Travel Awards -
DRAFT Guidelines
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.
TRAVEL AWARD
Award
CASS offers Travel Awards of up to $5,000 for costs to attend and present at an international conference.
Application Dates
2025 Round 1 Travel Awards will be accepted between:
3 February 2025,
and
21 February 2025
Applications closed at 5:00pm AEDT (Melbourne time).
Conference Time Frame
For 2025 Round 1 Travel Awards, the conference commencement date (as published on the official conference website) must be between:
1 May 2025 and
30 November 2025.
Eligibility
Citizenship
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 482) 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
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 (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 21 February 2023.
Exceptions to this are those Applicants that received a deferred CASS Travel Award.
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.
Who is an ECR?
To be eligible you must have been conferred with your PhD for at least two years prior to 21 February 2025 (the closing date of applications). Therefore, for the purposes of a CASS Travel Award an ECR is a researcher whose PhD conferral (the date of the PhD award certificate) falls within a five-year window between 21 February 2018 and 21 February 2023. See Note 3 below.
Your conferral date must be not less than two years, or more than seven years before the closing date of this current round of Travel Awards. The date on your conferral certificate must be between 21 February 2018 and 21 February 2023.
You must attach a copy of your PhD conferral/award certificate for your application to be eligible.
Note 1: Conferral Date Exceptions
An earlier conferral date may be considered if absence from research due to career disruption can be demonstrated. 'Career disruption' involves a prolonged interruption to an Applicant undertaking their research due to pregnancy, major illness or injury, or carer responsibilities.
Note 2: PhD Exemption
ECRs who do not hold a PhD award but who can demonstrate in their application 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.
Note 3: PhD Conferral Certificate
Your conferral date is the critical date for consideration by CASS. A copy of your PhD conferral/award certificate which contains the university's seal, duly executed, must be provided with your application. Failure to provide this document will result in your application being immediately disqualified. The date on your conferral certificate must be between 21 February 2018 and 21 February 2023.
It is acceptable to provide:
- A copy of your “testamur”, the official document issued by the university after your degree/award has been conferred and stating your conferral date.
It is not acceptable to provide:
- A copy of your academic transcript
- A copy of your Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement
- A letter confirming you have been approved to graduate, or have completed the requirements for the degree.
- An invitation to your graduation
- Any other document.
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 required to confirm that:
1. The proposed conference presentation will introduce new research that is not based primarily on the Applicant's PhD studies;
2. The Applicant is either an Australian citizen or a Permanent Resident; and
3. The significance and relevance of the conference forum to the Applicant's current research work;
4. The validity of the Applicant's reasons for participating in the conference and their need for financial support; and
5. The aptitude, capability and potential of the Applicant to benefit from the opportunity of a Travel Award to attend this conference.
PhD Award Certificate
Applicants are required to provide a copy of their PhD award certificate. See Note 3 above.
Conference Participation
Confirmation of the Applicant's conference participation is not required at the time of application. If successful, the Applicant will be asked to provide written confirmation from the conference organisers of the Applicant's presentation at the conference prior to the Travel Award payment.
Award Amount
The maximum amount of a Travel Award is $5,000.
CASS will not pay more than 80% of the total cost or $5,000, whichever is the lesser.
Applicants will be required to contribute at least 20% towards the total cost of the conference.
Conference Costs
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.
Payments
Subject to the timely receipt of any requirements, payments will be made not less than twenty-one (21) days before the conference commencement date.
Selection Criteria
In considering applications, the selection committee will have regard to:
1. the status of the conference;
2. the Letter of Endorsement;
3. the nature and extent of the Applicant's participation in the conference proceedings; and
4. any other proposed activities.
Acknowledgement
All applications submitted before the closing date will be acknowledged by email.
Notification
Applicants will be informed of the outcome of the application by email by late March 2025.
Agreement
Successful Applicants will be required to submit an Agreement incorporating the CASS Travel Award terms and conditions.
Emails from The CASS Foundation
CASS will always let ALL applicants know if they are successful or unsuccessful.
If you have not received an update from CASS please check your Junk/Spam folder or contact us directly to find out the status of your application.
Emails may be sent from [email protected] or [email protected]
General Provisions
1. The decision of CASS on all applications is final. No feedback or comments will be provided.
2. CASS will transfer the Travel Award amount by electronic funds transfer directly to the bank account nominated by the Applicant in the CASS Travel Award Agreement.
3. The Travel Award is personal to the successful Applicant and may not be assigned to another person but may, at the Applicant's discretion, be paid to their employer.
4. The Applicant's travel program overseas must be completed within forty-five (45) days of their departure from Australia.
5. The Applicant must advise CASS of any delay, interruption, cancellation or termination of the intended travel program for any reason (including illness) as soon as possible.
6. CASS may request a portion of the funds to be returned if the Applicant has received the Travel Award and left to attend the conference but has been unable to compete the planned travel program.
7. CASS will request a full refund of the Travel Award if the Applicant has been required to cancel the trip and not yet left the country. The Applicant will be able to apply again provided they continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
8. Recipients are required to submit a report to CASS within sixty (60) days of the conference commencement date, pursuant to the CASS Report requirements. The CASS Report requirements will be made available on the Recipients Grant Management Portal.
9. CASS reserves the right to publish or use the conference report (or parts of it) subject to the CASS Privacy Policy.
