Our Conference Grants
Part of the Society's remit is to support nutritionists and nutrition scientists to share their ideas and research, present their work to new audiences and make new connections with their peers around the world and conference grants make this possible for those Society Members who can least afford to attend. The Conference Grants facilitate this and are available for any Nutrition Society members who are undergraduates doing their first degree, MSc students, PhD students or those in the early stage of their careers i.e. within 10 years of higher degree graduation.
What will be awarded?
We want to help as many members as possible at this time, so the grant can be used to cover your registration fee, travel, and accommodation, but NOT food or drink. We have increased each grant by £100 this year to help you with the cost of living increases.
Funding available depends on where the conference you are attending is being held.
* Up to £400 for members attending a conference in their home country
* Up to £500 for members based in the UK or Europe, travelling to an event in Europe
* Up to £600 for members travelling to conferences overseas
PLEASE NOTE: There will be two closing dates midnight Friday 29 March 2024 and midnight Thursday 31 October 2024. Applications will be retained until those dates when they will be sent for judging. Please plan as no retrospective grants will be awarded.
For conferences from April to November, apply before March 29 2024 and for those between December 2024 and March 2024 apply by 31 October 2024.
If you have any queries, which are not answered in the Frequently Asked Questions section below, please contact the Membership team.
Am I eligible to apply?
Conference Grants are available to members when they are actively participating in an event or conference e.g. you have been invited to speak or will be presenting a research abstract either as a poster or oral communication. The grant can be used to help pay towards conference registration, travel to the event, and your accommodation for the time spent at the conference.
PLEASE NOTE: Where a large number of applications is received, the judge's decision will be final.
Applicants must be current members of this Nutrition Society and have been so for at least two consecutive years and they must still be members when they are due to travel to the event. They must not have received a grant in the last three years, but those who have applied for travel grants previously, but were unsuccessful, may apply again. Our decision to award a conference grant is discretionary and final.
What will be awarded?
We want to help as many members as possible at this time, and the funding available depends on where you are based and where the conference you are attending is being held.
- Up to £400 for members in the UK attending a conference in the UK
- Up to £500 for members based in the UK or Europe traveling to an event in Europe
- Up to £600 for members traveling to conferences overseas
These figures are discretionary and the Nutrition Society reserve the right to adjust them up or down on a case by case basis
Conference Grant Timings
| Applications open | Applications deadline | Decisions sent to members |
| 29 January 2024 | midnight 29 March 2024 | April 2024 |
| midnight 31 October 2024 | November 2024 |
Criteria for application
When applying for a conference grant you must meet all of the following criteria:
1: You are presenting or speaking at a conference related to Nutrition Science (animal or human)
2: You are a student, graduate, or early career member of The Nutrition Society and have been a member of the Society for at least two consecutive years at the time of applying
3: You will be a member of The Society at the time of the conference
4: You are not getting another grant or financial support from the Irish Section for this same event
5: You have not received a conference grant from the Society or the Irish Section at any time during the last three years
How to apply
Applications are made online and include a personal statement of no more than 300 words, which outlines how the applicant believes they or their career/education will benefit from having attended the chosen conference.
Once the closing date has passed, applications will be sent for judging by the Membership Committee and applicants will be notified as soon as possible after the judging is completed.
The Conference Grant will be paid once you have returned from the conference and submitted your expense claims form with VAT receipts, and a short report about the event and what you have gained from attending. This may be used for a blog on the Society's website or as a feature in the Society's monthly newsletter or Gazette.
Application deadlines
The deadline is midnight on 29 March 2024 and 31 October 2024.
N.B. All applications will be held until the closing date and they will then be sent together for judging after the closing date.
Apply here.
Deirdre O’Connor, attend the International Conference on Homocysteine and One Carbon Metabolism (ICHOCM) at Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
“I gained invaluable experience, research insights and networking opportunities at the conference which will serve me well moving forward and I look forward to applying these to my ongoing research in Trinity College and presenting future work at upcoming Nutrition Society meetings.”
Kirsty Porter, attended the Nutrition Society's Irish Section Conference
“The conference grant awarded by the Nutrition Society provided additional support which aided my travel and attendance at this three day conference. This was a very informative conference covering diverse research themes and was presented by experts and young researchers from several countries throughout Europe. I would strongly recommend that Nutrition Society members should consider supporting and attending these events as they are so beneficial. I am very thankful to the Society for providing me with the opportunity to attend and develop my networking ability to continue to pursue my research interests.”
Toni Blackham, attended the Nutrition Society Summer Conference
"I had the pleasure of attending this year’s summer conference. I was delighted to learn that the theme was ‘Improving nutrition in metropolitan areas’ as I’m currently writing up a PhD which has involved working with small independent takeaway businesses so the conference was particularly relevant. I thoroughly enjoy attending the Nutrition Society conferences and would recommend them, without hesitation, to other researchers and students; unfortunately, I am not always able to attend due to lack of funds, so I very much appreciate being given the opportunity this year."
Xiaofei Yin, attended the Metabolism meeting at the University of Birmingham
"The conference focused on the development of metabolic profiling (metabolomics and metabonomics) and its application. There were more than 100 posters from different universities and institutes. In summary the conference was very high-quality and explored many novel topics, which open your mind and extends your knowledge. It was a good opportunity not only to disseminate my own research, but to also learn about the cutting-edge research of others."
Can anyone apply for the grant?
You need to be a current member of this Nutrition Society and have at least two consecutive years of membership at the time of application, and be a member when speaking or presenting at the conference.
How much funding will I receive?
Funding available depends on where the conference you are attending is being held, but has been increased to reflect the increased costs of travel etc.
* Up to £400 for members attending a conference in their home country
* Up to £500 for members based in the UK or Europe, traveling to an event in Europe
* Up to £600 for members traveling to conferences overseas
This is so we can help as many people as possible at a time when conferences are so important for keeping in touch with the global science community.
Has the funding increased from last year?
It was decided that in order to help with the current economic situation, a £100 uplift to each amount would be made.
Why is the grant only available to students, graduates or early career members?
The Society has a remit to support students, graduates and early career members and it was felt that awarding grants to the least well-funded members was a genuine and worthy way of supporting the careers of those members just starting out.
When do I need to apply?
The next closing date is midnight on October 31st 2024.
How do I make an application?
Please complete and submit the online application form. To support the application you will need to write a personal statement of no more than 300 words explaining why you feel you will benefit from the award.
What happens after I have applied?
After the closing date, all applications will be anonymised and sent to the judging panel. All applicants will be informed of the outcome by mid-April/November at the latest.
When will the grant be paid?
The grant will be paid after your attendance at the event/conference and once we have received copies of your expense claims form; invitation/acceptance to speak and your registration/travel/accommodation confirmation/ VAT receipt. you should also submit a short report on what you personally gained from receiving the grant to attend the conference and how this will impact your future career and/or studies. Food and drink is not covered by the grant and must be paid for by the applicant. Please allow 30 working days from receipt of the documentation, for grants to be paid. Any grants not claimed within three months of attendance at the conference will not be paid.
Am I eligible to apply for a conference grant?
Yes, if you are a current member of the Society and have been for at least two consecutive years. You must still be a member when applying for the grant and when attending the event. You must not have received a conference grant from the Society or Irish Section in the last three years, and must not be receiving a grant for this same event from the Irish Section. Those who have applied for these grants previously, but were unsuccessful, may apply again.
What do I need to do after my attendance at the event/conference?
Please send your original VAT receipts for travel, registration and accommodation (not including food and drink) to the membership team. These should be the original receipts and not credit card receipts. Also please send a short account (500 word max) of how the grant benefitted you, what you have learnt and how you feel it will benefit your future career or further studies. Please include photos if possible as we can then use these to promote the grants, and your success, to other members.
I am not sure if my abstract will be accepted, should I wiat and see before applying?
Do not wait, apply now and then if you do not get your abstract accepted you can contact us and withdraw your application. That way you will not miss the opportunity for potential funding.