate.

Award Amount

The maximum amount of a Travel Award is $4,500.00.  Applicants will be required to provide details of the total conference costs and the amount they are seeking over and above contributions from themselves, their institutions, or from other sources.  CASS will not pay more than 80% of the total cost or $4,500.00, whichever is the lesser.  Applicants will be required to contribute at least twenty per cent (20%) towards the total cost of the conferen