Supporting scientific conferences.
For many years, the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation has been supporting scientific conferences worldwide with a focus on exchanging research concepts and unpublished findings, and promoting the dialogue among different generations of scientists.
Context and aims of the programme.
International conferences are essential for exchanging new ideas and research findings. They provide junior scientists with excellent opportunities to gain an overview of current issues, methods, and even controversial discussions in their respective fields of research. Further, these conferences offer a platform for presenting their own findings and establishing contacts with leading researchers. The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation supports this exchange.
Who and what can be supported?
The foundation facilitates and promotes the participation of outstanding scientists in “traditional” scientific conferences concerning basic research in biology, chemistry, medicine, and pharmacy.
It also awards grants to international conferences organised by and for junior scientists (i.e., post-graduate and postdoctoral researchers).
The foundation is also pleased to support scientific conferences that are held in cooperation with other renowned organisations as well as conference series (EMBO, Gordon Research Conferences, Spetses Summer Schools, etc.).
The chairs of the conference may apply for funding to support the following groups of participants:
Junior scientists (PhD students, junior postdoctoral fellows): The foundation supports travel grants for outstanding junior scientists who present a poster or who have been selected for a short talk. Travel grants may cover expenses for travel, accommodation, and/or registration fees of the conference.
Young principal investigators and assistant professors (max. 2 years after starting their first independent research group): Only young PIs and assistant professors invited for a talk or selected for a short talk may be supported. The support may cover expenses for travel and accommodation.
Senior scientists: Travel and accommodation expenses may be covered for senior scientists invited to give a keynote lecture.
In all cases, active participation in the conference is required. Individuals attending a conference without playing an active role in the programme cannot be funded.
Who is eligible to apply?
Scientists based anywhere in the world can apply for a grant to cover the aforementioned costs. They must be the chair or one of the co-chairs of the conference.
For conferences held in conjunction with an accompanying satellite seminar or workshop, only one application for funding of the main conference may be submitted. The recipient of any such grant must either be an academic institution or a non-profit organisation.
Conference-organising agencies are not eligible to apply for funding.
How and when may applications be made?
To submit your funding application, please use our online application tool.
Applications may be submitted between 8 months to 10 weeks prior to the starting date of the conference.
What information must the applications contain?
The following information is to be entered in the online application form: personal details, information about the conference and the funding proposal.
Further documents are to be uploaded as PDF files: preliminary programme, list of invited speakers, declaration of applicants.
Detailed information can be found in the guidelines for applicants.
What does the foundation not fund?
- Purely local scientific conferences
- Retreats of PhD programmes or institutes
- Non-research events, e.g. medical training events
- Conferences whose focus is not on basic biological, chemical, medical, or pharmaceutical research
- Systematic botany, ecology, or zoology conferences
- Events with no relationship to Europe in terms of location, speakers, and/or participants
- Full funding of events
- Poster prizes
- Overhead costs
How are successful applications selected?
Complete applications fulfilling the formal requirements of the programme will be evaluated with regard to the following criteria: quality of the scientific programme and concept of the conference, including measures to promote the dialogue between junior and senior researchers. The decision process may take up to ten weeks.
Reporting
The funds may only be used for the purpose specified in the approval letter. The grant will be approved on the condition that applicants submit copies of the final conference programme, the final list of participants as well as documentary proof of the funds‘ use (this document will be provided along with the approval letter) within three months of the event’s conclusion. Receipts must be retained for verification but submitted to the foundation only upon request. The report must also include documentation of how the logo of the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation has been used to acknowledge the funding. The logo will be provided along with the approval letter and may be used for display on website or other digital or printed media associated with the supported conference. The logo may not be linked to the website of the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation.
Do you have any questions?
Please contact us via phone or mail.
tel: +49 (0) 6131 27 508-12, email: funding(at)bistiftung.de