CONFERENCE TRAVEL GRANTS


Making the world smaller for paediatric brain cancer researchers to learn from the brightest minds.

The Robert Connor Dawes Foundation is committed to supporting Australian researchers in attending national and international conferences dedicated to paediatric brain cancer.

Our travel grants, up to $2000 (AUD) for domestic and $5,000 (AUD) for international conferences, are assisting researchers to travel and attend conferences and contribute to the high quality and competitive research in this field.

If you are looking to attend a paediatric brain cancer research conference, symposium, congress and industry forum, or a related meeting, we encourage you to apply!

For the 2023-2024 financial year, our Foundation is supporting travel grants to the events listed below.

While we would love to award all grants, our funding is limited. Initially, we have $30,000-$50,000 available for this period.

Don’t forget to check out the winners of the previous rounds here.

TRAVEL GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR CONFERENCES/MEETINGS/SYNOPSIUMS

2024 FINANCIAL YEAR

FY 2024 Conference/Symposium/MeetingDatesLocationRCD Grants AvailableApplications Close
Australian and New Zealand Haematology and Oncology Group (ANZCHOG) Scientific meeting24-26 Aug 2023Perth, Australia3Closed
54th Annual International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Congress10-14 Oct 2023Ottawa, Canada2Closed
Society of Neuro-oncology 28th Annual Meeting 15-19th November 2023Vancouver, Canada1Closed
Australian Children's Brain Cancer Centre Conference07-08 Mar 2024Queensland, Australia2Closed
21st International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (ISPNO)29 Jun - 2 Jul 2024Philadelphia, US228 April 2024

WHAT OUR TRAVEL GRANT RECIPIENTS ARE SAYING…

Dr Anna Samolej – The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, New South Wales

ISPNO 2022

“Attending a conference in person felt incredibly refreshing and rewarding, after such a long break due to COVID-19. Not only did it enable easier communication and provide networking opportunities through face-to face interaction, but being able to attend presentations in person enhanced the permeability of the information being presented. Attending ISPNO provided me with a wealth of new knowledge, but also added motivation and enthusiasm to continue my work, inspired by the progress being made in the field of pediatric neuro-oncology.”

Dr Zahra Abbas- Perth Children’s Hospital, Telethon Kids institute, Perth

ISPNO 2022

“I am very grateful for the support that the RCD Foundation Travel Grant provided me to attend my first international scientific conference. It was a fantastic opportunity to expand my professional network, share my research, and hear about the latest research in the field.’’

Dr Paul Daniel – Hudson

ANZCHOG ASM 2022

“ANZCHOG 2022 was an amazing experience which provided insight into the clinical and translational issues being actively addressed to improve paediatric patient outcomes. Thank you to the Robert Conner Dawes Foundation for this opportunity!”

ELIGIBILITY FOR TRAVEL GRANTS

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  • Applicants must be employed or studying at an Australian research Institution, organisation or hospital.
  • Applicants must hold, or be studying a relevant medical or academic degree, such as PhD, MSc, BSc, BMedSc, MD, AND be actively involved in paediatric brain cancer research and or clinical trials.
  • In addition to clinician and academic researchers, nurse practitioners, nurse consultants, research nurses and clinical research associates working in the paediatric brain cancer research, and or clinical trials are welcome to apply.

  • Only researchers who are yet to be awarded a RCD travel grant in a single fiscal year may apply.

  • Applicants must have the support of their employer or host institution where they are enrolled (supporting organisation).
  • The supporting organisation must be prepared to administer the grant according to the grant guidelines.

GUIDELINES FOR TRAVEL GRANTS

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General:

  • Each listed event is treated as a single grant round.
  • Applications may be lodged up to two months prior to each listed event, at which time they will be assessed, and the outcome will be communicated within 5 weeks before the event date.
  • An individual researcher may only receive one travel grant in a single fiscal year.
  • There are no restrictions on the numbers of applications from researchers at a single institution or organisation.
  • Researchers must apply using the application form found here
  • The Foundation will not accept any late applications after the closing dates.
  • Funds must be used for the purpose specified in the letter of award only.
  • The grant can’t be transferred to another conference or researcher without the Foundation’s written approval.
  • If, due to unforeseen or extenuating circumstances, the awardee is no longer able to attend the conference, he/she must inform the Foundation at the earliest possible time. The Foundation will work together with the researcher and supporting organisation to either transfer the grant or request the funds be returned. In this instance, the researcher is able to reapply for another conference in the same fiscal year.
  • In cases where competitive, multiple applications are received from a single host organisation or institute, the Foundation may enter into negotiations with the host to co-fund more than one.

Assessment Criteria:

  • Impact of contribution (e.g., conference presentation, poster, chairing a session, sharing knowledge gained with peers)
  • Anticipated benefits to applicant and their supporting organisation
  • Level of endorsement from the supporting organisation.

Assessment Process:

Notification of Outcomes:

  • Applicants will be notified via email of the outcome within five weeks of the event date.
  • Successful applicants and their supporting organisation will be issued with a grant award letter.

Grant Acceptance:

  • The supporting organisation will be required to sign a letter of agreement to accept and administer the travel grant.
  • Upon execution of this letter, the grant will be paid to the supporting organisation in full, within 30 business days. If the funds are required sooner, please contact the Foundation directly to make alternative arrangements.