r/AskAcademia • u/Fantastic_Egg_9253 • 1d ago
STEM PLEASE HELP! Can't Afford My First Conference
Dear all,
I am a master's graduate in Biotechnology and will soon begin my PhD in Brain Organoids and Neural Tissue Engineering. I'm thrilled to share that I've been selected for the Brain Organoids Summer School 2025, which will be held from July 11–13, 2025 in Leioa (Bilbao), Spain.
This will be my first academic conference, where I’ll have the opportunity to present my ideas and also gain hands-on training in creating brain organoids and assembloids under expert guidance. I'm genuinely excited about this learning opportunity.
However, the registration fee (including accommodation) is 400 euros, which I am unable to afford. I also require financial assistance for travel to attend the event.
[The conference does not provide any financial assistance]
Could you kindly suggest potential funding sources, travel grants, or financial aid options that I might explore?
Any help or guidance would be deeply appreciated!
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u/Resilient_Acorn PhD, RDN 1d ago
Look into travel grants for graduate students at your university. Check your respective department, college, and university levels. Check the conference website for travel assistance. Ask your advisor and department chair for assistance.
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u/Fantastic_Egg_9253 1d ago
Thank you! I'm hesitant because I'm not affiliated to any institution (PhD has not started). Will try
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u/No_Jaguar_2570 1d ago
Then you’re almost certainly not going to be able to get money from anyone.
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u/Resilient_Acorn PhD, RDN 1d ago
Not necessarily. OP says they are currently a MS student. More difficult sure, but not a certainty for not
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u/No_Jaguar_2570 1d ago
They said they’re a graduate, so I assume no longer in the program. If they are, then yeah, maybe their current department can help them.
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u/Resilient_Acorn PhD, RDN 1d ago
Ah misread that they are already a graduate. You’re right in this case then
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u/Resilient_Acorn PhD, RDN 1d ago
You say you are a MS student now yeah? If so then you can ask your current MS advisor as well as your upcoming PhD advisor.
Lesson here though for the future, don’t apply to conferences you can’t afford to attend at time of submission.
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u/wedontliveonce 1d ago
As others have said check with your advisor, university, and the conference. Some conferences will waive student registration fees in exchange for help working at the conference (AV assistance, signing people in, walking around telling people where rooms are located, etc.).
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u/my002 1d ago
Talk to your supervisor/PI. They should be able to advise you on both whether or not this is a conference worth going to (there are a lot of predatory/scammy conferences out there) and on potential sources of funding.